What causes conflict along the nomadsedentary frontier Essay

What causes conflict along the nomadsedentary frontier - Essay Example Nomadism for Pastoralists is apolitical as well as an economic strategy. Nomads use their nomadic movements to maintain household autonomy, to evade domination by other members of their own communities as well as by outsiders, including state authorities.From ancient times the contrast between nomadic and sedentary ways life has been a recurring theme. It is said in the earliest pages of Bible, farmers those who work in the soil and of "those who live in tents and rise livestock". The most familiar nomads are the pastoral nomads of Middle Eastern countries those who moved and even today move with their camels, cattle, sheep, and goats, seeking pasture for them at each season of the year.Nomads often live and move in arid areas of the world where water and soil condition are not in good condition. But they are also to be found in well watered places, where they could have more political power while compared to sedentary agriculturalists.There is a large population of nomadic pastorali sts in North Africa, in arid areas of West Africa, and particularly in such East African countries as the Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, and Tanzania. From the Middle Eastern countries through Iran, Pakistan and North India, through to China and Mongolia, Pastoral nomadic remains important as a mode of livelihood.Travel with their herds. They are widely found in the Alps and in other mountains areas in Europe and was fixed dwelling in both winter and summer areas. Pastoral nomads contribute greatly to the economic activity of the country, like they sell or exchange pastoral products for grain, cloth, weapons, and other trade goods. Pastoral nomads are able to define themselves according to their priorities as long as they remain nomads like they proved themselves long access to milk, to sustain long- term relationship with members of their own communities, and to build the power and prestige in accordance with their own values and culture. Nomadism for Pastoralists is apolitical as well as an economic strategy. Nomads use their nomadic movements to maintain household autonomy, to evade domination by other members of their own communities as well as by outsiders, including state authorities. Typically Pastoral nomads rely on their own organization, military skills, and weapons to defend their herds and pastures against raiders and to add to their own herds and pastures by raiding others. The military skills that are an advantage for Pastoral nomadians can be used for other purposes and throughout history pastoralists have repeatedly conquered sedentary populations and established dynasties and ruling elites over them. Mongol conquerors in china, central Asia and Russia provide one of the best known examples. The Mongol conquest was the most world- changing event of this era. Barfield says, "The exceptional nature of the Mongol Empire has been largely misunderstood because, as the most powerful nomadic state that ever exited , it was presumed to be the culmination of political evolution on the steppe rather than the exception that it was," (Barfield 1991,48). The Chinnggis rose to power with marginal support even as his own relatives opposed him. His conquest led to Yuan dynasty. He did not rely on kinship to organize his supporters but rather on loyalty and autocratic control. His main supporters were friends and retainers and his political organization rejected the imperial confederacy model whereas the Mongol state was based on the principles of centralized administration and tribal leadership were abolished. A rigid discipline came which unknown among nomads were followed .But after the fall of Mongol Empire the traditional nomads system with imperialism came into existence. After Chinggis's rule it was only with Khubilai that the Mongols took up the responsibility of ruling northern china rather than despoiling it. The Mongol Empire for the first time united most of Eurasia into a single empire whereas western Europe remained outside the Mongol Empire. The Mongol success can be said in the following ways: First the states they attacked in western Asia were weak and vulnerable to conquest. Their ecological adaptations were much more fragile than was the case in