This article is a second part of two part series on administration of great Queen of Malwa-Lokmata Ahilyabai Holkar. You can read the first part here. The first part explains the structure of a typical Maratha Kingdom and details the important figures involved in administration of Queen. This part of the series examines her administration through the lens of reforms, charities and social justice. It also attempts to highlight the impact of Queen Ahilyabai’s regime on Indian history and polity.
Financial and Economic reforms
At the time of Subhedar Malhar Rao’s reign, the annual revenue of Malwa is reported to be of the figure- Seventy five lakhs. During the reign of Queen Ahilyabai, the figure had grown to become One crore, five lakhs and thirty seven thousand. Such a substantial increase in the annual revenue showcases the success of Lokmata in establishing Maheshwar as a financial powerhouse. The region in her reign experience a long period of peace and prosperity which resulted in increased revenues for the state. At the time when parts of neighboring regions of Malwa- Rajputana, Bundelkhand and Bengal were experiencing distress due to frequent periods of famines, people of her kingdom had plenty for their sustenance. This was made possible by judicious policymaking with equal focus on current situations and future threats.
As mentioned earlier, her cordial relations with her Saranjim sardars ensured a steady flow of tax to the royal treasure which formed the foundation of her administration. She was careful in her conduct towards the sardars and protected their rights but demanded timely collection of taxes and she was dutifuly obliged. She established a detailed system in the name of “Exchequer Court” comprising of various Kamavisdars, Karbharis and councilors for ensuring the fair passage of resources towards intended cause. The treasury department looked after both the civil and military aspects of administration. Additionally, a dedicated system (Khasgi) was put in place to administer and monitor various charitable work carried by the Queen in her kingdom and across Bharatvarsha.
Sahukars and bankers were provided with a safe environment as she had an ardent interest in the well-being of their businesses. She was never in favor of imposing extra tax restrictions which was highly praised by the trading and business community. Whereas diamond mines of Bundelkhand were benefitted by the concessions granted by Peshwa, diamond traders from Arabia were encouraged by the local administration to settle and expand their business in the region. To ensure year round supply of essential grains, large storage facilities were maintained by the state to eliminate any malpractices.
Her policies were aimed at resolving conflicts, maintaining peace and providing opportunities to local artisans and workers. It was during her regime that the long standing issue faced by the Maratha rulers in the form of disturbance and resistance by Bheels and Gonds was resolved to an extent. These tribes would cause financial damage to the state by the acts of organized robberies and loot. She called upon the leader of the communities and not only granted them rights over their lands but made them in charge of the safety of travelers crossing their territories for which they were allowed to charge a fee. When disobeyed, she imprisoned the ones who were found guilty but such cases were rare. She also encouraged weavers of Mandu and Surat to settle at Maheshwar and hone their craft by providing them various benefits from the state. These weavers were given their own platform (peth) under the fort and were protected by state. As a result, maheshwari sari were developed and became popular all over the region.
A reformist in true sense, Lokmata Ahilyabai foresaw, first the growth and development of Maheshwar as the capital of the kingdom of Malwa and later, development of the village of Indore into one of the modern epicenters of trade, religion and culture. The lasting legacy of her meticulous planning is still visible in the city of Indore which is now one of the most modern and cleanest cities of India.
Charities and Endowments
Lokmata Ahilyabai’s name is synonymous with the charitable work all across Bharatvarsha. These works of construction, restoration and preservation of various temples, ghats, and rest-houses are of immense national importance. While focusing on general well-being of her own subjects she managed to dedicate a substantial amount of state’s expenses towards these charities is a testimony to her grand vision as a monarch. These charities in many ways elevated her from an able queen to be revered as Lokmata by the people of Bharatvarsha.
As an ardent believer of Sanatana Dharma, she performed her charitable work in seven cities, (Ayodhya, Kashi, Mathura, Haridwar, Ujjain and Dwarka) and across four quarters of Bharatvarsha from Badreenath to Rameshwar and from Somnath to Puri dham (table 1).
The house of Holkars are dedicated Shaivaites i.e. devotees of Shiva so it doesn’t come as a surprise that Queen Ahilyabai directed majority of these charities towards Jyotirilingas and temples or places dedicated to Shiva. These Jyotirilingas, spread all over the country benefitted from the attention bestowed by Lokmata Ahilyabai. In 1786 CE, the idol was reinstalled in Somnath by the orders of the queen. A temple was built in Madras (now Chennai) in reverence of Shree Mallikarjuna. At Shree Omkareshwar a flower garden and silver idol were installed. In 1784 CE, the temple of Vaijanath Dham was rebuilt whereas an annual payment of Rs. 81 was ensured for the upkeep of Shree Nagnath temple. At Triambkeshwar a bridge was built at Kushawarta ghat. But none of the places command more importance than the work of charity performed at the bank of river Ganga in Kashi (Varanasi). As it is well-known, the temple of Kashi Vishwanath was desecrated at the orders of Mughal ruler Aurangzeb and continuous efforts were being made by Marathas to re-establish the temple in its full glory. However, it was during the regime of Lokmata Ahilyabai that the reinstallation of Kashi Vishwanath temple was accomplished. The temple along with Tarkeshwar temple and Ganga temple are still flocked by thousands of devotees every day. Besides reconstruction of the temple, she also funded and administered the construction of Manikarnika Ghat and Dashashwmedha Ghat, two of the most important Ghats of India, on the banks of the river Ganga in Kashi. Here, it is important to state that majority of above mentioned works were performed in territories governed by other kings. Where Somnath belonged to Kathiawad, Mallikarjuna was under Presidency rule in Madras. Shree Vaijnath and Shree Nagnath were in Nizam’s state while Kashi Vishwanath beloned to Benaras, ruled by Kashi Naresh. These efforts highlight Queen’s greater vision and understanding of Sanatana Dharma as a great unifier across the nation.
Apart from the charitable work mentioned above, Lokmata Ahilyabai foresaw construction of various alms-houses, gardens, wells, Pathshalas, Puranshalas, Rest-houses, Gaushalas, fountains and Chhatrees all over the nation. These charities and endowments required significant financial support from the kingdom. As mentioned earlier, Govindapant Ganu was put in charge by queen to oversee successful implementation and completion of these projects. It was under his able supervision these projects were completed. Queen Ahilyabai’s efforts helped artisans, architects, painters and designers to flourish and carve their distinct identity nationwide.
Queen Ahilyabai’s contribution in reviving the temples and revitalizing the Bharatvarsha are immense but equally admirable is her tendency to refrain from any lofty acts of self-praise. These charitable acts performed by her were truly done in the spirit of selflessness and public welfare. Historian Mackay underlines the utmost care taken by the queen to keep these places up and running for decades to come. She granted a certain sum of money to each of these charities and the interest of that sum is to be utilized by the Holkar family for the cause, years after her demise. She also refrained from maintaining any formal record of the charities, nor does the Holkar family exercise any control over them. These facts highlight that all the acts of charity were self-motivated in true sense, performed for the welfare of common public of nation, untainted from any sort of self-promotion and egotistical pride usually common among monarchs.
Justice and public welfare
Queen Ahilyabai is remembered as a just and benevolent ruler. She was known for her wisdom, compassion, and dedication to the welfare of her subjects, regardless of their background or status. Under her reign, justice was administered swiftly and impartially. Ahilyabai believed in upholding the rule of law and ensuring that everyone, including marginalized communities, had access to justice. She set up a well-organized system of governance with competent administrators who were appointed based on merit rather than favoritism. Mercy, forgiveness and benevolence were favored and strict actions were reserved for grave crimes.
The court of Ahilyabai was known was being accessible for one and all. In the matters of dispute, her subjects could directly approach her for a fair judgment swift justice. There were occasions where she helped the needy while going against the common practices of the times. In one such incidence, Tukoji Holkar and his army was encamped near Indore where he desired to wrongfully share in the wealth of a rich banker named Davyachand who died without any children. The wife of the deceased reached Maheshwar and presented her case to the Queen. The widow conveyed that as per the last wishes of her husband, she is the sole owner of the property and request the queen to intervene. For a commander to share the wealth of a deceased with no heir was a common practice in the era. However, Ahilyabai acted swiftly and dispatched an urgent order for Tukoji to retreat immediately from the borders of Indore and leave the widow alone. In doing so, she not only provided immediate attention to widow’s plea but reprimanded Tukoji Rao, her trusted commander. This incidence shows the accessible and swift nature of Queen’s justice where honoring of human rights were given precedence over tradition.
The general tone of her administration was mild and encouraging. She was committed to public welfare and social harmony. Arrangements were routinely made to provide relief to the public on a daily basis. Funds were released for construction of public wells, gaushalas, restoration of temples, for functioning and upkeep of local markets and as stipends for Brahmans, priests, craftsmen, poets, musicians etc.
Equity and not just equality perpetuated under Queen’s rule. Rights and beliefs of religious minorities were given equal attention. This can be understood by following incidence; a local fakir-Tarshan Avaliya approached the Queen with a request that a land of about 15 bighas (2 hectares) maybe granted to him for worship of local Pir- Nahar Sayyad. Lokmata honored the request and granted the land as an Inam (gift) to the fakir. In another similar action, Rupees one thousand were assigned as a grant to Shaha Safi Peerjada Haidrabadkar for daily sustenance and upkeep. Thus, vision and scope of her charities and welfare was encompassing of all the citizens irrespective of their religious practices.
As a ruler of the state, Lokmata led a simple life of austerity. Flattery and self-praise of any kind was highly discouraged as is clear from the incidence of a Brahmin poet who presented Queen with a book of poem written in praise of the queen. Lokmata Ahilyabai, read the book patiently but once finished, she told the author to never attempt such a work again and ordered for the book to be thrown in the river Narmada.
In the matters of personal expenses, she was disciplined and scrupulous. No remittances from treasury were made for personal expenses. Personal gifts were discouraged and any expenses made by councilors for her affairs were duly returned. A Kamavisdar of Bijagad named Pandurang Narayan paid for some articles purchased by the Queen during her pilgrimage to Omkareshwar. Upon her return to capital, Queen instructed him via a letter to put the amount spent- Rs. 58 under her name in the book and ordered for the amount to be paid back soon. This shows the attention paid by the queen at returning even small expenses incurred in her name.
Impact on contemporary Indian polity
Coronation of Ahilyabai can be considered as a significant chapter in the annals of Indian history. The unfavorable circumstances under which she ascends the throne and thereafter manages to best the adversities to rise as the legendary queen of Malwa is an extraordinary feat, with no parallels in Indian history. Her period of reign is widely considered as a period of peace, prosperity and abundance- a testimony to her astute understanding of politics and diplomacy.
After being challenged by conspirator Dewan Gangadhar Rao and former Peshwa Ragunath Rao (Raghoba), Queen rose to the occasion and warned the Raghoba of a defeat at the hands of an army of women leaving him with no choice but to retreat. In another incidence, a series of revolts witnessed Rajputs marching straight into the territory of Malwa after defeating Scindia’s army at Lalsot. Understanding the severe nature of the threat, she deployed all resources available to ward off the attacks and personally remained on the battlefield managing the affairs astutely. A fierce battle ensued at Mandosar which resulted in heavy losses for the Rajputs and well-fought victory for the Marathas under the leadership of the Queen. Her fame as a valiant leader spread far and wide and Nana Fadnavis praised the valor and martial prowess of the queen who was till then only looked upon as a simple and righteous lady.
The period of her reign coincided with consolidation of Maratha territories under the leadership of Peshwa Madhao Rao-I. Owing to her qualities, she commanded respect and admiration of the Peshwa who sided with her claim to the throne at the time of her ascension. Lokmata repaid his faith by employing her finest Subhedar, Tukoji Rao Holkar in service of the Peshwa. Later, towards the end of her reign, the Holkar army under the leadership of Tukoji Rao, fought against the Nizam of Hyderabad after the proposal of taxation tribute to Peshwa was opposed by the Nizam. The Holkar army fought bravely and helped the Peshwa in securing victory in what is now known as Battle of Kharda.
Mahadji Scindia was another important figure of Maratha confederacy and an equally important ally of Queen Ahilyabai. He admired Lokmata for her pious and modest lifestyle as a ruler and supported her regime from the very beginning. As Mackay points out that managers and agents of Scindia were instructed to support Lokmata’s authority; She also kept her part of the bargain by providing support wherever necessary. Mahadji Scindia received a onetime loan of thirty lakhs rupees from the queen and a bond was secured, however no record is found of the bond to be redeemed. This highlights the nature of alliance Lokmata Ahilyabai enjoyed with Mahadji Scindia.
Kamandak in his pioneering work-Nitisara lays down the conditions for a territory to be qualified as a kingdom. These conditions can be explained as:
Monarch, Minister, People (welfare), Forts,
Treasury, Army and Well-wishers,
These seven harmoniously dealing among themselves,
Deserve the name of the “Kingdom”
In light of the above paradigm it’s safe to say that Malwa, under the able regime of Ahilyabai Holkar enjoyed status of a true Kingdom as the queen governed with wisdom and care. She was respected by her contemporaries and adored by the subjects. Her Sardars and councilors were not only loyal but competent in their respective roles. The treasury and army were well managed and the region of Malwa witnessed a long period of prosperity. Her charities across the country earned her the title of Punyashloka Lokmata Ahilyabai. Sir John Malcolm describes her as “goodness in its most comprehensive sense personified”, her administration only serves as an apt justification for the statement.
Author is an Assitant Professor of Zoology at Bhaskaracharya College of Applied Sciences, University of Delhi. He is attached with Lokmata Ahilyabai Holkar Adhyayan Kendra, New Delhi.
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