Khande Rao Holkar

Author: Laxman Burdak IFS (R)

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Khanderao Holkar Chhatri, Gagarsoli, Kumher, Bharatpur

Khanderao Holkar (1723-1754 CE), was the only son of Malhar Rao Holkar, the founder of Holkar dynasty of Indore, and Gautama Bai. Ahilyabai Holkar was his first wife.

Variants of name

• Khandoji Holkar
• Khanderao Holkar
• Khandoji
• Khanderao

Personal life

He was heir apparent to his father from 20 January 1734. Khanderao had 10 wives. Ahilyabai Holkar was his first wife, who ruled Indore from 1767 to 1795 after his death. He had one son, Malerao and a daughter, Muktabai. Ahilyabai gently influenced his thinking and mended his wayward nature by repeating her statecraft and training lessons to him and told him stories from the epics.

Death

In 1754, on behest of Mughal Emperor Ahmad Shah Bahadur's Mir Bakhshi Imad-ul-Mulk, Khanderao laid the seize of Kumher fort of Jat Maharaja Suraj Mal of Bharatpur State who had sided with Ahmad Shah's adversary Safdar Jang. Khanderao was inspecting his troops on an open palanquin in the battle of Kumher when was hit and killed by a cannonball from the Jat army. In Khanderao's honor, Jat Maharaja Suraj Mal built a chattri, in Hindu style of architecture, on his cremation spot at village Gangar Soli near Kumher in Bharatpur district.

After his death in 1754, 9 of his 10 wives committed sati but his father Malhar Rao prevented his first wife Ahilya Bai from committing sati. Malhar Rao died in 1766, 12 years after the death of his son Khanderao. Malhar Rao's grandson and Khanderao's young son Male Rao Holkar became the ruler of Indore in 1766, under the regentship of Ahilyabai, but he too died within few months in 1767. Ahilyabai became the ruler of Indore after the death of her son with Khanderao.

खांडेराव की मृत्यु

17 मार्च 1754 को मल्हार राव का इकलौता पुत्र खांडेराव पालकी में बैठकर मोर्चे में खाईयों का निरीक्षण कर रहा था। अचानक कुम्हेर दुर्ग से गोलाबारी शुरू हो गई। एक जम्बूरे का गोला लगने से खांडेराव की वहीं मृत्यु हो गई। रघुनाथ राव सहित अन्य सरदारों ने मल्हार राव को धीरज बँधाया। महाराजा सूरज मल ने भी मल्हार राव तथा खांडेराव के पुत्र मालेराव को शोक-सूचक वस्त्र भेजते हुये खेद व्यक्त किया। अहिल्या बाई को छोडकर खांडेराव की सभी रानियाँ सती हो गई। खांडेराव का स्मारक वहीं दुर्ग के सामने मैदान में बना दिया (दिल्ली क्रानिकल्स,पृ.48) जो आज भी गांगरसोली (कुम्हेर) में जाट शासकों की सद्भावना के प्रतीक के रूप में विद्यमान है। (तारीखे अहमदशाही, पृ. 117; भाऊ बखर,पृ.5) महाराजा सूरजमल और उनका युग, पृ.113-114)