Philosopher Queen of Malwa

Women empowerment has always been a very controversial topic and a big issue when it comes to a country like India. Not talking about the recent times, in the earlier times when women were destined to stay within the four walls only, a lot of practices characterized women as minor and weak.

Devi Ahilyabai Holkar ; Source: Applied Thought

However, the women of India weren’t the ones to be suppressed from the beginning itself. One such perfect example is Devi Ahilyabai Holkar.

Ahilyabai was born in a Maratha family in a small village in Indore. As it was the 17th century, she was wed and sent away to her married home at a very young and tender age of 8 years.

In those times, women were only required to do the household work and it wasn’t at all considered important for the women to be taught or educated. Hence it wasn’t even allowed anywhere in the whole country.

However, Ahilyabai’s father wasn’t a man who went along with the stereotypes as per the stereotypes that prevailed in the country. Hence, he homeschooled his daughter and prepared her for everything that she might face in her life ahead.

Not just everything that she did in her life, young or adult, but even her marriage was a response to the good deeds she performed throughout her entire life.

The then king, Malhar Rao Holkar, once was visiting a temple where she saw a little girl feeding the poor. It was then that he asked for her hand in marriage to his son Khanderao Holkar and got her married to him.

Taking it as a reward, her marriage, Ahilyabai was happy and satisfied that she had fulfilled the destined role of a woman or perhaps a daughter which was to get married in those times. However, her happiness didn't see the sunlight for a long time.

Not long after Khanderao became the king of the kingdom, he lost the light in his eyes and took his last breath while fighting a battle in order to save his kingdom from being taken from his hands.

As stereotypes prevailed and were highly followed, Ahilyabai was supposed to commit Sati. However, her father became the strongest pillar for her during this time and prevented his daughter from committing suicide. It was then that he also gave her the courage and the responsibility of taking over the reigns of the kingdom.

The now queen of Indore, after taking the kingdom in her hands, faced a lot of wars and battles from the other kingdoms as now the kingdom of Indore was in the hands of the weak. However, Rani Ahilyabai didn’t back out from her duties and neither did her army of the Holkar. She fought bravely and safeguarded her homeland successfully.

Rani Ahilyabai wasn’t just a good queen but she was also a good friend to the people of her kingdom. Besides safeguarding her kingdom, she ensured that Indore maintained its beauty and poshness. Hence, she had roads and forts built in the city and kept a note of every problem in mind, solving each one as she moved ahead.

Being one of the first women of India to not only rule and protect her kingdom but also break stereotypes and start new things, she was unlike any other.

Statue of Rani Ahilyabai Holkar; Source: Pinterest