In pastoral journeys animals were not merely what?

Only objects of decoration

Pastoral animals were central to the economic and social life of nomadic communities. They supplied milk and other animal products, provided energy or transport in suitable situations, and formed the main basis of livelihood. Communities cared for animals not merely for appearance or decoration, but because animals supported food, exchange, travel and income. Their importance could change with the local environment and occupation.

Option A is correct because it is the only statement that denies the real economic role of animals. Sources of milk, help in transport or energy, and the basis of livelihood all describe genuine uses. Saying that animals were only decorative objects ignores the many practical relationships between pastoralists and their herds. Thus the question tests recognition of the wider economic value of livestock.

This is a Class 9 History question. Chapter: Pastoralists in the Modern World. Topic: Pastoral Nomads and their Movements.