Ahilyabai Holkar, an ideal of what a ruler should be, says Mohan Bhagwat

Ahilyabai Holkar, an ideal of what a ruler should be, says Mohan Bhagwat

Sub: History

Sec: Medieval India

Tags: Ahilyabai Holkar

Context:

• RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on May 30 described the late Holkar queen of Indore, Ahilyabai Holkari, as the ideal of what a ruler should be like, in a message marking the 299th birth anniversary of the queen.

About Ahilyabai Holkar:

• Ahilyabai was born into a Marathi Hindu family to Mankoji Shinde and Sushila Shinde in the Chaundi village (present-time Ahmednagar district) of Maharashtra, where her father, Mankoji Shinde, a scion of a respectable Dhangar (Gadariya) family, served as the Patil.
• Although women did not go to school back then, Ahilyabai’s father taught her to read and write.
• Ahilyabai Holkar (31 May 1725 – 13 August 1795) was the Rani of Indore, within the Maratha Confederacy. 
• She established Maheshwar (in Madhya Pradesh) as the seat of the Holkar Dynasty.
• After the demise of her husband Khande Rao Holkar and father-in-law Malhar Rao Holkar, Ahilyabai herself undertook the affairs of the Holkar dynasty.
• She defended the Malwa state against intruders and personally led armies into battle, with Tukoji Rao Holkar as her military commander.
• She was also known for the construction of various Hindu temples and Dharmashalas across the Indian Subcontinent.
• She was also known for breaking traditional gender rules 18th Century in India.
• Ahilya Bai resurrected the jyotirlingas across the country as a tribute to Lord Shiva. 
• Renovations in Somnath, Varanasi, Trambak, Gaya, Pushkar, Vrindavan, Nathdwara, Haridwar, Badrinath, Kedarnath and many other sacred sites were undertaken during her reign.
• The beautiful Maheshwari saris that we wear today are also part of the queen’s legacy.
• Ahilya Bai’s rule serves as an example of inclusive policymaking.
• She worked to develop her state and uplift her subjects on various levels.

About Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh:

• Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (National Volunteer Organisation)  is an Indian right-wing, Hindu nationalist volunteer paramilitary organization.
• RSS was founded in 1925 by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, a doctor in the city of Nagpur, British India.
• The initial impetus of the organization was to provide character training and instill “Hindu discipline” in order to unite the Hindu community and establish a Hindu Rashtra (Hindu nation).