Rapid Fire
300th Birth Anniversary of Ahilyabai Holkar
- 09 May 2025
- 2 min read
The Maharashtra Cabinet held its maiden meeting outside Mumbai in Chondi to mark the 300th birth anniversary (31st May 2025) of Malwa Queen Ahilyabai Holkar and to honor her legacy.
- Birth & Background: Ahilyabai was born on 31st May 1725 in Chondi, Ahmednagar (Maharashtra), her father, Mankoji Rao Shinde, was the village head.
- Marriage & Early Life: She was married to Khanderao Holkar in 1733, the son of Malhar Rao Holkar, the ruler of Malwa and the founder of the Holkar dynasty.
- Ahilyabai was widowed in 1745 after Khanderao died in the siege of Kumher Fort.
- Malhar Rao Holkar prevented Ahilyabai from committing sati and trained her in military and administrative matters.
- Ascension to Power: After the death of Malhar Rao Holkar in 1766 and her son Male Rao Holkar in 1767, Ahilyabai Holkar took charge of Malwa and became the ruler of Indore in 1767.
- She appointed Tukoji Rao Holkar as army commander and made Maheshwar in Madhya Pradesh the Holkar dynasty’s capital.
- Social and Economic Contributions: Ahilyabai Holkar rebuilt the Somnath and Kashi Vishwanath temples, restoring key Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. She patronised scholars like Khushali Ram, Marathi poet Moropant, and Shahir Anantaphandi.
- She promoted women’s education, widow remarriage, and opposed practices like sati, while uplifting Bhil, Gond tribes, and lower castes.
- She made Maheshwar and Indore major trade hubs, promoting the Maheshwari weaving industry and making Maheshwari sarees renowned across India, now registered with a Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
