India celebrates the 300th birth anniversary of Lok Mata Ahilyabai Holkar, the former queen of the Malwa kingdom (which was part of the Maratha confederacy), and a revolutionary ruler of her times. She has been one of the few women in the history of India to have led an Indian polity on ideals of justice and service to the people. Ahilyabai served first as a regent and then later became the ruler of the Holkar dynasty, with its headquarters at Maheshwar and Indore in present-day Madhya Pradesh in Central India. The period of her reign is considered the zenith of the Holkar Dynasty.
Today, Ahilyabai is known as a philanthropist amongst many religiously inclined or right-leaning people, because of her huge charity towards multiple Hindu temples.
Early life
Ahilyabai was born in Chaundi village situated in the present-day Ahilyanagar district of Maharashtra. Her father, Mankoji Rao Shinde, who was the chief of the village, taught Ahilyabai to read and write, even though women of that era did not go to school. When she was ten years old, Ahilyabai got married to Khanderao, son of Malharrao Holkar (lord of the Malwa territory and the commander in the Maratha Army of Peshwa Balaji Rao). Child marriage was common during that time. In 1745, she gave birth to a son named Malerao, while in 1748, Ahilyabai gave birth to a daughter named Muktabai.
But soon, in 1754, Khanderao was killed by cannon fire in a battle. The traditions of the time advocated that Ahilyabai commit Sati, but her father-in-law, Malharrao, stopped her from doing so and proceeded to train her in statecraft and warfare. Soon, Aai started undertaking military campaigns on her father-in-law’s behalf and became a trained archer. She also started to run state affairs when Malharrao was out on campaigns.
After the death of Malharrao in 1766, Ahilyabai’s son Malerao succeeded his grandfather. But within a year of his succession, Malerao died after a history of mental illness. In the absence of any male heir, Ahilyabai appealed to other Maratha chiefs to support her claim to the Holkar throne. A letter from the Peshwa soon arrived, which recognised her ability and guaranteed their support.
Reign
During her reign, Ahilyabai broke many norms. She engaged a Frenchman to help modernise her army by raising four battalions. Her legacy lies in her diplomatic and administrative skills as well as her patronage of construction projects. She helped the construction of multiple forts, roads, wells, and rest houses. Socially, as a strong woman, Ahilyabai did not observe the custom of parda and was known for being accessible to all her subjects. She held audiences in her court daily so that people could approach her easily, and she also established courts of justice and arbitration for citizen disputes.
Many craftsmen, artisans, and sculptors became employed during her reign because of her patronage of religious monuments, even in regions outside her domain. Her name is associated with the famous Kashi Vishwanath Temple, which was later razed by a Mughal emperor.
John Malcolm, the British governor of Bombay province from 1827 to 1830, wrote extensively on Ahilyabai Holkar’s life in his book A Memoir of Central India, published in 1823.
Legacy
Today, Ahilyabai is remembered for establishing the textile industry in Maheshwar (from where the Maheshwari sari was born), and several roads and infrastructure are named after her. In Jawaharlal Nehru’s book Discovery of India, he defines Aai as a remarkable woman. Other books and memoirs are published on the life of this Queen of Central India. Her throne survives today as a simple low-lying wooden chair with a silk canopy inside the Maheshwar Fort.
