Rath (tribe)
Encyclopedia
The Rath are a Muslim Rajput community, found in the state of Rajasthan
in India
. They also settled in Punjab
and Sindh
provinces Pakistan
. They are also known as Rathi, although their preferred self-designation is Rajput
.
breed of cattle, which they used to and still herd. They are divided into three major sub-groups, the Parihar or sometimes referred to as Parhar Rath, the Johiya
and the Bohar, and a number of minor lineages, such as the Chanar, Larr, Chhachhar
and Chandani. According to the traditions of the Parhar Rath, they were originally Parihar
Rajputs of Mandore
, who were defeated by the Rathore
s, and fled to Sindh
. During their period of exile, the Parhar were converted to Islam
. The community than moved to the desert regions of Bikaner State, and spread over time to the Cholistan desert region. While the Bohar and Johiya Rath both claim descent from the Bhatti Rajput
s, and have different traditions as to their conversion to Islam
. As a community, they have a strong self-identification as being a Rajput
community. They are culturally close to tribesmen of the Cholistan region of Punjab
, Pakistan
, who are also largely Rath.
Historically, the Rath were a community of pastoral
nomad
s, breeding mainly cows and sheep, as well 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 related Pacchada community, who were found in Hissar and Mahendargarh districts of Haryana
, who was forced to settle down by the British
authorities in the late 19th Century. With the construction of the Indira 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.
The Rath speak Seraiki
among themselves, and Marwari
with others. They are also closely related to the Pachhadas, a community once found in Hissar
and Mahendragarh
districts of Haryana
, but now found in Punjab
in Pakistan
.
s. Their main clans include the Parihar, Kotowar, Daiya, Seikh, Lad and Koria. The various gotras observe a set pattern with regards to marriage. For example, the Parihar and Kotowar receive girls from the Koria, while the Daiya and Parihar give girls to the Kotowar and Seikh. Other Rathi communities include the Bohar
and Johiya
tribal groupings, found mainly in the Bikaner
, Ganganagar
and the neighbouring region of Cholistan of Pakistan
. Marriages tend to take place within the three sub-divisions, but marriages are forbidden within the gotra.
The Rath are found mainly in Barmer
, Bikaner
, Ganganagar
and Jaisalmer
districts. They are still essentially a community of pastoralists. Agriculture is the other main pursuit of this community. For six months of the year, from May to October, they cultivate their fields, and for the other six months, they herd their cattle. Their villages are found in the Thar Desert
region, and most of their villages are with out electricity.
Like other North India
communities, they have a council of elders which settles intra-community disputes, and punishes the guilty. Each lineage has an informal caste council, known as a biradari panchayat. This acts as an instrument of social control, by punishes those who breach community norms, such as marriage out with the community, or marriage within the gotra. The Rath are Sunni Muslim
s, but incorporate many folk beliefs.
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. They also settled in Punjab
Punjab (Pakistan)
Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...
and Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
provinces Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. They are also known as Rathi, although their preferred self-designation is Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
.
History and origin
The Rath are said to get their name from the RathiZebu
Zebu , sometimes known as humped cattle, indicus cattle, Cebu or Brahmin cattle are a type of domestic cattle originating in South Asia, particularly the Indian subcontinent. They are characterised by a fatty hump on their shoulders, drooping ears and a large dewlap...
breed of cattle, which they used to and still herd. They are divided into three major sub-groups, the Parihar or sometimes referred to as Parhar Rath, the Johiya
Johiya
Johiya , also known as Joia, Joiya, Joyia, Joya, Joyea, and Joeya, is a Chandravanshi Rajput clan in Northern India and Pakistan. The Johiyas are one of the twenty-four undivided Rajput clans or eka. In ancient chronicles, they are described as "Lords of Jangladesh", a region that included Haryana,...
and the Bohar, and a number of minor lineages, such as the Chanar, Larr, Chhachhar
Chhachhar
-History and origin:The Chhachhar claim Mughal origin, and claim descent from the famous king Timur. But according to another tradition, Surar, Subhago, Silro and Chachar were once slaves of Bunga Rai, the Raja of Umarkot in Sindh, and were freed by Jam Jakhar...
and Chandani. According to the traditions of the Parhar Rath, they were originally Parihar
Parihar
Parihar is a clan which is part of many communities including Rajputs, Gurjars and Jats. According to the Handbook on Rajputs by famous British historian A. H...
Rajputs of Mandore
Mandore
Mandore , is a town located 9 km north of Jodhpur city, in the Indian state of Rajasthan.-History:Mandore is an ancient town, and was the seat of the Mandorva branch of the Parihar dynasty which ruled the region in the 6th century AD by King Nahar Rao Parihar...
, who were defeated by the Rathore
Rathore
The Rathore is a Suryavanshi Rajput clan same caste as Lohana. Their Kuldevi is Nagnechiya Mata and "Karani Mata". Rathores are originally from Kannauj in Uttar Pradesh. Rathores are historically considered the samurais of India...
s, and fled to Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
. During their period of exile, the Parhar were converted to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. The community than moved to the desert regions of Bikaner State, and spread over time to the Cholistan desert region. While the Bohar and Johiya Rath both claim descent from the Bhatti Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
s, and have different traditions as to their conversion to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. As a community, they have a strong self-identification as being a Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
community. They are culturally close to tribesmen of the Cholistan region of Punjab
Punjab (Pakistan)
Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, who are also largely Rath.
Historically, the Rath were a community of pastoral
Pastoral
The adjective pastoral refers to the lifestyle of pastoralists, such as shepherds herding livestock around open areas of land according to seasons and the changing availability of water and pasturage. It also refers to a genre in literature, art or music that depicts such shepherd life in an...
nomad
Nomad
Nomadic people , commonly known as itinerants in modern-day contexts, are communities of people who move from one place to another, rather than settling permanently in one location. There are an estimated 30-40 million nomads in the world. Many cultures have traditionally been nomadic, but...
s, breeding mainly cows and sheep, as well 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 related Pacchada community, who were found in Hissar and Mahendargarh districts of Haryana
Haryana
Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
, who was forced to settle down by the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
authorities in the late 19th Century. With the construction of the Indira Gandhi Canal
Indira Gandhi Canal
The Indira Gandhi Canal is one of the biggest canal projects in India.It starts from the Harike Barrage at Sultanpur, a few kilometers below the confluence of the Sutlej and Beas rivers in Punjab state. Irrigation facilities to the north-western region of Rajasthan, a part of the Thar Desert...
, 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.
The Rath speak Seraiki
Saraiki language
Saraiki , transliterated as Sirāikī and sometimes spelled Seraiki and Saraiki, is a standardized written language of Pakistan belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages. It is a language spoken in the heart of Pakistan...
among themselves, and Marwari
Marwari language
The Marwari language , also variously Marvari, Marwadi, Marvadi), is spoken in the Indian state of Rajasthan. Marwari is also found in the neighboring state of Gujarat and Haryana and in Eastern Pakistan...
with others. They are also closely related to the Pachhadas, a community once found in Hissar
Hisar, India
Hisar city, previously spelled Hissar, is the administrative headquarters of Hisar district, in the state of Haryana, in northwestern India. Hisar was founded in 1354 CE, as Hissar-e-Firoza by Firoz Shah Tughlaq, who reigned over the Sultanate of Delhi from 1351 to 1388. on the demolished ruins...
and Mahendragarh
Mahendragarh District
Mahendragarh district is one of the 21 districts of Haryana state in northern India. The district occupies an area of 1,859 km². The district has a population of 812,022. Narnaul town is the administrative headquarters of the district...
districts of Haryana
Haryana
Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
, but now found in Punjab
Punjab (Pakistan)
Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...
in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
.
Present circumstances
The Parhar Rath community is further divided into a number of clans, known as gotraGotra
In the Hindu society, the term Gotra broadly refers to people who are descendants in an unbroken male line from a common male ancestor. Panini defines gotra for grammatical purposes as apatyam pautraprabhrti gotram , which means "the word gotra denotes the progeny beginning with the son's son"...
s. Their main clans include the Parihar, Kotowar, Daiya, Seikh, Lad and Koria. The various gotras observe a set pattern with regards to marriage. For example, the Parihar and Kotowar receive girls from the Koria, while the Daiya and Parihar give girls to the Kotowar and Seikh. Other Rathi communities include the Bohar
Bohar
The Bohar are a Jat clan found in the Punjab province of Pakistan and Rajasthan state of India.-History and origin:The Bohar is a tribe in Punjabi Wasib+ Saraiki Wasaib in Pakistan and Indian state Rajastan . In early times this tribe was non muslims when the Saints and Sufi's came into the...
and Johiya
Johiya
Johiya , also known as Joia, Joiya, Joyia, Joya, Joyea, and Joeya, is a Chandravanshi Rajput clan in Northern India and Pakistan. The Johiyas are one of the twenty-four undivided Rajput clans or eka. In ancient chronicles, they are described as "Lords of Jangladesh", a region that included Haryana,...
tribal groupings, found mainly in the Bikaner
Bikaner district
Bikaner District is a district of the state of Rajasthan in western India. The historic city of Bikaner is the district headquarters. Bikaner is also Division with the four district: Bikaner, Churu, Sri Ganganagar and Hanumangarh.-Geography:...
, Ganganagar
Ganganagar district
Ganganagar District is a northern most district of Rajasthan state in western India. The town of Sri Ganganagar is the district headquarters.-History:...
and the neighbouring region of Cholistan of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. Marriages tend to take place within the three sub-divisions, but marriages are forbidden within the gotra.
The Rath are found mainly in Barmer
Barmer, Rajasthan
Barmer is the headquarters of the Barmer district in the state of Rajasthan, India. It is a city and a municipality.-Origin of name:...
, Bikaner
Bikaner district
Bikaner District is a district of the state of Rajasthan in western India. The historic city of Bikaner is the district headquarters. Bikaner is also Division with the four district: Bikaner, Churu, Sri Ganganagar and Hanumangarh.-Geography:...
, Ganganagar
Ganganagar district
Ganganagar District is a northern most district of Rajasthan state in western India. The town of Sri Ganganagar is the district headquarters.-History:...
and Jaisalmer
Jaisalmer
Jaysalmer , nicknamed "The Golden City", is a town in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is located west from the state capital Jaipur. It was once known as Jaisalmer state. The town stands on a ridge of yellowish sandstone, crowned by a fort, which contains the palace and several ornate Jain...
districts. They are still essentially a community of pastoralists. Agriculture is the other main pursuit of this community. For six months of the year, from May to October, they cultivate their fields, and for the other six months, they herd their cattle. Their villages are found in the Thar Desert
Thar Desert
The Thar Desert |Punjab]] province. The Cholistan Desert adjoins the Thar desert spreading into Pakistani Punjab province.-Location and description:...
region, and most of their villages are with out electricity.
Like other North India
North India
North India, known natively as Uttar Bhārat or Shumālī Hindustān , is a loosely defined region in the northern part of India. The exact meaning of the term varies by usage...
communities, they have a council of elders which settles intra-community disputes, and punishes the guilty. Each lineage has an informal caste council, known as a biradari panchayat. This acts as an instrument of social control, by punishes those who breach community norms, such as marriage out with the community, or marriage within the gotra. The Rath are Sunni Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s, but incorporate many folk beliefs.