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Give reasons to explain why the Maasai community lost their gr... - India And The Contemporary World – I
Give reasons to explain why the Maasai community lost their grazing lands.
The Maasai community lost their grazing lands due to the following reasons:
Colonization and Division (Scramble for Africa): In 1885, European powers scrambled for colonies in Africa. Maasailand was cut in half by an international boundary between British Kenya and German Tanganyika. The Maasai lost about 60% of their pre-colonial lands.
White Settlements: The best grazing lands were taken over for white settlements. The Maasai were pushed into a small area in southern Kenya and northern Tanzania, which was arid with uncertain rainfall.
Expansion of Cultivation: The British colonial government encouraged local peasant communities to expand cultivation. Pasture lands were converted into cultivated fields.
Creation of Game Reserves: Large areas of Maasai grazing land were turned into game reserves like the Maasai Mara and Samburu National Park in Kenya and Serengeti Park in Tanzania. Pastoralists were banned from entering these reserves, further reducing their grazing grounds.