According to one account the Setavālas are considered as the descendants of the Kshatriyas who came to the Deccan for the protection of the Jaina sages and places of pilgrimage from fiercer sort of people, whose leaders were called Bhairavas.
They have many rustic customs and ways, but signs remain which support their claim to have a strain of Kshatriya blood.
According to another account, the Setavālas appear to have been originally a body of hundred families excommunicated for some unknown reason; and now forming a caste by themselves.
[1] There are supposed to be many gotras among Setavālas but the names of 44 gotras only are available, viz., Bahu; Abhaya kumāra; Sahasrabāhu; Maghava; Vijayamitra; Mahäbahu; Bhūvallabha; Hariketu; Vijaya; Dhanapati; Simharatha; Vidyasakti; Supratishtha; Meghavähana; Prthvipäla; Vajradanta; Ratnāyudha; Anantavijaya; Dharma; Prajñāpāla; Yugandhara; Lokapāla; Hariśchandra; Sūryaputra; Yaśapäla; Minaketu; Surendra-datta; Pundarīka; Dhanaratha; Dhātrivāhana; Susheņa; Subhachandra; Pūrvabāhu; Maņimālā; Jitaśatru; Vajräyudha; Satyašruti; Jayan dhara; Narmadā; Vimalavähana; Surakirti; Vimalakirti; Srīsheņa and Chakräyudha.
They are predominantly in profession of silver ornament making, weaving, oil extraction, tailoring and have been spread in pockets of Vidarbha, Marathwada, Khandesh and in small proportion in Western Maharashtra as well.
[3] A bronze image of Chandraprabha has been discussed by J. C. Wright that has an inscription mentioning that it was installed by a person of Sehitavāla jati in Śaka Year 1559 (A.D. 1638) under the supervision of Bhattaraka Vijayakīrti.