From Nomads to Dairymen Two Gujarati Cases

The cases of the south Surat Bharawad and the Umarpada Bharawad, discussed in this paper, illustrate two patterns of shift from nomadic to sedentary residence, from subsistence to market-oriented dairying. The two Bharawad groups illustrate the ways in which herding caste groups have revised their adaptive strategies, reorganised their economies and reoriented their life patterns. While it cannot be assumed that the Bharawad cases are typical of other pastoral herding groups in transition, they can be regarded as representative in their openness to socioeconomic opportunities and their voluntary selection among available courses of change.