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6. What does the word Maasai mean? Where are they formed? What changes occurred in Maasai society during colonial rule. A. 1. The word Maasai is derived from the word Maa. The word Maasai means my people. 2. They are to be found primarily in east Africa, 3, 00,000 in Southern Kenya and 1, 50,000 in Tanzania. 3. During Colonial rule the traditional difference based on age, between elders and warriors was disturbed but did not break down entirely. 4. A new distinction between the wealthy and poor pastoralists developed. 7. What restrictions were imposed by the colonial government on the African pastoralists? A. 1. The various pastoral groups were formed to live in special reserves. They were not allowed to move their stock without special permits which were not easy to get. Those who defied the rules were severely punished. 2. Pastoralists were not allowed to enter the markets of white areas. They were prohibited from trading activity. 3. Europeans viewed pastoralists as being savage and dangerous. They wanted to avoid contact with them. But cutting off all links was not possible as the colonists had to depend on them to bore mines and build roads and towns. 4. Thus the restrictions imposed on the pastoralists adversely affected their pastoral and trading activities. 8. How did the poor Maasai pastoralists survive during war and famines? A. 1. During war and famines the poor pastoralists searched for work in the towns. 2. Some eked out a living as Charcoal burners while others did odd jobs. The lucky ones got more regular work in road and building construction.

9. Why did the cattle stock of the Maasais decrease under colonial rule? A. 1. Initially when droughts occurred, cattle were moved to areas where forage was available. 2. But now the Maasais were bound down to a fixed area, confined within a reserve and prohibited from moving in search of pastures, they were cut off from the best grazing lands and forced to live within a semi arid tract, prone to frequent droughts. 3. Since they could not shift their cattle to secure adequate forage, Maasai cattle died in large numbers due to starvation and disease. 4. In 1993 and 1994 years of severe drought, over half the cattle in the Maasai reserve died as the area of grazing lands shrank, droughts increased and led to a steady decline of the animal stock. 10. Describe the social organization of Maasais in the pre colonial times?

A. 1. The Maasais society was divided into social categories: elders and warriors. The elders were the rulers and met in periodically to decide on community affairs and settle disputes amicably. 2. The warriors were the younger people, who were responsible for the protection of the tribe and organized cattle raids. 3. Raiding was important because cattle signified wealth. 4. Young men were recognized as warriors when they helped in raiding the cattle of other groups and participated in wars. 11. How did the Maasais chiefs appointed by the British benefit economically?

A. 1. The chiefs gradually became wealthy as they now had a regular income with which they could buy animals, goods and land. 2. They lent money to poor neighbours and many became traders. 3. They managed to survive adverse conditions like war and drought. 4. They had a secure income and could buy animals when their stock was depleted.

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Give Reasons for the following :

1. Give reason to explain why the Maasai community lost their grazing lands. A. a) In the lath 19th century, European imperialists divided Africa among themselves. In 1885, Maasailand was divided between British Kenya and German Tanganyika. b) As a result, the best grazing lands were taken over by the European colonists. The Maasai were pushed into a small area which was arid and had poor pastures. c) In the late 19th century, the British encouraged local peasant communities to expand cultivation which reduced the amount of pasture land available. d) In pre-colonial times, the Maasai pastoralists had dominated their neighbours economically and politically. But by the end of colonial rule the situation was reserved. e) Large areas of grazing land were also turned into game reserves like the Maasai Mara and Samburu National Park in Kenya and Serengeti Park in Tanzania. f) Pastoralists were not allowed to enter these reserves. Very often these reserves were in areas that had traditionally been the regular grazing grounds for Maasai herds. 2. Discuss why the colonial government in India brought the following laws. and explain how the law changed lives of pastoralists: 1) Waste land rules, 2) Forest Acts, 3) Criminal Tribes Act, 4) Grazing Act. A. 1) Waste land rules i) The British wanted to transform all grazing lands into cultivated farms and thus increase its land revenue. Also at the same time more agricultural products like jute, cotton and wheat would be available which was urgently needed in England. Colonial officials believed that all uncultivated land was waste land that needed to be brought

under cultivation. Therefore this was done. ii) Under these rules, uncultivated land was taken over and given to selective individuals. These individuals were given various concessions and encouraged to settle these lands. Some of them were made village headmen. In most areas the land taken over was actually the land used by the pastoralists which meant a decline in pastures. 2) Forest Acts i) The forest Acts, changed the lives of the pastoralis-s. They were prevented from entering many forests that had earlier provided valuable forage for their cattle. In the areas they were allowed to enter, their movements were regulated. For entry, a permit was needed. The timing of their entry and departure was specified and the number of days they could spend in the forest were fixed. The permit specified the periods in which they could be legally within a forest. Overstaying would lead to imposition of fines. 3) Criminal tribes Act i) The British officials were suspicious of nomadic people. They wanted the rural people to live in villages, in fixed places with fixed rights on particular fields. They felt that such a population would be easy to identify and control. Nomadic people were considered to be criminal. Therefore in 1871, the Criminal Tribes Act was passed. ii) By this act, many communities of traders, craftsmen and pastoralists were stated to be criminal by nature and birth. These communities were expected to live only in notified village settlements. They were not allowed to move without a permit. The village police kept a close watch on them.

4) Grazing Act i) In order to increase its revenue, the British introduced the Grazing Act. Pastoralists had to pay a tax on every animal they grazed in the pastures. ii) In course of time, the collection system was made efficient. The right to collect taxes was auctioned out to contractors who tried to extract a tax as high as possible in order to earn a profit. By the 1880s the government began to collect taxes directly from the pastoralists. Each of them was given a pass. To enter a grazing area, the pass had to be shown and the tax had to be paid fully.