A week from now, on 31st May, 2026 is the 301st birth anniversary of Ahilyabai Holkar – Queen of Malwa – and a woman far ahead of her time.
Ahilyabai was born in village Chundi, in Beed district of Maharashtra. Her father Manokji Shinde was Patil of the village. Once Malhar Rao Holkar stopped by at Chundi enroute to Pune and was so impressed by her that he chose her to marry his son Khande Rao.
After Khande Rao died in 1754, Malhar Rao started training Ahilyabai to be his successor.
After assuming charge in December 1767, she dedicated the state to Shankar (Shiva) declaring that she will manage the affairs of the state for the benefit of the people on the behalf of Shankar, herself remaining only a custodian. Her signature, Shree Shankar appeared in all royal proclamations.
She made Maheshwar the capital of the Holkar State. It is to her credit that during her 30 year reign Malwa remained stable and peaceful, the Holkar dominions remained undiminished and not attacked. Ahilyabai Holkar gave up her earthly existence on 13 August 1795.
She built massive public infrastructure for people’s welfare. Ahilyabai built temples, orphanages, residences and irrigation tanks all over India led a modest personal life. She used to live in a small residence in Maheshwar. She never built anything for herself.
She defended her kingdom and personally led armies into battle. She never plundered anyone. She developed Malwa into a prosperous kingdom.
Ahilya Bai undertook the task of building & renovating sarais, shelters, temples, dharamshalas all over the country. All this was done through Khasgi. Khasgi (meant a fund exclusively for Charitable and welfare activities) had a treasury of its own. It had independent jurisdiction, in matters of civil and criminal.
The Maheshwar Textile Weaving Legacy
She established a Textile weaving industry in Maheshwar – this led to the creation of the famous ‘Maheshwari Saris‘. The British tried to kill this industry during their 200 year brutal colonisation of India, like they did for many indian textile manufacturing hubs. However, the art sustained & survived. The current generation of Holkars run an NGO, Rehwa Society that has done pioneering work to expand the art, which has both led & managed to supply the surge in demand for the great Maheshwari saris & other woven products worldwide. Today thousands of looms exist in and outside Maheshwar providing employment to lakhs esp women.
The Land records system in India – the 7/12 form
Today if you look at any land records in India, there is something called the 7/12 listing under which all lands are marked. The entire 7/12 system and the documentation thereof in this manner was built on top of a system started by Ahilyabai, which was later adopted by the British to create the 7/12 documentation format.
This was originally started by her as a documentation of agricultural land. In Ahilyabai’s rule, agriculture was undertaken in most of her kingdom in sort-of a P-P-P model, wherein the state sponsored the expenses and cultivation of the farmers and the profits were also to be divided between the state and the farmer. Both the state and the farmers prospered.
The documentation of the same was done in 2 forms:
Form VII (Sat): Details ownership, occupancy rights, land liabilities, and tax obligations.
Form XII (Bara): Captures the agricultural details, such as crops grown, the type of irrigation, and the tiller or cultivator.
Each block of land was a combination of the 2 details as mentioned above.
This was adopted by the British where the name of the system remained (7/12 form) with there being a change in what underlying information of the land was captured in the form.
During Ahilayabai’s regime a trust was set up to ensure independence to the women of the Holkar dynasty so they did not have depend on their male counterparts.
Trade was encouraged and many merchants and farmers flourished. Roads were dug, trees planted, rest houses set for travellers in order to facilitate travel & speedy communication.
Ahilyabai removed all internal indirect taxes for traders and there was no trader tax beyond customs. Her subjects weren’t afraid to display wealth. She brought out the golden era of Malwa which although short lived, was effective.
During her time Maheshwar became a centre for literature and arts. She patronised many sculptors, artists and craftsmen who came to work on its buildings and fort.
From Badrinath to Kedarnath, and from Jagannath Puri to Dwarka and Somnath, the imprint of Ahilyabai Holkar is to be seen. For the maintenance of these structures a separate fund was created. That is why even today all her contributions are functional and maintained.
Ahilyabai rebuilt the Kashi Vishwanath Mandir, 118 years after it was demolished by the armies of several Muslim invaders including Aurangzeb in 1669 A.D.
She contributed to Kailasa Temple Ellora too. The paintings belong to two different periods, the first one of the period of Rashtrakutas while the second exactly superimposing the original one belong to the period of Holkars when the entire structure was given a lime wash and painted with ochre coloured paintings during the period of Ahilya Bai Holkar.
She constructed ghats on the rivers throughout India, built new temples, restored damaged ones, dug wells, step wells, sumps and also started free kitchen for the poor and pilgrims. She not only built temples but also paid for the upkeep of learned pandits for contemplation and preaching of scriptures.
Map showing the temples built by the great Maratha queen Ahilyabai Holkar.
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P.S. Detailed list of projects undertaken by Ahilyabai Holkar:
Mandaleshwar – Shiv Temple Ghat.
Omkareshwar (MP) – Mamaleshwar Mahadev, Amaleshwar, Trambakeshwar Temple Jirnnodhar, Gauri Somnath Mandir Dharamshalas, Wells.
Datta Mandir Mangaon – Datta Mandir – near Sawantwadi, Konkan Maharashtra.
Miri (Nagar Bhairav Temple 1780).
Naimabar (MP) – Temple.
Nandurbar (1) – Temple, Well.
Neelakantha Mahadev – Shivalaya and Gomukh.
Nemisharanya (UP) – Mahadev Madi, Nimshar Dharamshala Go-ghat.
Nimgaon (Nasik) – well.
Ozar (Nagar) – 2 wells and a kund.
Panchavati (Nasik) – Shri Ram Temple, Gora Mahadev Temple Dharamshala, Vishweshwar Temple, Ramghat, Dharamshala.
Parli Vaijnath – Shree Vaidyanath Mandir.
Pandharpur (Maharashtra) – Shri Ram Temple, Dharamshala.
Bhanpura – 9 temples and Dharamshala.
Manasi Devi – 7 Temples.
Bharatpur – Temple, Dharmashala and Kund.
Kashi – Kashi Vishwanath Mandir, Shri Tarakeshawar, Gautameshwar, many Mahadev temples, Dasashvamedha Ghat, Janana Ghat, Ahilya & Shitala Ghat, Uttar Kashi & Kapila Dhara Dharamshala, Rameshwar Panchkashi Dharamshala.
Kedarnath – Dharamshala and Kund.
Karmanshini River Bridge.
Kurukshetra – Shiv Shantanu Mahadev Mandir, Panchkund & Laxmikund Ghats.
Kumher – Well and Memorial of Prince Khanderao.
Maheshwar – hundreds of Temples, Ghats, dharamshalas and houses.
Madaleshwar Mahadev Himachal Pradesh – Lamps Ghat.
Gokarn (Karnataka) – Rewaleshwar Mahadev Mandir, Holkar wada, Garden and Garibkhana.
Gaya (Bihar) Vishnupad Mandir.
Jagannath Puri Orissa – Shri Ramchandra Temples, Dharamshala and garden.
Shri Ganeshwar Mandir, Ellora (Jyotirling).
Gangotri – Vishwanath, Bhairavnath, Annapurna, Kedarnath temples.
Chaundi – Shri Mahadev Mandir & Chaudeshwari Temple.
Chitrakoot – Pranprathisha of Shri Ramchandra.
Gruneshwar (Verul) – Shivalaya Tirth.
Handiya – Siddhanath Temple, ghat and dharamshala.
Haridwar – Kushawarth Ghat and a huge dharamshala.
Hrishikesh – Shreenathji and Goverdhanath temples amongst many others.
Jalgaon – Ram Mandir.
Jaamghat – Bhumi dwar.
Jamvagaon – Swami Ramdas math.
Jejuri – Malhar Gautmeshwar Mandir, Martand Temple, Janai Mahadev and Malhar lakes.
Besides that she also gave donations for Shri Ram Mandir Ayodhya, Shri Chintamani Ganesh Mandir Ujjain, Shri Ram Mandir at Nasik, Sanganer and Pandharpur, Vasudev Mandir Bhusawal, Ganapati Mandir Sultanpur, Laxmi Narayan Mandir Sambalgram, Vishnupad Mandir Prayag. She also gave grants to mosques, Muslim fakirs and saints.
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P.P.S. Some of the content above taken from Sanjeev Nayyar’s blog – https://www.esamskriti.com/e/History/Great-Indian-Leaders/Why-Ahilyabai-Holkar-was-a-GREAT-WOMAN—1.aspx