Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic debilitating autoimmune disease that affects all the body systems in human and animals. Animal models have proven to be indispensable for the unraveling of pathophysiological mechanisms of inflammatory arthritis and for the analysis of therapeutic agents. Current therapy has a goal of complete and long-lasting remission but, typically, only partial remission is achieved and frequent relapses or even non-response are common. Both immune-modulating and anti-rheumatic medications have severe side effects, some of which could be dangerous or even life-threatening. Herbal medicines are an alternative source for relieving symptoms in patients with RA as well as for overcoming the disadvantages associated with current therapy techniques. Interestingly, a wide range of medicinal plants provides a huge resource for such anti-arthritic active principles. This review will throw the light on the current animal models and various active principles derived from plants that have shown promise as antiarthritic agents in latest years and will outline their prospective action mechanism.