Oad

Oad is a community and a tribe with origins in upper (Southern) Sindh, Pakistan and Rajasthan. This tribe has a distinct and unique history dating back thousands of years. They are sometimes considered to be of Rajput origin. However, not much is documented about this tribe. The latest reference to Oads is found in the poetry of the great poet of subcontinent Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai, who has praised Oads for their hard work and simplicity.

The Oads are a large community spread over a large region with concentrations in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana in India and in Sindh Pakistan. The Oads have been nomads for centuries, and were known in the subcontinent as indigenous civil engineers, constructors of ponds, walls, structures, canals and embankments.

Their language Oadki resembles Marathi/Gujarati with borrowings from Marwari and Punjabi.

Modern history of Oads begins in the small town of "Phulpoto" in the upper Sindh near the town of Ratodero and Larkana, with the birth of the great "Narain Das Oad" who later became the first graduate of Oad tribe and went on to become a lawyer and eventually a Judicial Magistrate.

Also see

 * Rajput