Pastoralists in the Modern World

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• Summary

Under colonial rule, the life of the pastoralists changed completely. Their grazing grounds became less, their movements were regulated, the revenues they had to pay increased, their trade and crafts and agricultural produce declined.

Coping with changes:

1. Some reduced the number of cattle in their herds.
2. Some discovered new pastures.
3. Some bought land and began to lead a settled life.
4. Some poor peasants borrowed money to survive, in due course of time they lost their cattle and sheep and became labourers.

1. Nomadic pastoralists grazed their animals in one area and moved to another area. These pastoral movements allowed time for the natural restoration of vegetation growth.
2. Measures led to a serious shortage of pastures. When grazing lands were taken over and turned into cultivated fields, the available area of pastureland declined.
3. When restrictions were imposed on pastoral movements, grazing lands came to be continuously used and the quality of pastures declined.
4. The reservation of forests meant that shepherds and cattle herders could no longer freely pasture their cattle in the forests.