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32 views9 pages

History

Uploaded by

tani199811
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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History

Colonial Rule and Pastoral


Life
Changes In The Life Of Pastoralists Under Colonial Rule:
Under colonial rule, the life of pastoralists changed dramatically.
The state wanted to transform all grazing lands into cultivated farms. Land revenue
was one of the main sources of its finance. By doing this, it could increase its
revenue collection. It could produce some requirements for England.
To colonial officials all uncultivated land appeared unproductive.
From the mid-19th century, Waste Land Rules were enacted in various parts of the
country. In most areas the lands take over were actually grazing tracts used
regularly by pastoralists. So, expansion of cultivation inevitably meant the decline
of pastures and a problem for pastoralists.
Various Forest Acts were also being enacted. Through these acts forests which
produced commercially valuable timber were declared ‘Reserved‘. No pastoralists
were allowed access here. Some forests that were classified ‘Protected’ granted
the pastoralists some customary grazing rights but their movements were
restricted.
CHALLENGES FACED BY PASTORALISTS UNDER COLONIAL RULE IN INDIA
• Forest Department permits restricted pastoralists'
movement
• Nomadic people were viewed with suspicion by British
officials
• Colonial government passed Criminal Tribes Act to
control communities
• Tax was imposed on land, trade goods, and animals,
including grazing tax
• Pastoralists had to pay tax and obtain passes
• for grazing their animals
HOW DID THESE CHANGES AFFECT THE LIVES OF PASTORALISTS?
THERE WERE NOT ENOUGH PASTURES AS A RESULT OF
THESE ACTIONS. THE AMOUNT OF PASTURE LAND THAT WAS
AVAILABLE DECREASED WHEN GRAZING AREAS WERE
TAKEN OVER AND CONVERTED TO AGRICULTURAL FIELDS.
THE REMAINING GRAZING LAND WAS ALL THAT WAS LEFT
OVER FOR THE ANIMAL POPULATION TO EAT AS PASTURE
LANDS VANISHED BENEATH THE PLOUGH. THE QUALITY OF
PASTURES DECREASED AS GRAZING FIELDS WERE USED
CONTINUOUSLY AFTER RESTRICTIONS ON PASTORAL
MOVEMENTS WERE PUT IN PLACE. THIS FURTHER REDUCED
THE AMOUNT OF FORAGE AVAILABLE TO ANIMALS, WHICH
FURTHER DEPLETED THE ANIMAL POPULATION.
how did the pastoralists cope with these changes ?
Pastoralists reacted to these changes in a variety of ways. Some
discovered new pastures.
For example when the Raikas could no longer move into Sindh and
graze their camels on the banks of Indus, as they had done earlier
after the partition of 1947 they began to migrate to Haryana in search
of new pastures
Some rich pastoralists began to buy land to settle down and gave up
their nomadic life. while some of them became peasants. Some others
took to more extensive trading
Poor pastoralists had to borrow from money lenders in order to survive.
Most of them finally lost their cattle and sheep and became labourers .
They began to work in fields or in small towns
NEWS HEADLINES ON - HOW ARE THE PASTORALISTS IN THE
WORLD !
• Pastoralists are an asset to the world-
A researcher says that pastoralists are an important lifeline to the
future and that the world would be poorer without them.
• PAStoralists in India need better access to land-
A UN report says that pastoralists in India are marginalized and have little
influence on policy decisions.
• Pastoralists face challenges from climate change-
The Hindustan Times reports that pastoralism is one of India's oldest professions
and is facing adverse effects from climate change.
QUIZ
1. THE FORESTS WHICH PRODUCED ______ WERE DECLARED ' RESERVED' .
2. WHAT WERE THE RIGHTS AND RESTRICTIONS FOR THE PASTORALISTS
WHOSE FORESTS WERE DECLARED 'PROTECTED' ?
3. WHICH ACT DID THE COLONIAL GOVERNMENT PASS TO CONTROL
COMMUNITIES ?
4. WHAT WERE THE ACTIONS TAKEN UP WHEN THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH
PASTURES ?
5. _____ WERE CAMEL HERDERS WHO USED THE BANKS OF _____ TO
FEED THEIR CAMELS.
quiz answers
1. timber
2. they were granted some customary grazing rights but their movements
were restricted.
3. criminal tribes act
4. the amount of pasture land that was available decreased when grazing
areas were taken over and converted to agricultural fields.
5. raikas, indus
THANK YOU !
by tanisha, samriddhi, shaista
and shambhavi

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