Ahilyabai Holkar

Context (IE): The 300^th birth anniversary of the Maratha queen Ahilya Bai Holkar was celebrated.
Ahilyabai Holkar was the queen of Indore within the Maratha Confederacy. She established Maheshwar (in Madhya Pradesh) on the banks of the Narmada River as the capital of the Holkar Dynasty.
She was born in 1725 to a Dhangar/Gadariya (shepherd) family in Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar district.
Her father, Mankoji Shinde, was from a respectable Dhangar (Gadariya) family who served as the Patil (title like village head).
Although women did not go to school back then, Ahilyabai’s father taught her to read and write.

Marriage and Rise to Prominence

Ahilyabai gained prominence when Malhar Rao Holkar, a commander in the Maratha Peshwa Baji Rao’s army, visited Chaundi.
Impressed by her piety and character, Malhar’s son, Khande Rao Holkar, married Ahilyabai on the Peshwa’s advice in 1733.

After her husband’s death in the 1754 Battle of Kumbher against the King of Bharatpur, Ahilyabai took control of Malwa.
She excelled at administrative and military strategies under the guidance of her father-in-law, who believed she should lead her people and not die by Sati.
After the death of her father-in-law and son a few years later, she petitioned the Peshwa to become the ruler, backed by the support of her army.
She defended the Malwa state against intruders and personally led armies into battle, with Tukoji Rao Holkar as her military commander.
Ahilyabai was known for her administrative acumen, breaking traditional gender norms in 18^th century India.

Khande Rao and his father, Malhar Rao Holkar, laid siege to Kumher (Kumbher) fort of Jat Raja Suraj Mal of Bharatpur. Khande Rao was supporting Imad-ul-Mulk and the Mughal emperor Ahmad Shah Bahadur’s general, Mir Bakhshi.
On the other hand, Suraj Mal had sided with the Mughal emperor’s rebellious Wazir Safdar Jang.
After Khande Rao’s death, Ahilyabai was stopped by her father-in-law from committing sati.

Ahilyabai was a prolific builder, constructing Hindu temples and Dharmashalas across the Indian Subcontinent.
Ahilya Bai resurrected the jyotirlingas across the country as a tribute to Lord Shiva.
She carried out renovations in Somnath temple, Kashi Vishwanath temple Varanasi (1780), Trambak, Gaya, Pushkar, Vrindavan, Nathdwara, Haridwar, Badrinath, Kedarnath and many other sacred sites.

She patronised many artists, including Marathi poet Moropant, Shahir Ananta Gandhi, and Sanskrit scholar Khushali Ram.
She established Maheshwar (in Madhya Pradesh) as the seat of the Holkar Dynasty.
She promoted Maheshwari saris (from Maheshwar) and paved the way for empowering women.
Ahilyabai repealed a traditional law that allowed the state to confiscate the property of childless widows.
She made efforts to develop the city of Indore, conserve forests and animals, and was responsible for the flourishing trade and commerce.
Benevolence, social reforms, and support for arts and culture marked her reign.

Popularly known as Rajmata Ahilyadevi Holkar, she remains one of the most powerful women in pre-independent India.
She was described as “a very able ruler and organiser” by Jawaharlal Nehru in ‘A Discovery of India’.
John Keay, the British historian, gave the queen the title of ‘The Philosopher Queen’.
Her legacy endures as a symbol of courage, leadership, and devotion to her people.
A proposal to rename Ahmednagar as ‘Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Nagar’ is being discussed.