Holkar

Akhilabay Balkar , who ruled in 1767-1795 and is revered after death as a saint

Kholkar ( Marath. होळकर ) - the Marathan clan, from which famous generals and rajs came out.

The founder of the clan is Malkhar Rao, who in 1721 entered the service of Peshwa , and quickly advanced to subedar . He played a large role in strengthening the Maratha rule in India, and was granted ancestral lands; he made Maheshwar his residence. His descendants played an important role in the life of the Marathas, and when, at the end of the 19th century, due to inheritance problems, the late Peshwa started a government crisis, Yashvant Rao Kholkar tried to gain power over all Marathas. As a result, the Baji Rao II Peshwa , desperate to maintain independence, fled from Pune through the mountains to the coast, turning to the British for help. In 1802, he signed the Basin Treaty with the British, under the terms of which, in exchange for military assistance, he transferred the entire foreign policy of the Marath state to the hands of the East India Company , and also made territorial concessions. The Shinde and Holkar clans did not recognize this treaty, which led to the second Anglo-Marath war .

In 1817, the third Anglo-Marath war began , which the Marathi lost. On January 6, 1818, the Holkars had to sign a treaty in Mandeswar, according to which they could carry out all external relations only through the British, and a British resident was appointed to them; the residence of both the Kholkar rajah and the resident was appointed the city of Indore - this is how the indigenous principality of Indore was formed .

After the division of British India, Maharaja Yashwant Rao II Holkar signed an agreement according to which the Principality of Indore became part of the Indian Union , and he ceased to be a ruler. Representatives of the Holkar clan still live in India; in particular, they include film actor Vijraendra Ghatge (his mother was the daughter of Maharaja Tukoji Rao III Holkar, who ruled the Principality of Indore in 1903-1926) and his daughter, actress Sagarika Ghatge.