# The Historical Sacrifice of Pali Marwar Where Paliwal Brahmins Abandoned Their Town After Sultan Khilji Invaded > During the 13th century Khilji invasion in Pali Marwar, Rajasthan, thousands of Paliwal Brahmins sacrificed their lives for faith and dignity, leading the community to observe Raksha Bandhan as a day of remembrance. **Type:** article · **Category:** Culture · **Published:** 2026-08-19 · **Source:** TrendKia **Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/culture/pali-marwar-ka-aitihasika-balidana-jaba-sultan-khilji-ke-akramana-para-paliwal-brahmins-ne-tyaga-tha-apana-shahara-18388 · **Language:** English **Tags:** Pali Marwar, Paliwal Brahmin, Shravani Purnima, Jalaluddin Khilji, Raksha Bandhan History, Kuldhara, Dhaula Chautra In the historical region of Pali Marwar, Rajasthan, the sacred occasion of Raksha Bandhan brings deeply solemn memories of extraordinary sacrifice, heroism, and tragic devastation. For the Shri Adi Gaur Vanshiya Paliwal Brahmin community, Shravani Purnima is not celebrated as a festival of joy, but observed as an epochal day of mourning and tribute to ancestors who laid down their lives defending their faith and dignity. Having originally settled in this region during the 6th century, the community established a flourishing society known across western India for its economic prosperity, structured social welfare, and foresight. ## The One Brick and One Rupee Social Tradition of Flourishing Pali According to historical records and community elders, the Shri Adi Gaur Vanshiya Paliwal Brahmins first arrived and settled in Pali in Vikram Samvat 534. Over the following centuries, the town developed into a major commercial and cultural center, with the community's population expanding beyond one lakh individuals. The Paliwal Brahmins created a legendary cooperative model of mutual assistance to maintain social cohesion and economic strength. Whenever an impoverished or newly arriving Brahmin family entered Pali, every existing household in the town provided a single brick and a single rupee as a collective gift. This organized community support enabled the new family to construct a home and launch a trade overnight. In addition to being accomplished scholars and custodians of Vedic traditions, the Paliwal Brahmins possessed extraordinary acumen in commerce and trade. To safeguard their thriving settlement from regional bandits and external invaders, the community entrusted governance and protective responsibilities to King Siha, the revered founder of the Rathore dynasty. ## The Invasion of Sultan Jalaluddin Khilji and the Defense of Pali During Vikram Samvat 1347-48 (1291-92 AD), Sultan Jalaluddin Khilji (Firoz Shah II) of the Delhi Sultanate launched a major military campaign against Pali after receiving reports of its immense wealth and commercial success. Drawn by the town's prosperity, the Sultan dispatched a formidable army to capture the settlement. At that time, the military defense of Pali was under the leadership of Rathore ruler Aasthan, the son of Rao Siha. Ruler Aasthan fought valiantly alongside the local defenders to protect the inhabitants of Pali, ultimately achieving martyrdom on the battlefield. When direct military assault failed to completely break the town's defense, Khilji's commanders employed unethical warfare tactics. The invading army slaughtered cattle and threw them into Lohadiya Pond and Lakhotia Pond—the primary drinking water sources for the town—thereby desecrating the water supply and forcing the inhabitants into a dire crisis. ## Supreme Sacrifice at Dhaula Chautra on Shravani Purnima On the morning of Shravani Purnima, thousands of Paliwal men were gathered at the banks of Lohadiya and Lakhotia ponds to perform their traditional Shravani Upakarma and Tarpan rituals. Surrounded by Khilji's forces, thousands of Paliwal Brahmins refused to yield. Donning saffron attire and holding their sacred weapons while wearing their holy threads, they plunged into battle to protect their religious identity and honor. In the horrific massacre that ensued, thousands of Brahmin men were killed, leaving countless women widowed. The staggering magnitude of this sacrifice is recorded in historical traditions: the sacred threads (Janeu) collected from the bodies of the fallen martyrs weighed 9 maunds, while the ivory bangles removed by widowed mothers and sisters weighed 84 maunds. To protect these holy relics from desecration by the invaders, they were buried in a deep well at 'Dhaula Chautra' in Pali, which stands to this day as a silent witness to their supreme valor. ## Mass Migration and the Creation of 84 New Villages In the aftermath of the tragic devastation and loss of life, the surviving members of the Paliwal Brahmin community swore never to live under enemy subjugation. On that very day of Raksha Bandhan, the entire community took the historic decision to collectively abandon their beloved town of Pali. Leaving behind their prosperous homes, agricultural lands, and commercial establishments, they migrated to different parts of India. A significant portion of the community journeyed into the Kingdom of Jaisalmer, where they utilized their engineering skills and hard work to build 84 new prosperous villages, including the famous settlements of Kuldhara and Khabha. Every member of the community continues to honor this solemn heritage. ## Tribute at Paliwal Dham and Contemporary Observances According to Rishidatt Paliwal, Vice President of Rajasthan Paliwal Samaj, the Paliwal Brahmin community does not celebrate Raksha Bandhan with joyous festivities on Shravani Purnima. Sisters refrain from tying Rakhi threads on their brothers' wrists; instead, community members assemble at water reservoirs to perform solemn Tarpan rituals in memory of their departed ancestors. Thousands of community members from across India gather annually at Dhaula Chautra and the multi-crore Paliwal Dham memorial in Pali to pay homage to the martyrs who sacrificed everything for faith and honor. ## What this means for you - **Across India:** This historical saga serves as an inspiring account of community solidarity, cooperative economic assistance, and unwavering commitment to self-respect and faith. - **In Pali Marwar:** For local residents and the Paliwal community, Dhaula Chautra and Paliwal Dham stand as sacred memorials commemorating their ancestors' supreme sacrifice. ## Questions & Answers ### 1. Why does the Paliwal community not tie Rakhis on Raksha Bandhan? On Shravani Purnima in Vikram Samvat 1347-48, thousands of Paliwal Brahmins sacrificed their lives defending their faith against Sultan Jalaluddin Khilji, leading the community to observe the day for mourning and ancestral tributes. ### 2. What was the 'one brick and one rupee' tradition of the Paliwal community? To help any newly arrived Brahmin family settle in Pali, every existing household gifted one brick and one rupee, enabling the new family to build a home and establish a trade overnight. ### 3. Why were 9 maunds of Janeu and 84 maunds of ivory bangles buried at Dhaula Chautra? To protect them from enemy desecration, 9 maunds of sacred threads from martyred warriors and 84 maunds of ivory bangles from widowed women were buried in a historic well at Dhaula Chautra. ### 4. Where did the Paliwal community settle after abandoning Pali? After abandoning Pali en masse on Raksha Bandhan, a large section of the community migrated to the Jaisalmer kingdom and established 84 new villages, including Kuldhara and Khabha. ### 5. Who led the military defense of Pali during Khilji's attack? The defense of Pali was led by Rathore ruler Aasthan, son of Rao Siha, who fought valiantly against Khilji's forces and achieved martyrdom. ## Inspiration & Lessons The history of the Paliwal community offers timeless lessons in solidarity, self-reliance, and dignity during extreme adversity: - **The Power of Community Cooperation:** The 'one brick and one rupee' tradition demonstrates how collective mutual assistance can empower any arriving family to achieve self-reliance. - **Upholding Dignity Above All:** True self-respect lies in standing up for fundamental values and faith rather than submitting to unethical tyranny. - **Resilience and Rebuilding:** Even after losing their ancestral town, the community demonstrated incredible resilience by migrating and establishing 84 thriving new settlements in Jaisalmer. --- _TrendKia — Har trend, sabse pehle.. Machine-readable view; canonical HTML at the URL above._