“In later days from Brahma came, To rule our land, a noble Dame, Kind was her heart and bright her fame, Ahilya was her honoured name”- Joanna Baillie
Lokmata Ahilyabai Holkar (31 May 1725 – 13 August 1795), the Holkar Queen of the Malwa Kingdom, was a great administrator with a spiritual inclination. She was one of the ‘brave daughters’ who contributed towards building the India we see today. Defying all social norms she proved her mettle with her wisdom, courage and administrative skills. Breaking the shackles of patriarchy, she emerged as a leader whose administrative ingenuity, acumen, spiritual integrity and belief in her faith laid the foundations of peace and stability in her kingdom during her reign.
‘The Philosopher Queen’ as she is famously called by John Keay, the British Historian, was born on 31 May 1925, in the village of Chondi, in Jamkhed, Ahmednagar (Maharashtra). Ahilya hailed from a very humble background. Her father Mankoji Rao Shinde was the village head (Patil).
Her entrance on to the stage of history was something of an accident: Malhar Rao Holkar, a commander in the service of the Maratha Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao and Lord of the Malwa territory, stopped in Chondi village on his way to Pune and, according to legend, saw the eight-year-old Ahilyabai at the temple service in the village. Recognising her piety and the strength of her character, he got her married to his son Khanderao Holkar (1723–1754). She was married to Khanderao Holkar in 1733. In 1745, she gave birth to their son Malerao and in 1748, a daughter Muktabai.
Twelve years after her marriage, her husband died during the siege of the Kumbher Fort. Ahilyabai was so grief stricken that she decided to commit sati. It was her father-in-law, Malhar Rao, who prevented her from doing so. Instead he took her under his wing and trained her in military and administrative matters. Her father-in-law, Malhar Rao, passed away in 1766 and in the following year she lost her son Male Rao. But she did not let the grief of losing her son overwhelm her. Keeping in mind the welfare of the kingdom and her people she petitioned the Peshwa to allow her to take over the reign of Malwa.
Although some of the nobles objected to this, she still had the support of the army, who had full faith and confidence in her, as she was well trained in military and administrative matters. On many occasions, she had led the army from the front and fought like a true warrior. In 1767 the Peshwa granted Ahilyabai permission to take over Malwa. She ascended the throne and became the ruler of Indore on 11 December 1767. For the next 28 years Lokmata Ahilyabai ruled over Malwa in a just, wise and knowledgeable manner. Under Ahilyabai’s rule, Malwa enjoyed relative peace, prosperity and stability and her capital, Maheshwar was turned into an oasis of literary, musical, artistic and industrial pursuits.
Ahilya Bai is believed to be the great ruler that she was due to her undying faith in Hinduism. She regularly attended Purana recitals and yagnas, believing that the spiritually charged environment would help her stand firm on her principles. It was her immersion in the philosophy of Hinduism that eventually led to a monumental change in the architectural expression of the faith. Ahilyabai’s heart was an altar of devotion to Lord Shiva, the Supreme Deity of Hinduism. Throughout her reign, she breathed life into her devotion by spearheading the renovation and construction of numerous Shiva temples across her kingdom. Among these majestic structures, the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi stands as a testament to her dedication. The restoration of this sacred shrine, coupled with her generous endowments, breathed new life into the spiritual heart of India.
Ahilya Bai resurrected the jyotirlingas across the country as a tribute to Lord Shiva. Renovations in Somnath, Varanasi, Trambak, Gaya, Pushkar, Vrindavan, Nathdwara, Haridwar, Badrinath, Kedarnath and many other sacred sites were undertaken during her reign. To defend against attacks and iconoclasm, she came up with the idea of installing the idols in secret shrines under the temples, providing an additional layer of security. Ahilya Bai’s tireless attempts to resurrect these temples were, on the one hand, an act of defiance against Mughal autocracy and, on the other, bound her subjects together with the thread of civilisational ethos, irrespective of their social-religious identity.
Enumerating the facts of her daily life historian Malcolm wrote: She rose an hour before daybreak to say prayers. Then she had scriptures read to her, distributed alms and gave food to a number of Brahmins. Her breakfast, as indeed all her meals, was vegetarian. After breakfast, she prayed again, and then took a short rest. From two to six she was in her durbar; after religious exercises and a light meal, she again attended to business from nine to eleven. Her life was marked by prayer, abstinence and work, with religious fasts, festivals and public emergencies affording the only change in this routine. Her devotion was to Shiva, although she respected all religions. “Shri Shankara” appeared on all royal proclamations along with her signature.
The beautiful Maheshwari saris that we wear today are also part of the queen’s legacy. She not only promoted the traditional weave but also paved the way for skilling women, thus empowering them. The production of these saris was not only a way to increase the revenue collection of the state, but provided a steady source of income to the weavers. Under her encouragement, the production of Maheswari saris gained momentum and popularity. Today, their production remains alive as a traditional craft of Maharashtra. Ahilya Bai also made efforts to develop the city of Indore, conserve forests and animals, and was responsible for the flourishing trade and commerce in her kingdom.
Queen Ahilyabai passed away on 13th August 1795 at the age of seventy . Her legacy still lives on and the various temples, Dharamshalas and the public work undertaken by her stand as testimony to the great warrior queen she was and it would be right to say that she fostered a society that thrived on spiritual values and righteous conduct.
