Distribution and Diversity of Pastoralists in India

When we think about India’s economy and rural communities, farming usually takes centre stage. But long before modern agriculture, another way of life shaped the subcontinent’s landscapes, economies, and cultures – pastoralism. India is home to nearly 46 pastoral communities spread across all states, from the high Himalayan ranges in the north to the arid Thar Desert in the west. These communities herd sheep, goats, camels, buffaloes, yaks, and cattle – not aimlessly, but through carefully planned seasonal movements refined over generations. Understanding who they are and where they live reveals a rich, often overlooked dimension of Indian society.

Where pastoralism takes root in India
Pastoralism along the western drylands
The Raika: desert specialists of Rajasthan
The Bharwad and Rabari of Gujarat
Pastoralism along the Himalayan range
The Gaddi: high-altitude herders of Himachal Pradesh
The Gujjars and Bakerwals of Jammu and Kashmir
Diversity on the Deccan plateau
The Dhangar: seasonal migrants of Maharashtra
The Kuruba and Kuruma: sheep and goat herders of the south
What unites India’s pastoral communities

Where pastoralism takes root in India

Pastoralism is practiced across India, especially in the Himalayas in the north, the Thar Desert in the west, and the Deccan Plateau in the south. These regions share one common feature: they are ecologically fragile, with limited or uncertain rainfall, making settled crop cultivation difficult. Pastoral communities have historically turned these constraints into a livelihood by moving their herds to wherever water and grass are available at any given season.

According to the IGNOU textbook on Economic Sociology, pastoralism in India is concentrated in two broad geographic zones: the drylands of western India and the Himalayan range of North India. The nomads in both zones keep a diverse range of livestock – sheep, goats, buffalo, camels, and yaks – each suited to the specific terrain and climate of their region.

Estimates suggest there are nearly 13 million pastoralists in India, roughly 1% of the total population, contributing to around two-thirds of the livestock sector’s 4.5% share in the national GDP. Despite this economic significance, these communities have long remained invisible in official data and policy frameworks.

Pastoralism along the western drylands

The western dryland zone spans Rajasthan, Gujarat, and parts of Maharashtra. It includes the Thar Desert, the Aravalli hills, and semi-arid stretches of the Deccan. Though these areas appear inhospitable, they support some of India’s most active pastoral communities. Pastoralists of western India are largely landless people involved in domesticating animals and trading animal produce, and are found along the Aravalli hills.

In rural areas of western India, long-distance migration is practiced where owners of large herds migrate in groups along set routes for up to nine months a year to find rain-fed pastures. The diversity of communities operating within this zone is remarkable – each group has developed deep specialisation in particular livestock types and migration strategies.

The Raika: desert specialists of Rajasthan

The Raika and Gujjars are among the prominent pastoral groups of Rajasthan, with the Raika being perhaps the most closely associated with India’s desert environment. For generations, the Raikas have been the primary breeders and caretakers of Rajasthan’s indigenous camel breeds, especially the hardy Marwari camel, known for its strength, endurance, and adaptability to desert climates.

One of the last major concentrations of Raika is along the western flank of the Aravalli hills, between Jodhpur and Udaipur. Their migration begins after the monsoon – the Raikas of Barmer, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur and Bikaner stay in their villages during the monsoon when pasture is available locally, then move out by October in search of other pasture and water, returning the following monsoon.

A study on Raika migration patterns in the Marwar region found that herds from Jaisalmer, Jodhpur and Bikaner move northward toward Punjab plains, while those from southern Jaisalmer and Barmer migrate down into Gujarat. Migratory herds cover an area roughly three times the size of their origin zone. The Raika’s relationship with camels is not purely economic – the Raika are linked to the camel through their myth of origin, tracing their descent to an ancestor created by God for the purpose of caring for these animals, giving them a profound sense of responsibility for their livestock’s welfare.

The Bharwad and Rabari of Gujarat

The Bharwad community is found in Gujarat and is primarily associated with small stock herding. The Charan in Gujarat are associated with cattle, while the Bharwad keep mostly small stock. The Rabari, the most populous pastoral community of western India, is concentrated predominantly in Rajasthan and Gujarat and has historically practiced long-distance migration with their herds. Indian pastoral communities have bred a number of indigenous livestock varieties through generations of careful selective breeding, and the Rabari and Raika are notable examples of this tradition of livestock stewardship.

Pastoralism along the Himalayan range

Pastoralists inhabiting the Himalayan ranges engage in transhumance – they keep moving from lowlands to highlands on a seasonal basis to take advantage of pastures available in the Himalayan belt. In summer, as snow melts in the alpine zone, herds are driven to high altitudes. As winter approaches and snow returns, they descend to the plains and foothills. This vertical movement is a defining feature of Himalayan pastoralism.

Communities engaged in this pattern include the Gujjars of Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh who rear buffaloes; the Bakerwals of Jammu and Kashmir with sheep and goat herds; the Bhotias of Uttar Pradesh who rear sheep; and the Gaddis and Kaulis of Himachal Pradesh who herd sheep and goats.

The Gaddi: high-altitude herders of Himachal Pradesh

Among Himalayan pastoral communities, the Gaddi stand out for the dramatic scale of their seasonal movements. The Gaddis herd sheep and goats over long distances between biological zones; in winter the animals stay in the lowlands and on the borders of Punjab, while in spring and summer they move to alpine pastures at 3,000 to 4,500 metres elevation.

The main concentration of the Gaddi is in the Kangra and Dharamshala regions of Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh, though shepherding is a key feature of the economic landscape across four districts – Kangra, Kullu, Kinnaur and Chamba. As per estimates, the Gaddi population has grown substantially over recent decades, reflecting their enduring presence in the Himalayan pastoral ecosystem.

The Gaddis are classified as agro-pastoralists, meaning they maintain permanent residences and engage in agriculture alongside seasonal herding. This combination of farming and herding is what distinguishes them from fully nomadic groups and makes their economy more diversified and resilient.

The Gujjars and Bakerwals of Jammu and Kashmir

The Gujjar are chiefly concentrated in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir and also inhabit Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh. As transhumant pastoralists, they traditionally migrate with their homesteads between the higher altitudes of the Himalayas in summer and lower districts in winter. They primarily herd buffalo and sell dairy products in local towns. The Bakarwal, who share common ancestry with the Gujjars, rear mainly goats and sheep in Jammu and Kashmir and are known as among the most mobile of all Himalayan pastoral groups.

Diversity on the Deccan plateau

India’s pastoral story does not end at the mountains or the desert. The Deccan Plateau – the vast tableland covering much of peninsular India – has its own distinct pastoral communities whose migration patterns are shaped not by altitude or aridity, but by the rhythm of monsoon and dry seasons.

The Dhangar: seasonal migrants of Maharashtra

The Dhangar are one of Maharashtra’s most significant pastoral communities. In the early twentieth century their population was estimated at 467,000. Most of them were shepherds, some were blanket weavers, and still others were buffalo herders.

By October, as the bajra harvest season ends, the Dhangar tribe starts its annual migration westward and eastward, moving toward the Konkan or grassland-abundant regions such as the western areas of Satara District, including Mahabaleshwar, Wai and Koregaon. This journey is not arbitrary – it is synchronised with the agricultural calendar of the farmers they pass through. The Dhangar flocks graze on harvested fields and in return manure the soil, making this a mutually beneficial relationship between herders and settled farmers.

Dhangar herders typically depart from their base villages during the dry period, spanning November to May, traversing over 400 kilometres across traditional routes, with migration paths often extending beyond Maharashtra into Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, leveraging fallow agricultural fields and crop residues to sustain their flocks. When the monsoon returns, they head back – they practice seasonal migration, mainly traveling during summer and returning to their base areas during the monsoon season.

The Kuruba and Kuruma: sheep and goat herders of the south

In Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, the dry central plateau was covered with stone and grass, inhabited by cattle, goat and sheep herders. The Gollas herded cattle. The Kurumas and Kurubas reared sheep and goats and sold woven blankets. They lived near the woods, cultivated small patches of land, engaged in petty trades and took care of their herds.

Unlike mountain pastoralists whose movement is driven by snow and cold, it was not cold and snow that defined the seasonal rhythms of the Kuruba’s movement: rather it was the alternation of the monsoon and dry season. During the dry season they moved to coastal tracts, retreating when the rains arrived. The Kuruba are also notable for their integration of wool weaving into their pastoral economy, blending herding with craft production to diversify income.

What unites India’s pastoral communities

Despite their geographic spread and distinct traditions, India’s pastoral communities share several defining features. A tremendous variety of pastoralist systems exists in India, including transhumance and nomadic, semi-nomadic, and village-based herding, with some 46 castes or communities holding specialised pastoralist identities. Their livestock – cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats, camels and yaks – collectively produce a substantial portion of India’s milk and meat. Approximately 77% of India’s livestock are kept in extensive systems, producing about 53% of India’s milk and 74% of its meat.

Each community is also tied to specific livestock through cultural and spiritual bonds. Most pastoralists are Hindus integrated into the village caste system, for whom animal husbandry is a hereditary profession. The majority trace their descent to an ancestor created by God for the purpose of caring for particular animals – a belief that strengthens their commitment to their herds and their breeds.

Yet these communities face growing pressures. For over a century, India’s nomadic pastoralists remained invisible to official data processes, with their herds constantly on the move across states and landscapes in search of grazing and water, falling outside the reach of enumerators who recorded only settled households. It was only in the 21st Livestock Census, formally notified in 2024, that India for the first time counted the animals of pastoral communities – marking a quiet but significant step toward recognition.

India’s pastoral landscape is not a relic of the past. It is a living, moving system – one that has shaped ecosystems, sustained rural economies, and preserved irreplaceable knowledge about indigenous livestock breeds. From the Gaddi shepherds descending the Himalayas to the Raika crossing the Thar with their camel herds, each community tells a different story of human adaptation to India’s extraordinary geographical diversity.

What do you think? Given that India’s pastoral communities contribute significantly to livestock production and biodiversity, why do you think they have remained largely absent from official data and policy for so long? And as grazing lands shrink and migration routes are disrupted, how can traditional pastoral knowledge be preserved without halting development entirely?

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Table of Contents

Where pastoralism takes root in India 🔗

Pastoralism along the western drylands 🔗

The Raika: desert specialists of Rajasthan 🔗

The Bharwad and Rabari of Gujarat 🔗

Pastoralism along the Himalayan range 🔗

The Gaddi: high-altitude herders of Himachal Pradesh 🔗

The Gujjars and Bakerwals of Jammu and Kashmir 🔗

Diversity on the Deccan plateau 🔗

The Dhangar: seasonal migrants of Maharashtra 🔗

The Kuruba and Kuruma: sheep and goat herders of the south 🔗

What unites India’s pastoral communities 🔗