Palliwal Jains are a Jain community named after the place “Pali” (often referred to as Pallika/Palli in old times) in the Marwar region of Rajasthan. The basic idea is that Palliwals originated as Jain communities connected with that town, and over time the name came to denote a Jain caste/gotra group that spread to various parts of north and central India.

Key points to note about their origin and identity:

• Primary view: Palliwals are commonly described as having originated from Pali in Marwar. Many Palliwal families are historically involved in trade and business, which is typical of Jain communities that took on merchant roles in medieval and early modern India.
• Variants in origin theories: Some modern discussions (in various sources) also mention Pali Nagar in different contexts, or suggest that the name arose from Brahmins who followed clients from Pali and adopted that city-name for their community. In short, there is not a single universally agreed-upon origin story, and the exact phrasing can differ by region and tradition.
• Digambar vs. Shvetambar: Palliwals are found in both Digambar and Svetambara circles. In many places they are identified with Svetambara Murtipujaks, while some families/lineages within Palliwals have historical associations with Digambara practice. The religious identity (Digambar vs. Svetambar) can thus vary by family and locality.
• Historical grounding: Like many Jain communities with city-based names, the Palliwal identity has grown out of a mix of temple patronage, merchant networks, and regional Jain patta-kathā (chronicles) that tie families to particular towns and gotras.

If you would like, I can look for a Jairn-Dharmic reference in a Jain-focused source to give you a concise articulation of the Palliwal origin as preserved in Jain tradition.

Note: I don’t have a definitive, single source on this topic in my current set of Jain-specific references. If you want, I can try to locate a Jain Knowledge page that specifically discusses Palliwal origins and share the exact Jain (Ddigambar/Shvetambar) context from that source.