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Holkar Maharaja ofIndore
Coat of arms of Indore State
Flag of Indore
Details
First monarch	Malhar Rao Holkar I
Last monarch	Yashwantrao Holkar II
Formation	2 November 1731
Abolition	26 June 1948
Residence	Rajwada,Indore

TheHolkars (pronunciation:[ɦo(ː)ɭkəɾ]) were the ruling house of theIndore State of theMaratha Confederacy, and earlier held the rank ofSubahdar under PeshwaBaji Rao I of theMaratha Empire. When the Maratha Confederacy began to weaken due to internal clashes, the Holkars declared themselves the rulers ofIndore in CentralIndia, existing as an autonomous member of theMaratha Confederacy until 1818. Later, their kingdom became aprincely state under the British protection.

Usha Devi Holkar, 15th Maharani of Indore, is the current titular head.^[1]

The Holkars were ofGadaria Caste^[2] -Dhangar origin.^[3][4][5][6]

Malhar Rao Holkar (1694–1766), was born inmathura in aGadaria caste family and was a Maratha chief serving underPeshwa Bajirao 1, was given the area of Indore to look after by Bajirao Peshwa 1Indore. In the 1720s, he ledMaratha armies in theMalwa region under the Peshwa Bajirao, and in 1733 was granted 9parganas in the vicinity ofIndore by the Peshwas. The township of Indore already existed as an independent principality established byNandlal Mandloi ofKampel.Nandlal Mandloi was won over by the Maratha forces and he allowed them to camp across the Khan River. In 1734, Malhar Rao established a camp later called Malharganj. In 1747, he began construction of his royal palace, theRajwada. By the time of his death, he looked after much of Malwa for the Maratha Empire controlled by their lords Peshwas, and was acknowledged as one of the five houses of theMaratha Empire.^{[citation needed]}

He was succeeded byAhilyabai Holkar (r. 1767–1795), his daughter-in-law. She was born in the Chaundi village inMaharashtra. She moved the capital toMaheshwar, south of Indore on theNarmada River.Rani Ahilyabai was a prolific builder and patron ofHindu temples in Maheshwar and Indore. She also built temples at sacred sites outside her kingdom, fromDwarka inGujarat east to theKashi Vishwanath Temple atVaranasi on theGanges.^{[citation needed]}

The adopted son of Malhar Rao Holkar,Tukoji Rao Holkar (r. 1795–1797) briefly succeeded Rani Ahilyabai upon her death. Tukoji Rao had been a commander under Ahilyabai for her entire rule.^{[citation needed]}

His sonYashwantrao Holkar (r. 1797–1811) (also called as Jaswant Rao) succeeded Tukoji Rao Holkar upon his death. He tried to free the DelhiMughal EmperorShah Alam II from the British in the unsuccessfulSecond Anglo-Maratha War. The grateful Shah Alam gave him the title ofMaharajadiraj Rajrajeshwar Alija Bahadur in honor of his bravery.^{[citation needed]}

Attempts by Yashwantrao Holkar to unite the kings failed, and he was approached to sign a peace treaty with the British. The Treaty of Rajghat, signed late December 1805, recognised him as a sovereign king.^{[citation needed]}

In 1811, the four-year-oldMalhar Rao Holkar III succeeded Yashwantrao Holkar. His mother, Tulsabai Holkar, looked after the administration. However, with the help ofPathans,Pindaris, and the British, Dharama Kunwar and Balaram Seth plotted to imprison Tulsabai and Malharrao.^{[citation needed]} When Tulsabai learnt about this, she beheaded both of them in 1815 and appointed Tantia Jog. As a result, Gaffur Khan Pindari secretly signed a treaty with the British on 9 November 1817 and killed Tulsabai on 19 December 1817.^{[citation needed]}

The treaty was signed on 6 January 1818 atMandsaur. Bhimabai Holkar did not accept the treaty, and kept attacking the British by guerilla methods. Years later, in revolt of 1857,Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi took inspiration from Bhimabai Holkar and also fought against the British. At the conclusion of theThird Anglo-Maratha War, the Holkars lost much of their territory to the British and were incorporated into theBritish Raj as aprincely state of theCentral India Agency. The capital was shifted from Bhanpura to Indore.^{[citation needed]}

Malharrao Holkar III entered Indore on 2 November 1818. Tantia Jog was appointed hisDiwan as he was a minor. As the old palace had been destroyed by the army of Daulat Rao Scindia, a new palace was constructed in its place. Malharrao III was succeeded byMarthand Rao Holkar, who formally ascended to the throne on 17 January 1834. He was replaced byHari Rao Holkar, nephew of Yashwantrao, who ascended to the throne on 17 April 1834. He adoptedKhande Rao Holkar II on 2 July 1841 and died on 24 October 1843. Khanderao was formally installed as the ruler on 13 November 1843, but he suddenly died on 17 February 1844.Tukojirao Holkar II (1835–1886) was installed on the throne on 27 June 1844. During theIndian Rebellion of 1857, he was loyal to theBritish East India Company. In October 1872, he appointedT. Madhava Rao as theDiwan of Indore. He died on 17 June 1886 and was succeeded by his eldest son,Shivajirao Holkar.^{[citation needed]}

Yashwantrao Holkar II (reigned 1926–1948) ruled Indore state until shortly after India's independence in 1947, when he acceded to the Union of India.Indore became a district ofMadhya Bharat state, which was merged intoMadhya Pradesh state in 1956.^{[citation needed]}

1. Malhar Rao Holkar I (r. 2 November 1731 – 20 May 1766). Born 16 March 1693, died 20 May 1766
2. Male Rao Holkar (r. 20 May 1766 – 5 April 1767). Born 1745, died 5 April 1767
3. Ahilya Bai Holkar (first as a regent on 20 May 1766) (r. 27 March 1767 – 13 August 1795). Born 1725, died 13 August 1795
4. Tukoji Rao Holkar I (r. 13 August 1795 – 29 January 1797). Born 1723, died 15 August 1797
5. Kashi Rao Holkar (r. 29 January 1797 – January 1799) Born before 1776, died 1808
6. Khande Rao Holkar (r. January 1799 – 22 February 1807) Born in 1798, died 1807
7. Yashwant Rao Holkar I (first as a regent from 1799) (r. 1807 – 27 October 1811). Born 1776, died 27 October 1811
8. Malhar Rao Holkar III (r. 27 October 1811 – 27 October 1833) Born 1806, died 27 October 1833
9. Marthand Rao Holkar (r. 17 January 1833 – 2 February 1834). Born 1830, died 2 June 1849
10. Hari Rao Holkar (r. 17 April 1834 – 24 October 1843). Born 1795, died 24 October 1843
11. Khande Rao Holkar II (r. 13 November 1843 – 17 February 1844). Born 1828, died 17 March 1844
12. Tukoji Rao Holkar II (r. 27 June 1844 – 17 June 1886). Born 3 May 1835, died 17 June 1886
13. Shivaji Rao Holkar (r. 17 June 1886 – 31 January 1903). Born 11 November 1859, died 13 October 1908
14. Tukoji Rao Holkar III (r. 31 January 1903 – 26 February 1926). Born 26 November 1890, died 21 May 1978
15. Yashwant Rao Holkar II (r. 26 February 1926 – 1948). Born 6 September 1908, died 5 December 1961

On 22 April 1948 Yashwantrao Holkar II signed a covenant with the rulers of the adjoining princely states to form a new state known as Madhya Bharat.Madhya Bharat was created on 28 May 1948. On 16 June 1948, the princely state of Indore, which the House of Holkar ruled, merged with the newly independent Indian states.

• List of Maratha dynasties and states

• Sethi, P.K., S.K. Bhatt and R. Holkar (1976).A Study of Holkar State Coinage, Indore: The Academy of Indian Numismatics and Sigillography.
• Somerset Playne (compiler), R. V. Solomon, J. W. Bond,Arnold Wright (1922).Indian States: A Biographical, Historical, and Administrative Survey, London: Foreign and Colonial Compiling and Publishing Co., 1922 (also Asian Educational Services, 2006,ISBN 81-206-1965-X, 9788120619654, 835 pages

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