AHILYABAI
HOLKAR - MODERN HISTORY
News:
Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar
to be renamed Ahilyanagar: Who was the Maratha queen Ahilyabai Holkar
What's
in the news?
●
Marking the 298th birth anniversary of
Maratha queen Ahilyabai Holkar (May 31), Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath
Shinde announced that his government would rename Ahmednagar after her.
●
The Western
Maharashtrian city will now be known as Ahilyanagar.
Ahmednagar:
●
In 1486, Malik Ahmad Nizam Shah assumed the position of the Bahmani
Sultanate’s prime minister.
●
He successfully defeated the king of the
Bahmani kingdom, who tried to dislodge him from power, in 1490.
●
He laid the foundation of Ahmednagar close
to where he had defeated the army, on the left bank of Sina river.
Ahilyabai
Holkar:
●
Ahilyabai was born in Chondi village of
Ahmednagar to the village head Mankoji Shinde, who ensured that his daughter
received an education, which was quite rare at that time.
●
She was married to Khande Rao, son of Malhar Rao Holkar, the army commander to Peshwa
Bajirao.
Took
control of Malwa:
●
After her husband’s death in the Battle of Kumbher against the king of
Bharatpur in 1754, Ahilyabai took
control of Malwa.
●
She excelled at administrative and
military strategies under the guidance of her father-in-law, Malhar Rao Holkar.
●
After the death of her father-in-law and
son a few years later, she petitioned the Peshwa to become the ruler, backed by
the support of her army.