Question:

The action or practice of moving livestock from one grazing ground to another in a seasonal cycle, typically to lowlands in winter and highlands in summer is known as...............

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- Transhumance: Seasonal cyclical migration of pastoralists between highlands (summer) and lowlands (winter).
- Jhum Swidden: Shifting slash-and-burn agriculture.
- Nomadism: Movement without fixed seasonal territories.
Updated On: Sep 4, 2026
  • Jhuming
  • Transhumance
  • Animal Husbandry
  • Swidden Method
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The Correct Option is B

Solution and Explanation

Concept:
Economic anthropology investigates diverse pastoralist and nomadic subsistence strategies adapted to specific ecological zones.
Pastoral communities inhabiting montane ecosystems often migrate between distinct altitudinal zones to optimize grazing pastures.
This question tests the terminology used to define cyclical, seasonal pastoral migration.

Step 1: Definition of Transhumance:

Transhumance is a specialized form of pastoralism characterized by the regular seasonal movement of human groups with their livestock between fixed summer highland pastures and winter lowland valleys.
Classic anthropological examples in India include the Gaddis and Gujjars of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir, and the Bhotiyas of the Central Himalayas.

Step 2: Differentiating Alternative Economic Modes:

1. Jhuming Swidden Method (Options A and D): Slash-and-burn shifting cultivation practiced by hill tribes, involving forest clearing, burning, and rotational field shifting.
2. Animal Husbandry (Option C): The general agricultural practice of breeding, rearing, and caring for farm livestock, which can be sedentary or nomadic.

Step 3: Final Answer:

The seasonal movement of livestock between mountain pastures and valley bottoms is known as Transhumance.
Therefore, Option (B) is the correct answer.
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