Prior to the start of Deep Space 9, why was Garak exiled and left on DS9?

Question

At the start of the show, Garak's been exiled from Cardassian space, and was left on Deep Space 9. I don't think the reason for this exile was ever explained. It seemed to be a genuine exile, and not some sort of deep cover spy mission, given the episodes where Garak joins back up with the Obsidian Order and his mentor, Enabran Tain. So, why was he exiled?

Answer 1

Reasons for his exile are not clear. However in the year 2368, Garak somehow betrayed Enabran Tain, and Tain ordered him killed. Garak escaped, but was exiled from his homeworld of Cardassia Prime.

Terok Nor seems a logical place to go. It was at that time a Cardassian space station while being away from the homeworld.

Also official Star Trek website says "he was forced to betray"

Garak was exiled after being forced even to betray his father/mentor, and they parted bitterly. In fact, Tain refused to give his son any forgiveness when he died alongside Garak in a Dominion prison camp in 2373

However "A Stitch In Time" a novel written by Andrew J. Robinson explores a lot more about Garak. The reason seems he was exiled for having an affair with a high ranking Gul's wife. When Tain found out about Elim and Palandines relationship, he ordered Garak to end it immediately, and never see Palandine again. Garak went to see her anyway, and was captured by Lokar. The resulting confrontation ended with Lokar's death.

Tain saw Garak's disobedience as a betrayal, and did nothing to help him with his resulting legal troubles. Garak was exiled from Cardassia, never to return on the pain of death. Garak, being the true loyal Cardassian he has always been actually believes he deserves exile. He said he was willing to give up everything and defy the military and the state for his own selfish desires.

Answer 2

Bashir: What I want to know is, out of all the stories you told me which ones were true and which ones weren't?

Garak: My dear doctor...they're all true.

Bashir: Even the lies?

Garak: Especially the lies.

As Memory Alpha makes clear:

In 2368, Garak somehow betrayed Tain, and Tain ordered him killed. Garak escaped, but was exiled from his homeworld of Cardassia Prime.

While suffering from the degradation of his cranial implant, he gave three versions of the reason for his exile to Doctor Julian Bashir:

1. He first claimed he was a Gul in the Cardassian Mechanized Infantry and was exiled for killing several Cardassians, including his first officer, a man named Elim, as well as the daughter of a prominent military official, who were on board a transport going from Bajor to space station Terok Nor, when he destroyed it. Garak thought he was in fact killing members of the Bajoran Resistance who were planning to sabotage Terok Nor.
2. He then changed his story to say that as he and his assistant Elim were interrogating a group of Bajoran children he felt pity for them and let them go instead of turning them over to be executed. He was exiled when Elim turned him in to the authorities.
3. Garak also said that he was exiled after being framed by his best friend Elim with evidence that a member of the Obsidian Order was allowing Bajoran prisoners to escape.

Dr. Bashir later discovered from Enabran Tain that "Elim" was actually Garak's first name, indicating that none of these explanations were entirely true.

It is simply part of the fun that no-one really knows the truth. But as Garak says: "The truth is usually just an excuse for lack of imagination."