History Historically, the Rath were a community of
pastoral nomads, 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 related
Pachhada 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. ==References==