Strategic relations of the Maratha queen of Indore with the neighbouring rulers and the flexible religious policies led to the resurgence of Indian spirituality in the 18th century
The Maratha queen of Indore Punyashlok Ahilyabai Holkar (1725-1795) ruled the central and northern India amidst many small and major trans-territorial powers including the Durrani Afghans and Mughals. The government of India is celebrating her 300th birth anniversary in 2025 to symbolise women empowerment and scheduled to release the commemorative coin of Rs 300 in Bhopal on May 31. She was born on May 31, 1725 in Chaundi-Jamkhed in Ahmednagar district in Maharashtra in Dhangar community. The Union home ministry renamed the district as Ahilyanagar in 2024 on the recommendation of the Maharashtra government.
Malhar Rao Holkar, the commander of Maratha Confederacy, arranged her marriage with his son Khande Rao Holkar. He was treacherously killed in the battle of Kumher in 1754 by the troops of Suraj Mal with the help of Siraj ud-Daulah when Marathas besieged the fort of Bharatpur. After the death of son, Malhar Rao prevented her from committing Sati and trained her in diplomatic, military and administrative affairs of the Maratha rule in the North.
She witnessed the battles of Panipat in 1756 and 1761 that made her understand the dynamics in North India and Maratha Confederacy. Malhar Rao died in 1766 and young Ahilya was left with son Male Rao and daughter Mukta Bai. Ahilya emerged as the unquestioned head of the Indore seat of Maratha Empire in 1767 till her demise in 1795. This article is an attempt to explore the reasons that had fitted her imagery under the popular history and scantly acknowledged her in academic history.
The feminism in India is polarised between the right-wing and left-wing organisations leaving less scope for intersectional inquiry into the feminist discourse. The social reformer women have received due consideration in the academic writings. The Indian feminism has yet to enter into republican discourse on women. In feminism, the social is prior to the political. Feminists rightly believe that the political exigencies excuse the women’s concerns. The feminist reading of Ahilyabai’s leadership has not much garnered attention in Indian academia and confined her into spiritual and religious sphere. The nationalist understanding of women empowerment falls under three values: Kartrutva (responsible administration), Netrutva (leadership) and Matrutva (enlightened motherhood). Furthermore, the history written from the male gaze has stereotyped women leadership as ‘queen-regent’. Ahilyabai has also been allegedly seen as the queen-regent of the Indore. The queen-regent is one who turns down Sati and becomes the de-facto ruler to lead the minor son in the state affairs. The nationalists as well as progressives seem to label the women who contributed to the republican discourse in India with the appellation of queen-regent.
Ahilyabai brought stability and prosperity to the Malwa region with her stratagem. Many rulers including Mughals who were planning conspiracies and fighting battles in North India were driven by territorial gains. The Holkars of Indore and Shindes of Gwalior believed that they were carrying forward the legacy of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj of Hindavi Swaraj of Hindustani people. Like Malhar Rao, Ahilyabai was aware about the internal geopolitics and was not in favour of risking the lives of Maratha troops and their families. Once Malhar Rao said that it was futile to fight unnecessarily and destroy the Maratha Empire.
She was aware that war would never bring the common good. In war, people die without water. Families get destroyed. Iranis seize the women and daughters before our eyes. It is not tantamount to defeat if we protect our boundaries diplomatically. Fighting the battles for money was not the motive of republican queen of the 18th century. Therefore, Ahilyabai placed the social before the political in her governance.
The Maratha rule under the leadership of Ahilyabai in northern and southern parts of India witnessed the rebirth of the indigenous spirituality marked with cultural shift. She rebuilt many temples and ghats destroyed during Mughal incursions, and donated money to the temples in every part of India.
She built two jyotirlingas of Kashi Vishwanath temple at Varanasi in 1780 and Ghrishneshwar temple. She donated money to all the 12 Jyotirlingas and ensured alms to the bhikshuks at dharmashalas and ghats. Ardent devotee of Siva, she reclaimed the civilisational values and preserved it for the posterity even after the defeat in the battle of Panipat in 1761 at the hands of Ahmed Shah Abdali.
The historian Anirudh Deshpande argues that the medieval or early modern India was neither secular nor sectarian. Ahilyabai’s strategic relations with the neighbouring rulers and the flexible religious policies led to the resurgence of Indian spirituality in 18th century.
The moderate taxation, steady ministries, construction of public wells, roads, temples and charities towards poor pujaris marked her administration. She set up handloom weaving in Maheshwar, later on came to be known as Maheshwari. She led the war campaigns and quelled the aggressors. She decided the statecraft of her polity. If the social and political history around her is researched without any ideological bias, it will pave the way for exploring newer dimensions of feminist research in India.
(Dr Nawoo Varak is Assistant Professor of Political Science at Government College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Khandola, Marcela.)
