History and Art and Culture
Context: Maharashtra Education Minister told the Legislative Council that he has sought a proposal from the district administration to rename the Western Maharashtra city of Ahmednagar as ‘Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Nagar’, after the 18th century Malwa queen, Ahilyabai Holkar.
About Ahilyabai Holkar:
- She was born in Chondi village of Ahmednagar to the village head Mankoji Shinde, 1725,
- Ahilyabai took control of Malwa after her husband’s death in the Battle of Kumbher against the king of Bharatpur in 1754.
- During her reign, Malwa was never once attacked.
- It adds that under Holkar, the city of Maheshwar became a literary, musical, artistic and industrial centre, and she helped establish a textile industry there, which is now home to the famous Maheshwari saris.
- Restoration of Hindu temples:
- In 1780, she had the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi rebuilt, nearly a century after Mughal king Aurangzeb ordered its destruction.
- Somnath temple was built by Holkar in 1783.
- Apart from holy sites like Badrinath, Dwarka, Omkareshwari, Gaya, and Rameswaram, Holkar also supported the construction of resting lodges for travellers, and of public ghats.
About Malik Ahmad Nizam Shah:
- In 1486, Malik Ahmad Nizam Shah became the Bahmani Sultanate’s Prime Minister.
- He defeated the army of the Bahamani kingdom near Ahmednagar in May 1490.
- In 1494 he laid the foundation of a city close to where he defeated the army, on the left bank of Sina river, and named it after himself it as Ahmednagar.
- Ahmednagar lies in the Western region of Maharashtra.
- The Rashtrakuta Dynasty, the Western Chalukyas, and then the Delhi Sultanate ruled over the region in the Medieval period.
- In the case of Delhi Sultanate, the rule was not direct, and a revolt by Afghan soldier Alladin Hasan Gangu led to the establishment of the Bahmani kingdom in the Deccan.
- After some time, Ahmednagar (then known as Nizamshahi) became one of the five independent kingdoms to emerge from that empire.
Source: Indian Express
Previous Year Questions
Q.1) In medieval India, the term “Fanam” referred to: (2022)
- Clothing
- Coins
- Ornaments
- Weapons
Q.2) Consider the following pairs:
King Dynasty
- Nannuka Chandela
- Jayashakti Paramara
- Nagabhata II Gurjara-Pratihara
- Bhoja Rashtrakuta
How many pairs given above are correctly matched? (2022)
- Only one pair
- Only two pairs
- Only three pairs
- All four pairs
