Discuss the main characteristic features of pastoralism.

Discuss the main characteristic features of pastoralism.

Ans.

(i) Pastoralists are people who rear livestocks and move from place to place in search of green pastures. They are nomadic tribes who need to move from one place to another to save their animals from adverse climatic conditions and to provide meadows or pastures regularly.

(ii) Some of the pastoral nomads move to combine a range of activities - cultivation, trade and herding - to make their living. Continuous movement of nomadic tribes is useful for environment.

(iii) pastoral nomadism is a form of life that is perfectly suited to many hilly and dry regions of the world, pastoral movement allows time for the natural restoration of vegetation growth. Pastoralists play a very important role as moving traders.

(iv) In search of good pasture land for their cattle the pastoralists move over long distances selling plough cattle and other goods to villagers in exchange for grain and fodder.