Ahilyabai Holkar

• Marking the 298^th birth anniversary of Maratha queen Ahilyabai Holkar on May 31^ST, Maharashtra CM announced that Ahmednagar city would be renamed ‘Ahilyanagar’ after her.
• History of city
  • In 1486, Malik Ahmad Nizam Shah assumed the position of the Bahmani Sultanate’s prime minister. He successfully defeated the king of the Bahmani kingdom in 1490. Later, he laid the foundation of a city close to where he had defeated the army, on the left bank of Sina river. This city was named after him: Ahmednagar.

ABOUT AHILYABAI HOLKAR (1725 – 1795)

• Ahilyabai was born in Chondi village of Ahmednagar to the village head Mankoji Shinde, who ensured that his daughter received an education, which was quite rare at that time.
• Malhar Rao Holkar, the army commander to Peshwa Bajirao, was impressed by devotion and character of young Ahilyabai at a temple service in Chondi and decided to get his son, Khande Rao, married to her.
• After her husband’s death in the Battle of Kumbher against the king of Bharatpur in 1754, Ahilyabai took control of Malwa.
• She excelled at administrative and military strategies under the guidance of her father-in-law.
• After the death of her father-in-law and son a few years later, she petitioned the Peshwa to become the ruler, backed by the support of her army.
  • She ruled Malwa province for 28 years.
• City of Maheshwar became a literary, musical, artistic and industrial centre under her rule, and she helped establish a textile industry there, which is now home to famous Maheshwari saris.
• Restoration of various temples including Kashi Vishwanath, Badrinath, Dwarka, Omkareshwari etc. was done by her.