Shivajirao Holkar
Maharaja of Indore
Maharajadhiraja Raj Rajeshwar Sawai Shri Sir Shivaji Rao Holkar Bahadur XII (Indore, 11 November 1859 – Maheshwar, 13 October 1908) was the Maharaja of Indore (Holkar State) belonging to the Holkar dynasty of the Marathas. He was the son of Tukojirao Holkar II and Maharani Shrimant Akhand Soubhagyavati Parvati Bai Sahib. He was educated at the Daly College, Indore, a school in central India along with the rulers of the Ratlam State, Dewas State (senior) & other Thakurs of the princely states of the Central India Agency. He succeeded his father when he died on 17 June 1886. He visited England in 1887 to attend the celebrations of Victoria's Golden Jubilee, and was made Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India on 20 June 1887. His administration was poor. The resident had been separately removed from Indore since 1854, but since 1899 the British appointed a new resident specific for better oversight of the state. The currency of the state was replaced in 1902 by the currency of British India. He abdicated on 31 January 1903 in favour of his son Tukojirao Holkar III, (born in 1890). In 1865 he married Maharani Shrimant Akhand Soubhagyavati Girja Bai Sahib Holkar, later Maharani Shrimant Akhand Soubhagyavati Varanasi Bai Sahib Holkar, Shrimant Maharani Sahib Akhand
Soubhagyavati Chandrabhaga Bai Holkar, Maharani Sita Bai Soubhagyavati Shrimant Akhand Sahib Holkar. He died at Maheshwar on 13 October 1908. He had two sons and six daughters.
1st Duke of York's Own Lancers (Skinner's Horse) traces its origins as a cavalry regiment from the times of the East India Company, followed by its service in the British Indian Army and finally, after independence as the fourth oldest and one of the senior cavalry regiments of the Armoured Corps of the Indian Army. After the Anglo-Maratha War of 1803, James Skinner ("Sikander Sahib") was dismissed from service by Daulat Rao Sindhia and was recruited by Lord Lake, who asked him to raise a regiment of 'Irregular Cavalry'. On February 23, 1803 the regiment was raised at Hansi, Haryana in the service of the East India Company. The initial contingent consisted of 800 men of Perron's Horse, who were under service of the Scindia, all of whom were old Muslims comrades of James Skinner. Skinner was one of a certain group of officers, such as Gardner and Hearsay, who had become British leaders of irregular cavalry that preserved the traditions of cavalry of the Mughal empire, which had a political purpose because it absorbed pockets of cavalrymen who might otherwise become disaffected plunderers. Herber writes: "Altogether the dress, arms and appearance would lead any one versed in Indian history to believe Skinner's Horse to be the descendants of the conquering Moguls of Timour." After its formation in 1803, the regiment was involved in a number of the campaigns on the Indian subcontinent, notably the Siege of Bharatpur, the First Afghan War, the
Second Afghan War, the First Sikh War and the Second Sikh War. In 1842, a detachment of the regiment lost 108 men out of 180 engaged in a clash at Kandahar. The 1st Skinner's Horse remained loyal during the Indian Mutiny of 1857, seeing service in the Ravi River district and distinguishing itself at Chichawatni. It was the first Indian Army regiment sent overseas during the Boxer Rebellion and participated in the Battle of Peking. During this campaign the regiment clashed with Tartar cavalry and served alongside United States units – the first occasion where British Indian and US troops served together. During its early years, the 1st regiment of Skinner's Horse recruited men from Haryana and Doaba areas. The recruits was mainly composed of Ranghars (Muslim Rajputs), Syeds, Moghuls, and localized Pathans from Delhi, Haryana and Western U.P. with a few Rajputs and Brahmins. Thus the regiment was an predominantly Indian Muslim unit. In 1864, it had three squadrons (six troops) and the composition was changed, so that there was one troop each of Muslim, Dogras, Sikhs, Jats, Rajputs and Brahmins. In 1885, a squadron (consisting of 2 troops) of Sikhs were added. In 1887, the regiment had one squadron each of Sikhs, Jats, Ranghars and half a squadron each of Rajputs and Hindustani Muslims. Later the composition was changed to one squadron each of Sikhs, Jats, Rajputs (from Eastern Punjab and Jodhpur) and Muslim Rajputs. By the end of the Great War, the regiment had four squadrons of Hindustani Muslims, one each of Moghuls, Ranghars (Muslim Rajputs), Syeds and localized Pathans recruited from Delhi, Haryana and Western United Provinces.
The Holkars were the ruling house of the Indore State of the Maratha Confederacy, and earlier held the rank of Subahdar under Peshwa Baji Rao I. When the Maratha Confederacy began to weaken due to internal clashes, the Holkars declared themselves the rulers of Indore in Central India, existing as an autonomous member of the Maratha Confederacy until 1818. Later, their kingdom became a princely state under the British protection. The Holkars were of Dhangar origin. Malhar Rao Holkar (1694–1766), a Maratha chief serving Peshwa Baji Rao, established the dynasty's rule over Indore. In the 1720s, he led Maratha armies in the Malwa region, and in 1733 was granted 9 parganas in the vicinity of Indore by the Peshwa. The township of Indore already existed as an independent principality established by Nandlal Mandloi of Kampel, Nandlal Mandloi was won by the Maratha force and 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, the Rajwada. By the time of his death, he ruled much of Malwa, and was acknowledged as one of the five virtually independent rulers of the Maratha Empire. He was succeeded by Ahilyabai Holkar (r. 1767–1795), his daughter-in-law. She was born in the Chaundi
village in Maharashtra. She moved the capital to Maheshwar, south of Indore on the Narmada River. Rani Ahilyabai was a prolific builder and patron of Hindu temples in Maheshwar and Indore. She also built temples at sacred sites outside her kingdom, from Dwarka in Gujarat east to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple at Varanasi on the Ganges. 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. His son Yashwantrao Holkar (r. 1797–1811) (also called as Jaswant Rao) succeeded him upon his death. He tried to free the Delhi Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II from the British in the unsuccessful Second Anglo-Maratha War. The grateful Shah Alam gave him the title of Maharajadiraj Rajrajeshwar Alija Bahadur in honor of his bravery. 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. In 1811, the four-year-old Malhar Rao Holkar III succeeded Yashwantrao Holkar. His mother, Tulsabai Holkar, looked after the administration. However, with the help of Pathans, Pindaris, and the British, Dharama Kunwar and Balaram Seth plotted to imprison Tulsabai and Malharrao. 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. The treaty was signed on 6 January 1818 at Mandsaur. 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 the Third Anglo-Maratha War, the Holkars lost much of their territory to the British and were incorporated into the British Raj as a princely state of the Central India Agency. The capital was shifted from Bhanpura to Indore. Malharrao Holkar III entered Indore on 2 November 1818. Tantia Jog was appointed his Diwan 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 by Marthand Rao Holkar, who formally ascended to the throne on 17 January 1834. He was replaced by Hari Rao Holkar, nephew of Yashwantrao, who ascended to the throne on 17 April 1834. He adopted Khande 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 the Indian Rebellion of 1857, he was loyal to the British East India Company. In October 1872, he appointed T. Madhava Rao as the Diwan of Indore. He died on 17 June 1886 and was succeeded by his eldest son, Shivajirao Holkar.
Awards: Collar, sash and star of the Most Exalted Order of the Star of India, star of the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire.
