LEAST KNOWN SOCIAL REFORMERS OF INDIA

AHILYABAI HOLKAR- QUEEN OF MALWA KINGDOM

Looking back into the ancient times of the Indian History, we get to see that not only the people fought against the British Rule to free our country but some of them, mostly women, fought within their own community for the rights they were denied and for the wrong customs that were imposed on them.

One of those least known social reformers is AhilyaBai Holkar who came from the village of Choundi in Jamkhed, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra. Her stories of struggle are very inspiring for every man and woman.

STORY OF AHILYABAI

In the year 1733, MalharRao Holkar was on his way back home from his tour. On his way he decided to stop at the village of Choundi where he came across this young girl offering a prayer at the temple. They did not pass a single word between them. MalharRao Holkar for few minutes just kept looking at the devotion of this young girl. He was impressed by her vity and soon came to a decision that this girl should become my daughter-in-law as he thought that only someone like her could fix his stubborn son.

He came to know that this young girl was AhilyaBai, the daughter of Mankoji Shinde, a scion of a respectable Dhangar Yadav family residing at Choundi of the Beed district, was the Patil of that village. MalharRao wasted no time in securing the consent of Mankoji Shinde and on May 14,1733 AhilyaBai got married to Prince KhandeRao. It was long before AhilyaBai realized that KhandeRao was not an ideal husband. Fortunately, the same could not be said about her in laws. Her father-in-law MalharRao Holkar and her mother-in-law GautamaBai Holkar loved her. MalharRao even offered AhilyaBai to train her in the arts of warfare and statecrafts. AhilyaBai, in spite of everything she learnt and grew, did not give up on Prince KhandeRao. Instead she always used to discuss the things she learnt each day with him. She remained patient through all these times when Prince KhandeRao showed his stubborn behavior but after a long wait her patience finally paid off and now she saw an overtime change in his personality. He started taking active interest in the matters of the kingdom and learnt to first evaluate the things on his own and then listen to the problems of the people. With time his father MalharRao started to feel that he was becoming fit to take over the throne as his responsibility now.

Few years later, AhilyaBai gave birth to her son MaleRao. 3 years later, the couple had a daughter named MuktaBai. Even though she was a mother now, AhilyaBai was solely concerned with the domestic issues of the kingdom. She was an abled ruler in the absence of MalharRao. Her way of approaching the problems brought to her was quite impressive. She used to be way more attentive and patient. She also accompanied her husband and her father-in-law in various military campaigns. During one such campaign in Kumher(1754), a bullet hit her husband from the fort and he passed away. This incident devastated AhilyaBai and according to the norms of the society she was prepared to commit Sati. But MalharRao couldn’t bear to lose both, his son first and now his daughter-in-law. He requested AhilyaBai to change her mind for the sake of her father-in-law and she indeed did the same. Now her only aim was to live for her family and her kingdom.

In the year 1766, MalharRao set on a battle along with Raghu, the uncle of the Maratha leader MadhavRao Peshwa. Away from home MalharRao felt ill and passed away after that. By this time, AhilyaBai was completely heartbroken with the realization that she had lost both the people who would be her backbone and now she is all alone. Bad news didn’t stop here. Soon, her son MaleRao also departed. Her world was totally shattered but she knew that she had no time to grieve now as it was the time for an immediate call. The kingdom was now her responsibility. To the outsiders, the kingdom seemed to be weak and smelling blood they started to plan and conquer the same. But AhilyaBai did not give up and fought against each of them who tried to enter her capital. She appointed TukojiRao Holkar, who was the second son of MalharRao’s nephew, as the chief of her militia. After her first victory in protecting her kingdom she moved her capital to Maheshwar where she build temples, set-up schools and revived the tradition of Maheshwar sarees.