Page 111 - Understanding NCERT Histroy 09th

(ii) The cattle of nomads provide manure to the field. So, there is less use of chemical
fertilizers for cultivation.

2. Discuss why the colonial government in India brought in the following laws. In each case,
explain how the law changed the lives of pastoralists:
Goyal Brothers Prakashan
(a) Waste Land rules
Ans. Impact on the lives of the pastoralists :
(i) After the Forest Act, the mobility of nomads was restricted.
(ii) Under this Act the grazing land was handed over to big landlords. Due to this
grazing grounds were shrank.
(iii) Due to shrinking grazing grounds, the agricultural stock of the nomads declined
and their trade and crafts were adversely affected.
(b) Forest Acts
Ans. Impact on the lives of the pastoralists :
(i) They were now prevented from entering many forests. So there was a reduction
in their grazing grounds.
(ii) After the laws, their movements were regulated.
(iii) The permit system was introduced under which the timing of their entry and exit
was specified.
(iv) They were not allowed to stay for a long duration in the forests. If they
overstayed, they were supposed to pay fines.
(c) Criminal Tribes Act
Ans. In 1871, the Colonial government in India passed the Criminal Tribes Act. By this Act,
many communities of craftsmen, traders and pastoralists were classified as Criminal
Tribes. In the Act they were declared as criminal by nature and birth.
(i) Once this Act came into force, these communities were expected to live only in
notified village settlements.
(ii) They were not allowed to move out without a permit. The village police kept a
continuous watch on them.
(iii) This restricted their grazing grounds. Their agricultural stock declined, and their
trades and crafts were adversely affected.
(d) Grazing Tax
Ans. Impact on the lives of pastoralists :
(i) As the tax had to be paid in cash so pastoralists started selling their animals.
(ii) The heavy burden of taxes had an adverse impact on their economic status. Now
most of the pastoralists started taking loans from the money lenders.

3. Give reasons to explain why the Maasai community lost their grazing lands.
Ans. Maasai community lost their grazing lands because of the following reasons.
(i) Colonialism : In the late nineteenth century, the European imperial powers divided
Africa for territorial possessions. European powers slicing up the region into different
colonies. In 1885. Maasai land was cut into half with an international boundary between
British Kenya and German Tanganyika.
Subsequently, the best grazing lands were gradually taken over for the White settlement
and the Maasai were pushed into a small area in South Kenya and North Tanzania.
The Maasai lost about 60 per cent of their pre-colonial lands. They were confined to
an arid zone with uncertain rainfall, and poor pastures.
(ii) Expansion of Cultivation : The British colonial government in East Africa also
encouraged local peasant communities to expand cultivation. As cultivation expanded,
H-102 History Class IX