Why is it wrong to treat permanent settlement as the only measure of civilisation while studying pastoral nomads?

Correct answer: Because mobile societies also had organised knowledge, economy and social relations

Civilisation cannot be judged by one feature such as permanent settlement. Mobile pastoral societies also developed organised systems of knowledge, production, exchange and social relationships. They knew seasonal routes, grazing conditions, water sources and animal behaviour, and they cooperated with settled communities. Movement was often an intelligent adaptation to environmental conditions, not proof that a society lacked order or culture.

Option A is correct because it recognises the abilities and institutions of mobile groups. The other choices wrongly claim that nomads had no knowledge, no society or no livelihood outside cities. A settled village can be one form of social organisation, but it is not the only form. Studying pastoralists fairly requires examining how their mobility supported their economy and community life.