Rajasthan District MapThe Raika Indigenous Peoples of Rajasthan, India

The Raika of Rajasthan, also known as the Rebaris or Dewasis, are an indigenous group of animal breeders and livestock raisers living in northwestern India. Traditionally they lived a semi-nomadic life tied to the arid and semi-arid desert/savanna region on the fringers of the Thar (or Great Indian) Desert. The Raika indigenous people are not an ethnic or linguistic group unto themselves, but rather represent an extensive endogamous caste community. This means that they marry within a larger lineage group and tend toward a common set of occupations. Currently there are an estimated 300,000 Raika living in western Rajasthan and the Marwar region of India.

Anthropologists have documented that the Raika people date back at least 500 or more years, and they are believed to have originated in Persia or Baluchistan. Contemporarily, they are highly regarded for their extensive ecological and veterinary knowledge, as well as for their ability to manage large herds of animals in the harsh Rajasthan environment. This relationship with animals is exhibited in their semi-nomadic lifeway. Historically the Raika kept permanent dwellings in settled villages, which they lived in during various parts of the year. Recently, however, as the result of various pressures they have had to become increasingly nomadic in order to maintain their traditional way of life.

Traditionally the Raika indigenous peoples managed and bred animals, as well as supplied camels, for the maharajas and rajas (kings) of the vast feudal states of the region. In this role, the Raika were strongly identified with the camel and have relied on them for several hundred years. Recently, as modern modes of transportation have penetrated northwestern India, they have had to also incorporate sheep and goats. Presently the Raika combine agricultural production (pearl millet [bajra], wheat [gyon], and arid legumes) and pastoralism (animal breeding and wool products).

In recent years the Raika have thrived, owing to their ability to adapt to radically changing conditions. However, whether the Raika can continue to adapt and maintain their traditional lifeways remains an open question. Currently the threat of closed forests, intensification of agriculture, disintegrating relationships with other groups, state development projects, a quickly changing economy, and invasive plant species are all having an impact on Raika and their indigenous way of life.

The forests of India have historically been held in reserve by the state. In ancient India, forestlands were held by kings for hunting, while in the later colonial British rule they were placed under the control of a government bureaucracy and expert cadre of foresters. After British colonial rule ended, the forests were placed under management of the Ministry of the Environment and are currently managed by state departments of forestry. These forests, for the Raika, are an essential resource for dry-season grazing. However, as these forests become increasingly off-limits for animals or are reserved for conservation purposes, a key foundation stone of their traditional lifeway is removed. In fact, the proliferation of wildlife conservation areas in India has led to an increased tension between the Raika and wildlife officials. For example, the Indian Supreme Court decided that any kind of "resource collection," including grazing of animals in wildlife conservation areas was illegal. This decision effectively cut off over 120,000 hectares in Rajasthan alone that the Raika traditionally relied on for the grazing of their animal herds.

As conservation has removed some dry-season tree pastures for the Raika, so too has the intensification of agriculture and the development of state sponsored projects in the area. Similarly, a decline in the local camel economy has caused the Raika to search out new economic outlets. Finally, the invasion of aggressive foreign plant species has created an ecological crisis and threatened what pasturage remains in the region. Both Mexican mesquite (Prosopis juliflora) and Lantana (Lantana camera) have rendered large areas of traditional pasture useless.

The Raika indigenous people, however, have not faced these transformations passively. Instead, they have organized, adapted, and transformed themselves to meet the challenges they face by involving themselves increasingly in regional and national politics, by modernizing their relationship to the market, and by educating their young. Through these efforts the Raika have continued to maintain their traditional identity and culture, and they are slowly gaining a place within the local and regional politics and economy.