Geographical distribution :
| Finland | Lapps ( Reindeer) |
| Russia | i) Chuckchee in Siberia (Reindeer) ii) Kazak in Kazakhstan ( Horse and Sheep) |
| Asia | i ) Kazakle (Sheep) ii) Kirghiz (Camels ) iii) Basseri in Iran (Sheep) iv) Bedouin (Camels) |
| Africa | i ) Nuer and Dinka in Sudan (Zebu Cattle) ii) Masai in Kenya ( Zebu Cattle) |
| America | Navajo ( Sheep , Horses) |
| India | i) Toda (Buffalo) ii) Bhotiya (Cattle and Sheep) iii) Rabhari (Gujarat) cattle |
Characteristies:
1) Nomadism or Semi – nomadism or Sedentarism:
- Tadas are sedentary people yet are pastorlists.
- Kirghis – Practice semi -nomadism. Partly settled and partly line in camps.
- Chenchus – Semi -nomadism or seasonal nomadism .
- Nuer, Basseri , Bedouins – Nomadic groups.
2) Pastoralism supports low population density.
3) It always favours small sized communities.
4) Postoralists have moderate , economic resources.
a) Technology – includes grazing , milking , churning , meat cutting , preserving activities. Materials required are plates, buckets , gourds , byres, stools, places where cattle are herded are sacks, pouches, saddles.
b)Division of labour – The primary division of labour is usually based on sex and secondarily on age. Men do the herding and women do the household chores. Depending on the particular pastoral group, either men or women or both milk the animals. Women prepare curds , youghurt , cheese, butter. Some men specialize in branding the animals , trimming the hoofs and tools. Some in offering armed protection of their caravans , some in veterinary medicine and welfare activities.
c) Land Ownership – Pastoralists generally do not own the land they use for pasturage. Land belongs to the largest group, the tribe as a whole, rather than to any of its constituent herding units. But, pastoralists , individually or in small kinship groups, do own cultivating land either plots they themselves work or those that sedentary tenants work. There is thus a lack of a sense of territoriality for the smaller herding groups but there is normally some sense of general territoriality regarding the area than the larger group as a whole who occupies and exploits.
d) Capital : Livestock and plates, buckets , byres , gourds , stools, nails, arrows etc
e) Production – Among the pastoralists, production depends upon the animals raised in relation to the habitat. Pastoral nomads are generally found in deserts and semi -deserts, grass-lands (Savannas and Steppes) and tundras.
The pastoralists living in Steppes located in Central Asia and South West Asia, raise sheep and goats as primary animals and camel , horse and cattle as ancillary animals.
The pastoralists living in Savannas in East Africa rear cattle as primary stock and sheep and goats as ancillary stock , The pastoralists living in tundras or the arctic treeless plain, there are Lapps in Finland in northern Eurasia and the Chuckchee in Northern Siberia in Russia, raise reindeer as the primary animal . They do not raise any other animal. Thus pastoralists production includes milk and milk products , blood. meat , hide, fur and hair of the animals. They use animals for transport . They manufacture shelter , clothing and utensils out of hair, hide and bone. Hunting is secondary. Food gathering is rare. Some of them may engage in Caravan trade to acquire non-pastoral products .
f) Distribution – Distribution of goods is through reciprocity. Balanced reciprocity occurs when they establish peaceful trade relations with sedentariness. For example , Bedouins supply hair , wool , skin, meat and animals to the farmers and in return they receive vegetables from sedentary farmers. Likewise , the Tibetans supply cattle to the farmers and traders and – receive cereals , dry fruits and tea . In Nilgiri Hills of Tamil Nadu, Todas (Buffalo herders) , Kurna (food gatherer and uorlecers) , irulas (musicians) and badogas (agriculturists) , exchange goods and services and line symbiotically .
g) Consumption – The pastoralists consume some of the items they produce. However , they are not self-sufficient .so they exchange some of the items they produce for the non-pastoral items from their sedentary neighbour. They preserve meat and hides for future use in various forms .
h) Leadership – There is strong leadership pattern among the pastoralists. Leadership is very much involved in warfare and fending. Among the Bedouins , leaders are called Khans; among the Basseri , they are called Sardars. These are the community leaders . All disputes arising from village community or clan are resolved by these leaders .
Ideology of Kinship – The structure of a pastoral nomadic society is normally based on ideology of kinship , with an original founder for the entire society . Then his children as founders of sub-groups (such as clans) then children of these children as founders of even smaller of more recent groups (such as lineages) down to founders of the contemporary herding units.
j) Religion – The characteristic religion of pastoral nomads is ancestral veneration (or ancestor worship) .This may occur with or without notions of a high God .
k) Occurrence of both war and fending – Pastoralist are notorious for their warlike exploits . As the population, both human and animals, increases new lands are required for grazing . Hence , pastoral nomads are continually expanding and they do so at the expense of weaker groups who are unfortunate enough to occupy the land pastoralists wants. Pastoralists also engage in funding among themselves. Most commonly, members of different herding units raid each other for animals or fending may erupt over women or accusations of adultery within a group .