People's Queen Ahilyabai Holkar Ruled by Dharma, Not Power

Ahilyabai Holkar's feminism did not come from Paris salons or suffrage movements. It originated from her reflections on Indian society, her lived reality, and her sharp ethical compass.

- SANTISHREE DHULIPUDI PANDIT

In a land with no dearth of freedom fighters, saints, and reformers, it is a startling historical injustice that Ahilyabai Holkar, a warrior, administrator, social reformer, and queen of the people, remains a marginal presence in our textbooks. Her name surfaces occasionally, often tied to her architectural contributions, like rebuilding the Kashi Vishwanath temple. But such shorthand obscures the remarkable reality: Ahilyabai was, in every sense, a sovereign far ahead of her time. Her rule in 18th-century Malwa was marked not just by political stability or cultural revival, but by an ethical model of governance rooted in justice, compassion, and a strikingly modern commitment to public welfare.

Ahilyabai Holkar did not govern to glorify herself. She saw her position not as a seat of dominance but as a responsibility entrusted by God and answerable to the people. In her words, "Her duty would be the welfare of her people. She would be responsible for her every action. For whatever she did for the welfare of the community, she would be answerable to God." That oath, taken during a puja at the Maheshwar palace, captures the very essence of her reign: a sacred pledge to serve, not rule.