NCERT Solutions for Class 9 Social Science (History) Chapter 5 Pastoralists in the Modern World

NCERT
SOLUTIONS
CLASS - 9th

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Class : 9th
Subject : History
Chapter : 5
Chapter Name : Pastoralists In The Modern World

Q1 Explain why nomadic tribes need to move from one place to another. What are the
advantages to the environment of this continuous movement?

Answer. There were many need of nomadic tribes to move from one place to another:

The nomadic tribes had no regular elds of their own from where they could get fodder
for their cattle.

They lived with their herd in the low hills of Himalayas from September to April because;
the huge mountains or high altitude were covered with snow during this period. In these
areas, the dry scrub forests provided pastures for their herds during this period.

With the onset of summer, as the snow melted and the hills side began to be covered
with lush green with a variety of new grasses, the pastoralists started their northward
march for their summer grazing grounds.

Again with the onset of winter when the mountains began to be covered with snow and
there were dearth of nutritious forage, these pastoralists on the move again, this time on
their downward Journey.

The movement of the nomadic pastoralists from the downward to the upward areas and vice-
versa allowed suf cient time for natural restoration of vegetation grounds. Their continuous
shifting provided suf cient forage to the different animals both at the high mountains and the
lower hills. They also helped in maintaining the quality of the pastures.

Q2 Discuss why the colonial government in India brought in the following laws. In each case,
explain how the law changed the lives of pastoralists:
(i) Waste Land rules
(ii) Forest Acts
(iii) Criminal Tribes Act
(iv) Grazing Tax

Answer. (i) Waste Land rules: All grazing lands were considered 'waste land' by the colonial

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Book - India And The Contemporary World-I Ncert Solutions | Chapter-5 History

rulers as they brought no revenue to them. If this land could be transformed into cultivated
farmland, it would result in an increase in land revenue and production of crops such as jute,
cotton and wheat. This is why the Waste Land rules were formulated. However, they sounded
the death knell for pastoralists because an increase in cultivated land meant an obvious
decline in pastures and a consequent loss of a means of livelihood for them.

(ii) Forests Acts:These were enacted to protect and preserve forests for timber which was of
commercial importance. These acts changed the life of pastoralists. They were now prevented
from entering many forests that had earlier provided valuable forage for their cattle. They
issued permits which monitored their entry and exit into forests. They could not stay in the
forests as much as they liked because the permit speci ed the number of days and hours they
could spend in the forests.

(iii) Criminal Tribes Act: The British government eyed nomadic people with suspicion and
disregard on account of their continuous movement. They could not be tracked down or placed
in one particular place, unlike rural people in villages who were easy to identify and control.
Hence, the colonial power viewed nomadic tribes as criminal. The Criminal Tribes Act was
passed in 1871 and it further ruined the lives of the pastoralists who were now forced to live in
noti ed settlements and were disallowed from moving out without a government permit.

(iv) Grazing Tax: It was imposed by the colonial government to expand its revenue income.
Pastoralists had to pay a tax on every animal they grazed on the pastures. This right was now
auctioned out to contractors. They extracted as high a tax as they could, to recover the money
they had paid to the state and earn as much pro t as they could. Later the government itself
started collecting taxes. This created problems for the pastoralists who were harassed by tax
collectors. It also became an economic burden on them.

Q3 Give reasons to explain why the Maasai community lost their grazing lands

Answer. The Maasais lost their grazing lands due to the following reasons:

In 1885, Maasai land was cut in half by an international boundary between British Kenya
and German Tanganyika.

The best pastures were reserved for white settlements, and the Maasai tribes were given
arid zone With uncertain rainfall and poor pastures into a small area in south Kenya and
north Tanzania.

The British colonial government in east Africa also encouraged local peasant
communities to expand cultivation. As cultivation expanded, pasturelands were turned
into cultivated elds.

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Large areas of grazing land were also turned into game reserves where pastoralists were
not allowed to enter. This lack of good grazing lands and a two-year drought led to losses
of almost 60% cattle belonging to the Maasai tribes.

Thus, with the expansion of British colonisation, the Maasai community lost their grazing
lands.

Q4 There are many similarities in the way in which the modern world forced changes in the
lives of pastoral communities in India and East Africa. Write about any two examples of
changes which were similar for Indian pastoralists and the Maasai herders.

Answer. There are many similarities in the way in which the modern world forced changes in
the lives of pastoral communities in India and East Africa. Here are examples of changes
which were similar for Indian pastoralists and the Maasai herders:

All uncultivated land was seen as Waste land' by colonial powers. It produced neither
revenue nor agricultural produce. This land was brought under cultivation. In most
areas, the lands taken over were actually grazing tracts used regularly by pastoralists, so
the expansion of cultivation inevitably meant the decline of pastures and a problem both
for Indian pastoralists and the Maasai.

From the 19th century onwards, the colonial government started imposing restrictions
on the pastoral communities. They issued permits which allowed them to move out with
their stock and it was dif cult to get permits without trouble and harassment. Those
found guilty of disobeying the rules were severely punished.

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