Final answer:
Nomadic pastoralism in Central Asia is believed to have first developed around 1500 BCE due to climate change, leading to a shift from agriculture to herding and nomadic lifestyles influenced by the domestication of animals.
Step-by-step explanation:
When did nomadic pastoralism first develop in Central Asia? Nomadic pastoralism is believed to have developed around 1500 BCE. During this period, numerous societies in Central Asia transitioned from agriculture to herding livestock as a form of survival, due to climatic changes that made farming more challenging. This adaptation to pastoral life involved the domestication of various animals, which influenced these societies to lead nomadic lifestyles, moving with the seasons in search of fresh pastures. The nomadic way of life allowed these societies to access resources and opportunities that sedentary agriculture could not offer, despite the rise of state-dominated agricultural societies that emerged later.
Moreover, by 1000 BCE, horse riding had become prevalent, and by 900 BCE, nomadic cultures had expanded eastward to regions such as Manchuria. The nomadic pastoralists often interacted through trade as well as conflicts with the neighboring settled agricultural societies, such as those during the Warring States period.