When a Holkar queen gave India Ram Rajya

• Ahilya Bai’s reign was marked by great governance, which helped bring social harmony in the truest sense.

Background

• The 300th birth anniversary of the Maratha queen Ahilya Bai Holkar, a great administrator and visionary with a spiritual inclination.
• Born in 1725 in Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar district,
  • Ahilya Bai, the wife of Khande Rao Holkar, helped preserve and encourage India’s spiritual integrity and displayed administrative ingenuity and political impartiality.
  • Breaking the shackles of patriarchy, she took over the role of monarch after her husband’s death.
  • Her exceptional leadership skills were evident in the 30 years of peace and financial stability that her kingdom experienced under her reign.
• Ahilya Bai was aware of the fact that her identity as a woman and a widow deemed her unfit for certain administrative and political tasks, given the time’s social and cultural context.
• For the sake of her state and subjects’ welfare, she appointed Tukoji Holkar, as the commander of her army.
• In all her dealings with her subjects, Ahilya Bai was guided by her innate generosity and principles.
• Ahilya Bai is believed to be the great ruler that she was due to her undying faith in Hinduism.
• She regularly attended Purana recitals and yagnas, believing that the spiritually charged environment would help her stand firm on her principles.
• It was her immersion in the philosophy of Hinduism that eventually led to a monumental change in the architectural expression of the faith.
• Ahilya Bai resurrected the jyotirlingas across the country as a tribute to Lord Shiva.
  • To defend against attacks and iconoclasm, she came up with the idea of installing the idols in secret shrines under the temples, providing an additional layer of security.

Maheswari Sarees

• The beautiful Maheshwari saris that we wear today are also part of the queen’s legacy.
• She not only promoted the traditional weave but also paved the way for skilling women, thus empowering them.
• Today, their production remains alive as a traditional craft of Maharashtra.
• Ahilya Bai also made efforts to develop the city of Indore, conserve forests and animals, and was responsible for the flourishing trade and commerce in her kingdom.
• If true Ram Rajya was attained by any ruler,
  • It was under Ahilya Bai’s graceful reign where farmers flourished, faiths were restored, and inclusivity found its rightful place.
  • Her efforts in mainstreaming the Bhil and Gond castes are less talked about but remain an important achievement.
  • She commanded respect not just from her contemporaries but from later historians and intellectuals too.
• Ahilya Bai’s rule serves as an example of inclusive policymaking.
  • She worked to develop her state and uplift her subjects on various levels.
  • Her legacy is not only remembered for her administrative acumen but also for paving the way for future generations of the Holkar dynasty
• In assessing her impact,, which helped bring samajik samrasta (social harmony) in the truest sense and provided a blueprint for what Ram Rajya in today’s era would look like.