Remembering Ahilyabai Holkar, the queen of Marathas in Indore

Indian history is full of brave men. But inthe patriarchal land full of statesfighting each other, there are stellar names of women who held their own when going got tough. They guarded their kingdoms, spear-headed reforms and defeated enemies on the battlefield.

Perhaps Ahilyabai Holkar is a personality who shines the brightest in this list of women who were ahead of their times. And her birth anniversary (May 31) is a fitting occasion to remember the brave Maratha queen.

Ahilyabai was born on May 31, 1725 in Chaundi (Ahmednagar) in Maharashtra. 18th century was the time when the Maratha military power had rapidly filled the vacuum formed after death of Aurangzeb, often referred toas the last great Mughal Emperor. The Marathas had long crossed their traditional heartland and had north India within their firm grip. In such a situation, though Peshwa, ruling from Pune, was the leader of the empire, powerful Maratha families like Sindhia (Shinde) and Holkar had carved their own realms within the Maratha empire in Gwalior and Indore respectively. Malhar Rao Holkar was a prominent lord in Malwa region.

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Ahilyabai's father Mankoji Shinde home-schooled her and taught her to read and write. This was a time when educating women was frowned upon in India.

Ahilya was not born in a royal family, but a chance encounter saw her being daughter-in-law of the Holkars.

While on his way to Pune, Malhar Rao Holkar saw young Ahilya feeding the poor near a temple. So impressed was he with her that he asked her hand for a marriage to his son Khanderao Holkar. As it was customary during the medieval period. Both of them were married at a young age in 1733.

Her husband was killed in a battle at Kumbher in 1754. Malhar Rao Holkar, Ahilyabai's father-in-law, stood firmly by her side and forbade her from performing the sati ritual after her husband's death.

Ahilyabai was ahead of her time and under the tutelage of Malhar Rao, mastered the arts of politics and administration and statecraft.

Her important contribution remains renovation of Kashi Vishwanath temple in present-day Varanasi. She improved conditions in Malwa andhelped restore Hindu places of worship in north India. Ahilyabai ascended to the throne on December 11, 1767.

In addition to being a politician, Ahilyabai was a warrior. A skilled archer, she was a horse rider.

After the death of Malhar Rao Holkar, the great patriarch and powerful lord, powers around Malwa started encircling Holkar domain thinking it was ripe for taking.

But Ahilyabai Holkar's able leadership saw the Holkar army defeat all adversaries.

Ahilyabai's prowess as a ruler and spirituality has impressed British historians and poets alike.

“Ahilyabai Holkar, the 'philosopher-queen' of Malwa, had evidently been an acute observer of the wider political scene.” says British historian John Keyas.

“In latter days from Brahma came, To rule our land, a noble Dame, Kind was her heart, and bright her fame, And Ahlya was her honoured name,” wrote Scottish poetess Joanna Bailie in 1849.

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