Pastoral Life of Muslim Gujjars: A Study of L...

Pastoral Life of Muslim Gujjars: A Study of Life of Gujjars in Mandi District, Himachal Pradesh, India

Author Name : Dr. Vishav Jyoti

ABSTRACT

Pastoralism is a form of animal husbandry where domesticated animals known as livestock are released onto large vegetated outdoor lands for grazing. Pastorialism plays a contributory role to the economy of developing countries by providing employment and income opportunities to the rural poor. Though the Gujjar tribe is found all over North and West India, but this work deals with the Muslim Gujjar tribe of Himachal Pradesh. These simple and hardworking people move to high alpine pastures in summer in search of good pastures. Himachal Pradesh has accorded the Schedule Tribe status to Gujjars and as a result they have come out in the fields of education. In Himachal Pradesh Hindu and Muslim Gujjars are living. In Himachal Pradesh, Muslim Gujjars exhibit semi nomadic, settled and nomadic lifestyles. This paper is an attempt to highlight the pastoral life of Gujjars.

The paper is based on primary study-based data collected from 250 people randomly belonging to Muslim Gujjars of Mandi District of Himachal Pradesh. The study also highlights that the Muslim Gujjars perform marriages as per Islamic religion and marry their daughters in early age but after marriage they live in their paternal house and moves to her husbands’ family as she attains puberty. The study also reveals that the Muslims Gujjars are inextricably linked with the natural resources so they remain careful in maintaining the resources and they believe in the regeneration of resources. It was also found that participation of Gujjar women in agriculture has always been high and it has also increased during the past years because of the migration of immense number of men to get paid work in other parts of India. The study concluded that forests have maintained the existence of numerous tribes including Gujjars.

Keywords: Pastoralism, Gujjar, Muslim, Natural Resources, Nomadic Life