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TheRath are aJats community in the state ofRajasthan in India and inPunjab andSindh provinces of Pakistan. There is another Jat clan similar[further explanation needed] to it known asRathi.[1]
Historically, the Rath were a community ofpastoralnomads, breeding mainly cows and sheep, as well as cultivating dry crops, and migrating three to nine months of the year. Till about the 1950s, no recognized rights to the land existed. This was in marked contrast to the relatedPachhada community, who were found inHissar and Mahendargarh districts ofHaryana, who was forced to settle down by theBritish authorities in the late 19th century. With the construction of theIndira Gandhi Canal, land was divided up, and a large number granted to settlers. This led to a drastic reduction in the grazing area, and process that has led to the abandoning of the nomadic lifestyle. The community are now only partially nomadic, with some members taking the cattle and sheep to their grazing areas, while the majority remaining in the village.[2]
