Q- Which lifestyle did the Dhangars- the pastoral community of Maharashtra- follow?
· Answer- Since the land is semi-arid with low rainfall, nothing but dry crops like bajra could be sown here.
· During monsoons, this tract became a vast grazing ground for the Dhangars flocks.
· They stayed in the central plateau of Maharashtra during the monsoon.
· Dhangars flock manured the fields and fed on stubble. The Konkani peasants also gave supplies of rice which the shepherds took back to the plateau where grain was scarce.
· After the kharif harvest was out at this time, the fields had to be fertilised and made ready for the rabi harvest.
· With the onset of monsoon, the Dhangars left the Konkan and the coastal areas with other flocks and returned to their settlements on the dry plateau.
· This was a flourishing agricultural tract with high rainfall and rich soil. Here, the shepherds were welcomed by the Konkani peasants.
· By October, the Dhangars harvested their bajra and moved westward. After a march of about a month, they reached the konkan.