01/07/2022
(महारानी अहिल्याबाई )
Maharani Ahilyabai was the wife of Khanderao, son of the famous Subedar Malharrao Holkar. He was born in 1725 and died on 13 August 1795; Tithi That day was Bhadrapada Krishna Chaturdashi. Ahilyabai was not the queen of any big heavy kingdom. His scope of work was relatively limited. Yet what he did amazes him. Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar was the Maratha Holkar queen of the Malwa kingdom of India. Ahilyabai was born on 31 May 1725 in Chondi village of Ahmednagar, Maharashtra. His father Mankoji Rao Shinde was a Patil of his village. At that time women did not go to school, but Ahilyabai's father taught them to read and write. Ahilyabai's husband Khanderao Holkar was martyred in the Kumbher War of 1754. After 12 years his father-in-law Malhar Rao Holkar also died. A year later, she was crowned the Empress of the Kingdom of Malwa.
She always tried to save her empire from Muslim invaders. Rather, during the war, she herself used to join her army and fight. He appointed Tukojirao Holkar as the commander of his army. Rani Ahilyabai had also built many temples in her kingdom Maheshwar and Indore. Along with this, he also built many Dharamshalas for the people to live in, he built all these Dharamshalas around the main pilgrimage places like Dwarka of Gujarat, Kashi Vishwanath, Ganga Ghat of Varanasi, Ujjain, Nashik, Vishnupad Temple and Baijnath. Seeing the temples destroyed by the Muslim invaders, he built a temple of Shiva in Somnath. Which is still worshiped by Hindus today.
She was married to Khanderao, the son of Maharaja Malhar Rao Holkar, the founder of the Indore state. Ahilyabai had a son in 1745 and a daughter after three years. The son's name was Malerao and the daughter's name was Muktabai. She skillfully awakened her husband's pride. Within a few days, Khanderao became a good soldier under the guidance of his great father. Seeing Malharrao too, he was satisfied. He also used to give education to the son and daughter-in-law of Ahilyabai.
He was very pleased with her intelligence and cleverness. During the lifetime of Malharrao, his son Khanderao died in 1754 AD. Therefore, after the death of Malhar Rao, Rani Ahilyabai took over the rule of the state. Rani Ahilyabai ruled the state very efficiently till her death in 1795 AD. He is counted among the ideal rulers. He is known for his generosity and generosity. They had only one son, Malarao who died in 1766 AD. In 1767, Ahilyabai appointed Tukoji Holkar as the general. Queen Ahilyabai moved her capital to Maheshwar. There he built the finest and luxurious Ahilya Mahal of the 18th century. Built around this palace built on the banks of the holy Narmada river, the textile industry became the identity of the capital. During that time Maheshwar had become a stronghold in the field of literature, sculpture, music and art. The Marathi poet Moropant, Shahir Anantfandi and the Sanskrit scholar Khulasi Ram were the great personalities of his period.
Ahilyabai is remembered as a wise, sharp thinking and spontaneous ruler. Every day she used to talk to her subjects. Listened to their problems. During her period (1767-1795), Rani Ahilyabai did many such works that people still take her name. He made his empire prosperous. He spent government money very wisely on building many forts, rest houses, wells and roads. She would celebrate festivals with people and donate to Hindu temples.
Ahilyabai believed that wealth is the wealth given by the people and God, which I am not the owner but the responsible custodian of its use in the interest of the people. In the absence of an heir, Ahilyabai gave the people the right to adopt and live with dignity. She herself used to take information about the happiness and misery of the subjects directly with the people and used to give justice and judgement. There was no recognition of caste distinction in his state and all the subjects were equally entitled to respect. Its effect was that many times people used to express their desire to leave the Nizam Shahi and Peshwa Shahi rule and settle in their kingdom. In the kingdom of Ahilyabai, the subjects were completely happy and satisfied because in their view the satisfaction of the subjects is the main task of the state. Lokmata Ahilya believed that it is the state religion to follow the subjects like children.
Ahilyabai was not the queen of any big heavy kingdom, but her kingdom was ruled over a small area and her scope was relatively limited, yet what she did for the welfare of the people is astonishing, it is memorable. She had lost all her family members including her husband and son even before she came to power in the state, even after this her public welfare works done for the benefit of the people are commendable.
He got the world famous Kashi Vishwanath temple built in 1777. The whole life of Ahilyabai, a devotee of Shiva, became a practice of dispassion, duty and devotion. Seeing the temples destroyed by the Muslim invaders, he built a temple of Shiva in Somnath. Which is still worshiped by the devotees of Shiva. She would not let a drop of water in her mouth without worshiping Shiva. She had dedicated the whole kingdom to Shankar and you used to run the government as his servant.
Her devotion to Shiva is known from the fact that Ahilyabai did not write her name while signing the edicts, but only used to write Shri Shankar at the bottom of the letter. The picture of Shivling and Bilva Patra is inscribed on his money and the picture of Nandi on the money. It is said that from then till the attainment of Indian Swaraj, the edicts of all the kings who came to the throne of Indore after him, until they were not issued in the name of Shri Shankar, were not considered as edicts and were not implemented. was.
They formed an army of women, but they knew very well that their army was weak in front of the Peshwa. That's why he sent the news to Peshwa that even if he wins from the women's army, there will be no increase in his fame and fame, the world will say that you live only with the women's army and if you defeat the women's army. If you go, you cannot even imagine how much the world would have laughed.
This wisdom of Ahilya Bai worked and Peshwa changed his mind to attack. After this, the pressure on the queen to take an adopted son also increased, but she did not accept it because she considered the subjects as her everything. After his decision, the Rajputs started a rebellion against him, but the queen skillfully suppressed that rebellion. Using her acumen, Rani Ahilya Bai Holkar replenished the treasury of Malwa. Ahilyabai built temples, built ghats, built wells and stepwells, built and improved roads, opened Annastras (other areas) for the hungry, made pots for the thirsty, outside the borders of her kingdom in famous pilgrimages and places across India Scholars were appointed in the temples for contemplation and discourse of the scriptures. And, giving up the false attachment of self-esteem, she always tried to do justice - till her death. It was in the same tradition that his contemporary was the judge Ramshastri of Poona and followed by Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi.
During his lifetime, the public began to understand and call him 'Goddess'. Where was such a big personality that the public had seen with their own eyes. When there was chaos all around. Atrocities were being committed in the name of governance and system. The subjects—ordinary householders, peasant laborers—were sobbing in an extremely inferior state. Their only support—religion—was being held in the grip of superstitions, fears, plagues and stereotypes. There was neither power nor faith in justice. Whatever Ahilyabai did - and did a lot - in those dire circumstances of such times - is memorable.
The road from Calcutta to Banaras, the Annapurna temple in Banaras, the Vishnu temple in Gaya have been built by him. He built ghats, built wells and stepwells, built roads, opened Sadabrat (food area) for the hungry, made pots for the thirsty, appointed scholars in temples for contemplation and discourse on the scriptures. He took a major part in the bustle of his time. Apart from this, Rani Ahilyabai built temples and opened religious schools at famous pilgrimage places like Kashi, Gaya, Somnath, Ayodhya, Mathura, Haridwar, Dwarka, Badrinarayan, Rameshwar, Jagannath Puri etc.
Ahilyabai transformed Indore from a small village to a beautiful city. Many forts and roads were built in Malwa. He built many ghats, temples, ponds, wells and rest houses. Not only in South India but also in the Himalayas. Somnath, Kashi, Gaya, Ayodhya, Dwarka, Haridwar, Kanchi, Avanti, Badrinarayan, Rameshwar, Mathura and Jagannathpuri etc.
