Q. Identify the appropriate reason for the enactment of the Waste Land Rules.
- (a) Waste Land Rules prepared land for grazing.
- (b) All uncultivated lands which were unproductive, produced neither revenue nor agricultural produce and needed to be brought under cultivation.
- (c) All uncultivated lands which were unproductive, produced neither revenue nor agricultural produce and needed to be brought under rice cultivation only.
- (d) Waste Land Rules were enacted to bring waste land under industrial use.
- Ans. (a) All uncultivated lands which were unproductive, produced neither revenue nor agricultural produce and needed to be brought under cultivation.
Q. Study the picture and answer the question that follows
Which of the following aspects best signifies this image of Maasais?
- (a) The Maasai are traditionally agriculturists who mainly cultivated rice.
- (b) The Maasai are traditionally nomadic and pastoral people who depend on hide and meat for subsistence.
- (c) The Maasai are traditionally agriculturists who were known for their cocoa cultivation.
- (d) The Maasai are traditionally nomadic and pastoral people who depend on milk and meat for subsistence.
- Ans. (d) The Maasai are traditionally nomadic and pastoral people who depend on milk and meat for subsistence.
Q. Which animals amongst the following did the Kurumas and Kurubas rear?
- (a) Sheep and goats
- (b) Camels and goats
- (c) Sheep and buffaloes
- (d) Buffaloes and goats
- Ans. Sheep and goats
Q. Which of the following statements defines Criminal Tribes Act?
- (a) Act passed by the colonial government in 1871 by which the pastoralists and traders were given to catch the Criminal Tribes.
- (b) Act passed by the colonial government in 1871 by which many Criminal Tribes of craftsmen, traders and pastoralists were streamlined into their profession and accepted in the society.
- (c) Act passed by the colonial government in 1871 by which the poachers and hunters were classified as Criminal Tribes.
- (d) Act passed by the colonial government in 1871 by which many communities of craftsmen, traders and pastoralists were classified as Criminal Tribes.
- Ans. (d) Act passed by the colonial government in 1871 by which many communities of craftsmen, traders and pastoralists were classified as Criminal Tribes.
Q. The Gaddi shepherds belong to _______ .
Ans. Himachal Pradesh
Q. The Gaddi shepherds of Punjab had a similar cycle of seasonal movement of that the Gujjars.
Ans. False
Q. Who are nomads?
Ans. Nomads are the people who move from one place to another in search of food and fodder.
Q. How was the movement of Dhangar different than that of Gujjars?
Ans. Dhangar's movement was guided by the annual cycle of monsoon whereas Gujjar's movement was dependent upon change of season i.e. winter and summer.
Q. Name the Act which was passed by the British government to limit the movement of the nomadic people. Mention any two features of the Act.
Ans. The act passed was the Criminal Tribes Act 1971 By this Act, many communities of craftsmen, traders and pastoralists were classified as Criminal Tribes. Under this Act, various restrictions were put on their movement.
Q. What are the major activities of the nomadic communities of Africa?
Ans. They raise cattles, camels, goats, sheep and donkeys. They sell milk, meat, animal skin and wool.
Q. Explain briefly about Gujjar cattle herders of Garhwal and Kumaon.
Ans. In Garhwal and Kumaon, the Gujjar cattle herders came down to the dry forests of the bhabar in the winter, and went up to the Bugyal or high meadows in summer. Many of them were originally from Jammu and came to the UP hills in the nineteenth century in search of good pastures.
Q. Deodar and sal are classified in which category under Forest, and why? What was the rule of these forests?
Ans. Through the Forest Acts some forests which produced commercially valuable timber like deodar or sal were declared ‘Reserved’. No pastoralist had access to these forests.
Q. How did the young Maasai men prove their manliness?
Ans. Young Maasai men came to be recognised as members of the warrior class when they proved their manliness by raiding the cattle of other pastoral groups and participating in wars. However, it was subjected to the authority of the elders.
Q. Who are nomadic pastoralists?
Ans. Nomads are the people who do not live at one place but move from one area to another to earn their living are found in many parts of India, we can see nomadic pastoralists on the move with their herds of goats and sheep, or camels and cattle.
They move place to place in search of new pastures for their herds of goats and sheep.
Q. Why did the colonial state introduce Waste Land Rules?
Ans. The colonial state introduced Waste Land Rules for the following reasons:
- (i) As land revenue was the main source of its finance, the colonial state wanted to transform all grazing lands into cultivated lands.
- (ii) By expanding cultivation it could increase its revenue collection. It could at the same time produce more cotton, jute, wheat and agricultural produce that were required in England.
- (iii) To colonial officials all uncultivated land appeared to be unproductive; it produced neither revenue not agricultural produce. It was seen as ‘waste land’ that needed to be brought under cultivation.
Q. What were the factors that sustained the pastoral groups?
Ans. The various factors that sustained the pastoral groups were:
- (i) They had to judge how long the herds could stay in one area and know where they could find water and pasture.
- (ii) They needed to calculate the timing of their movements, and ensure that they could move through different territories.
- (iii) 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.
- (iv) They combined a range of different activities like cultivation, trade and cattle rearing to make their living.
Q. How did the division of Maasailand affected the Maasai?
Ans. In 1885, Maasailand was cut into half with an international boundary between Kenya and Tanganyika.
- (i) The best grazing lands were taken over for white settlement and the Maasai were pushed into a small area in south Kenya and north Tanzania.
- (ii) The Maasai lost about 60 per cent of their pre-colonial lands.
- (iii) They were confined to an arid zone with uncertain rainfall and poor pastures.
Q. Why did the Maasai pastoral community lose their grazing grounds?
OR
Ans. One of the problems that the Maasais faced was the continuous loss of their grazing lands.
- (i) Before colonial times, Maasailand had stretched over a vast area from north Kenya to the steppes of northern Tanzania. In the late nineteenth century, European imperial powers for territorial possessions in Africa, had divided the region into different colonies. In 1885, Maasailand was cut into half with an international boundary between British Kenya and German Tanganyika.
- (ii) The best grazing lands were gradually taken over for white settlement and the Maasai were pushed into a small area in south Kenya and north Tanzania, which was an arid zone with uncertain rainfall and poor pastures.
- (iii) The British colonial government in east Africa encouraged the local peasant communities to expand cultivation from the late nineteenth century. Gradually, the pasture lands were converted into cultivated fields.
- (iv) Initially, the Maasais pastoralists had dominated their agricultural neighbours both economically and politically. The situation reversed by the end of the colonial rule.
- (v) Large areas of the grazing lands had turned into reserves like the Maasai Mara and Samburu National Park in Kenya and Serengeti Park in Tanzania. The animals did not have any grazing lands and the pastoralists could not hunt either.
Reason (R): The pastoralists moved to a better pasture land with good trading opportunities.
Ans. (c) A is correct but R is wrong.
This adversely affected both their pastoral and trading activities. The restrictions under colonial rule did not entirely stop their trading activities but they were now subject to various restrictions.