About Saitwal Jains, we have mainly sampradāyik itihās (community tradition), not very detailed, fully-agreed historical records. So some things are clear, and some are honestly not known with certainty.

I’ll answer your three questions one by one, within what Jain sources and community traditions actually say.

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1. What was their religion before they “adopted” Jainism?

From available Jain-community accounts:

• Saitwal / Setavāla / Svahitavāla are described as being of Kshatriya background who became protectors of Jain sages and Jain kṣetras (holy places). ( saitwaljain.com)
• Because their very identity is tied to guarding Jain tirthas and serving Jain monks, most Jain traditions simply treat them as Jain from the time we first hear about them.
• Some modern writers guess that, being Kshatriyas, they might earlier have followed non-Jain Kshatriya customs, but our reliable Jain records do not clearly state any definite “pre‑Jain” religion for Saitwals.

So, in honest Jain-dharma terms:

> We do not have a clear, authoritative record saying “they were first followers of X religion, then later became Jain.” > Traditional Jain narratives mainly remember them as Kshatriya groups who were (or very early became) Jain while serving as protectors of Jain dharma.

Anything beyond that would be speculation, so it is better not to assert more than this.

You can see a simple summary here

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2. Why did they come to protect Jain temples?

Here the tradition is clearer.

a) Idea of “Kṣetrapāl” / “Kṣetravāla”

• In Jain and general Indian usage, a kṣetra is a holy place where dharma is especially practiced.
• People entrusted with guarding such places were called kṣetrapāla / kṣetravāla – protectors of the holy area.
• Scholars of Jain society note that from the word kṣetravāla / chheṭṭavāla comes the Marathi form Setavāla / Saitavāla, i.e. today’s Saitwal. ( jainqq.org)

So, by name itself, Saitwals are linked with being protectors of Jain kṣetras.

b) Protection from violent groups

Traditional accounts of the Saitwal community say:

• They descended from Kshatriyas who came to the Deccan to protect Jain sages and places of pilgrimage from fierce local groups, whose leaders were sometimes called Bhairava etc. ( saitwaljain.com)
• Their duty was to guard monks, mathas, and temples in regions where there was risk of attack or harassment.

c) Dharmic reason

From a Jain-dharma angle:

• Kshatriyas who accepted Jain principles could still serve by protecting life and religion (without unnecessary violence).
• Supporting Jain sadhus, tirthas, and temples is considered a great punya for śrāvakas.
• So, serving as protectors of tirthas was seen as a dhārmik responsibility, not just a job.

Over time, these protectors:

• Settled near Jain centers,
• Married within their group,
• Took on occupations like tailoring, weaving, trading, etc.,
• And became known as a distinct Jain lay community – Saitwal Jains, mainly Digambar.

A short, easy background is also given here

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3. Why did they migrate to the Deccan region to protect Jain temples?

Putting together Jain tradition and historical context:

a) Movement from the North to the Deccan

• Jain social surveys state that Setavālas (Saitwals) “came from the North and settled in the Deccan”. ( jainqq.org)
• Other notes mention links with regions like Rajputana/Marwar and Central India, but exact routes and dates are not firmly fixed. ( jainqq.org)

b) Why go specifically to the Deccan?

Historically, the Deccan (Maharashtra–Karnataka region) was:

• A strong area of Jain royal patronage (Rashtrakuta, early Chalukya, Hoysala, etc.) ( theprint.in)
• Full of important Jain tirthas and mathas, many on hills or in forested, less-secure areas.
• A place where Jain monks and communities from the North migrated during times of trouble and invasion.

In that situation, there was a practical need:

• To protect Jain monks, scriptures, and temples
• To guard kṣetras from dacoits, tribal raids, and politically unstable conditions.

So the sampradāyik itihās (community tradition) says in simple form:

> Certain Kshatriya lineages came down to the Deccan as protectors of Jain dharma and Jain kṣetras. > Settling there, they gradually formed the Saitwal Jain community known today in Maharashtra, Karnataka and nearby regions. ( saitwaljain.com)

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Summary in very simple words

• We do not clearly know any specific “old religion” of Saitwals before Jainism; Jain tradition mainly remembers them already as Kshatriya protectors of Jain tirthas.
• They are called Saitwal / Setavāla because they were kṣetrapāla/kṣetravāla – protectors of Jain holy places, guarding monks and temples from violent people.
• They migrated to the Deccan because:

- many important Jain centers and Jain-friendly kingdoms were there, - Jain monks and communities had moved there, - and there was a need for dedicated protectors of Jain dharma. Over centuries, these protectors settled, took up peaceful professions, and became today’s Digambar Saitwal Jain community.

Within Jain dharma we respect this as part of the broader history of how śrāvaka communities arose to support and protect Tīrthaṅkara-dharma in different regions.