Who were Dhangars ? What were their occupations ? Why were they continuously on the move?

Who were Dhangars ? What were their occupations ? Why were they continuously on the move?

Ans.

(i) The Dhangars are an important pastoral community of Maharashtra.

(ii) Most of them are shepherds, some are blanket weavers and others are buffalo herders.

(iii) They arc continuously on the move in search of pasture for their cattle.

(iv) They lived in a semi-arid region with low rainfall and poor soil. Only bajra could be sown here.

(v) After harvesting their bajra in October, they moved westwards to the Konkan region.

(vi) The Konkan area is a flourishing agricultural tract with high rainfall and rich soil.

(vii) By this time, the kharif crop had been harvested and the fields had to be fertilised and made ready for the rabi crop.

(viii) The Dhangar flocks manured the fields and fed on the stubble.

(ix) The Konkani peasants also gave supplies of rice to the shepherds. With the onset of the monsoons, the Dhangars returned to their settlements on the plateau as the sheep could not tolerate the wet monsoon conditions.