Pali

Tahsil Pali, District Pali, Rajasthan.

Pali District is a district of the state of Rajasthan in western India. The town of Pali is the district headquarters.During the Kushana Age, King Kanishka had conquered Rohat and Jaitaran area, parts of today's Pali district, in 120 AD. Till the end of seventh century A. D. this area was ruled by the Chalukya King Harshavardhana along with other parts of the present state of Rajasthan.

During the period from 10th to 15th century, boundaries of Pali extended to adjoining Mewar, Godwad and Marwar. Nadol was the capital of Chauhans. All Rajput rulers resisted the foreign invaders but individually fought for each other's land and leadership. After the defeat of Prithviraj Chauhan, against Mohammed Gauri, the Rajput power of the area was disintegrated. Godwad area of Pali become the subjects of then ruler of Mewar, Maharana Kumbha. But Pali city which was ruled by Brahmin rulers with the patronage of neighbouring Rajput rulers, remained peaceful and progressive.

The 16th and 17th centuries saw a number of battles in the surrounding areas of Pali. Shershah Suri was defeated by Rajput rulers in the battle of Giri near Jaitaran, Mughal emperor Akbar's army had constant battles with Maharana Pratap in Godwad area. Again after the Mughals had conquered almost all of Rajputana, Veer Durga Das Rathore of Marwar made organized efforts to redeem the Marwar area from Aurangzeb, the last Mughal emperor. By then Pali had become subservient to Rathores of Marwar state. Pali was rehabilitated by Maharaja Vijay Singh and soon it became an important commercial center.

Under British era in India in 1857 various Thakurs of pali under the stewardship of Thakur of Auwa fought against the British rule. Auwa fort was surrounded by the British army and then conflicts lasted many days.

Geologists trace the existence of Pali to pre-historic age and maintain that it has emerged from the vast western sea spread over a large part of the present day Rajasthan. In the Vedic age Maharshi Javali stayed in this area for meditation and interpretation of Vedas. The Pandavas in the Mahabharata age also have made this area (near Bali) their resting place during the exile. As a part of ancient Arbuda Province, this area was known as Balla-Desh.