Ahilyabai Holkar 31 May 1725 – 13 August 1795, also spelled Ahalya Bai, was the Rajamata and later the ruling queen of Indore within the Maratha Empire. She established Maheshwar as the seat of the Holkar Dynasty. A beloved figure of Indian history, she is renowned for good governance, social welfare, and humanitarian work along with religious, educational, and cultural advancements. She contributed to the growth of Indian architecture through the commission of various temples, Ghats, and Dharmshalas. Ahilyabai's Matha, or charitable endowments, spread across India. Remembered as a Sadhvi, or holy woman,
After the deaths of her husband Khanderao Holkar, father-in-law Malhar Rao Holkar, and son Male Rao Holkar, Ahilyabai undertook the affairs of the Holkar dynasty. She defended Indore against invasions and personally led armies into battle, with her brother-in-law Tukoji Rao Holkar serving as her military commander.
Early life and marriage- Ahilyabai was born into a Marathi Hindu family to Mankoji Shinde and Sushila Shinde in Maharashtra in the village of Chandi, now Ahmednagar district. Her father was a descendant of a respected Dhangar family. Mankoji Shinde served as the Patil of the village. Ahilyabai had five brothers and was first educated at home.
Ahilyabai rose to prominence when Malhar Rao Holkar, a commander in the army of Maratha Peshwa Baji Rao I and ruler of Malwa, stopped in Chandi on his way to Pune and saw her at a temple service. Impressed by the child's piety and character, Malhar advised his son, Khandojee, to marry her. They were wed in 1733 when he was nine or ten and she was seven or eight. They had a son, Maloji Holkar, in 1745 and a daughter, Muktabai Holkar, in 1748.
Family's rise to prominence- By the time of Ahilyabai's marriage, her father-in-law Malhar Rao Holkar had already risen from a childhood of shepherding to ruling as Subahdar over a territory comprising thirty parganas yielding high revenues. From 1748, Malhar Rao's power in Malwa allowed him to play kingmaker in northern and central India and by 1750, he was the de facto ruler of the Maratha Confederacy. He regularly received grants, including monetary tributes, land, and noble titles, from the Peshwa government in recognition of his service to the empire. His land lay north of the Narmadha on both sides of Sahyadri. In 1751, he successfully mediated a major land agreement between the Peshwa and Mughal emperor Ahmad Shah Bahadur and by 1753, he was considered indispensable.
Education and military expertise- Starting in 1754, Malhar Rao kept Ahilyabai actively involved in diplomacy debates, matters of the kingdom's finances, and other problems of both the Mughal Empire and the Peshwa. Throughout her married life, she was brought up by her mother-in-law, Gautama Bai Holkar, who is credited for teaching Ahilyabai to have proper values. She trained her in administration, accounts, and politics and, in 1759, gave Ahilyabai her khasgi, or land grant.

















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