Nomads are people who do not live in one place but move from one area to another to earn their living. In many parts of India, nomadic pastoralists move with their herds of goats and sheep, or camels and cattle. Environmentalists and economists have increasingly come to recognize that pastoral nomadism is a form of life that is perfectly suited to many hilly and dry regions of the world.

In the Mountains

• Gujjar Bakarwals of Jammu and Kashmir

• • Origins and Livelihood: They migrated to Jammu and Kashmir in the 19th century in search of pastures for their animals. 
    • Even today they are great herders of goat and sheep. 
  • Migration Patterns: Gradually, they established themselves in the area, and moved annually between their summer and winter grazing grounds. 
    • In winter, when high mountains were covered with snow, the dry scrub forests in the low hills of Siwalik range provided pasture for their herds. 
    • By the end of April, they began moving north for their summer grazing grounds. 
    • Several households came together for this journey, forming what is known as a kafila. 
  • Summer Pastures in Kashmir: They crossed the Pir Panjal passes and entered the valley of Kashmir. 
    • With onset of summer, mountainsides were lush green and provided rich nutritious forage for the animal herds. 
  • Return Journey: By end of September the Bakarwals were on the move again, back to their winter base. 

• Gaddi shepherds of Himachal Pradesh 

• • Winter in Lowlands: They too spent their winter in the low hills of Siwalik range, grazing their flocks in scrub forests, and by April they moved north and spent the summer in Lahul and Spiti. 
  • Summer Ascent: When snow melted and high passes were clear, many of them moved on to higher mountain meadows, and by September they returned. 
  • Return Journey: On the way they stopped once again in the villages of Lahul and Spiti, reaping their summer harvest and sowing their winter crop. 
    • Then they descended with their flock to their winter grazing ground on the Siwalik hills. 
  • Annual Migration Cycle: Next April, they again began their march with their goats and sheep, to the summer meadows. 

• Gujjar herders of Garhwal and Kumaon

• • Origins: Many of them were originally from Jammu and came to UP hills in the 19th century in search of good pastures (Refer to Figure 7.5). 
  • Seasonal Migration: In Garhwal and Kumaon, Gujjar cattle herders came down to the dry forests of Bhabar in winter, and went up to high meadows – the bugyals – in summer. 
    • This pattern of cyclical movement between summer and winter pastures was typical of many pastoral communities of Himalayas, including the Bhotiyas, Sherpas, and Kinnauris. 
  • Ecosystem Balance: When pasture was exhausted or unusable in one place they moved their herds and flock to new areas. 
    • This continuous cyclic movement also allowed pastures to recover and prevented their overuse.  

On the Plateaus, Plains and Deserts

• Dhangars of Maharashtra 

• • Population: In the early 20th century, the pastoral community of dhangars in this region was estimated to be 467,000. 
  • Occupations: Most of them were shepherds, some were blanket weavers, and others were buffalo herders. 
  • Residence and Livelihoods: The Dhangar shepherds stayed in the central plateau of Maharashtra (semi-arid region with low rainfall and poor soil) during the monsoon. 
    • Dry crops like Bajra could be sown here. 
  • Migration Pattern: In monsoon, this tract became a vast grazing ground and by October they harvested their Bajra and moved west to reach Konkan, a flourishing agricultural tract with high rainfall and rich soil. 
  • Agricultural Symbiosis: After kharif harvest was cut at this time, fields had to be fertilized and made ready for rabi harvest. 
  • Resource Exchange: Dhangar flocks manured fields and fed on stubble. Konkani peasants also gave supplies of rice which shepherds took back to the plateau where grain was scarce. 
  • Return Journey: With onset of the monsoon they left the Konkan and coastal areas with their flocks and returned to their settlements on dry plateau.  

• Gollas, Kurumas and Kurubas in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh

• • Inhabitants: The dry central plateau was covered with stone and grass, and inhabited by cattle, goat, and sheep herders. 
  • Division of Labor: Gollas herded cattle whereas the Kurumas and Kurubas reared sheep and goats and sold woven blankets. 
  • Livelihoods: They lived near the woods, cultivated small patches of land, engaged in a variety of petty trades, and took care of their herds. 
  • Seasonal Migration Patterns: Unlike mountain pastoralists, it was an alternation of monsoon and dry season that defined seasonal rhythms of their movement. 
    • In the dry season, they moved to the coastal tracts and left when the rains came. 
    • Only buffaloes liked the swampy, wet conditions of coastal areas during monsoon months and other herds had to be shifted to dry plateau. 

• Banjaras of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra 

  • In search of good pasture land for their cattle, they moved over long distances, selling plough cattle and other goods to villagers in exchange for grain and fodder. 

• Raikas in the deserts of Rajasthan

• • Geographical Factor and Crop Yields: The rainfall in this region was meager and uncertain. On cultivated land, harvests fluctuate every year. 
    • Over vast stretches, no crop could be grown. 
    • So they combined cultivation with pastoralism. 
  • Seasonal Pastoralism: During monsoons, Raikas of Barmer, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, and Bikaner stayed in their home villages, where pasture was available. 
    • By October, when these grazing grounds were dry and exhausted, they moved out in search of other pasture and water and returned during the next monsoon. 
  • One group of Raikas is known as the Maru (desert) Raikas herded camels and their settlement is called a dhandi. Another group reared sheep and goats. 

Conclusion

So life of these pastoral groups was sustained by a careful consideration of a host of factors. They had to judge how long herds could stay in one area, know where they could find water and pasture, calculate timing of their movements, and ensure that they could move through different territories. They had to set up a relationship with farmers on the way so that the herds could graze in harvested fields and manure the soil. 

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