Maharashtra govt set to rename Ahmednagar district. Here's what it will be called now

It is official now! The Maharashtra government is all set to rename its largest district Ahmednagar. Known as the 'Land of Saints' Ahmednagar will now be know as Ahilya Nagar, in honour of the Maratha queen Ahilya Bai Holkar.

The Maharashtra cabinet on Wednesday, March 13, approved the renaming of Ahmednagar district as Ahilya Nagar district.

On the birth anniversary of Ahilya Bai Holkar on May 31 last year, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had announced that the state government will rename its historic district to honour the revered figure.

Maharashtra's Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis had then said that Kashi wouldn’t have remained, had Ahilya Bai Holkar not been there. "If she wasn’t there, we wouldn’t have temples of Lord Shiva. That’s why people want Ahmednagar renamed Ahilyanagar."

Who was Ahilya Bai Holkar?

Regarded as the most visionary female rulers of independent India, Ahilya Bai Holkar was the Queen of the Maratha Malwa kingdom. She is known for her role in propagating dharma. The ‘Philosopher Queen’ built several temples and dharmshalas (public rest houses) across early-modern India.

Ahilya Bai is also known for her efforts to popularise industrialisation. The Queen established the textile industry in Maheshwar, which is famously known for its Maheshwari sarees to date.

According to the government website 'Indian Culture', the Maratha Queen was most notably known for her contribution towards the renovation and repair of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in 1780s.

The legacy of Ahmednagar

Founded in 1494 AD by Ahmad Nizam Shah I, Ahmednagar served as the capital of the Ahmadnagar sultanate. It was a major economic and political centre in the Deccan region.

In the 17th century, the city came under the control of Emperor Akbar. Later in the same century, it came under the leadership of Maratha empire, under Shivaji Maharaj. The city witnessed several Maratha-Mughal and Anglo-Maratha wars.

Under the British ear, the Ahmednagar district was a part of the Bombay Presidency. In the early 19th century, Christian missionaries, primarily from the USA, arrived in district after the British Parliament granted permission for proselytizing in regions under the control of the East India Company.

In 1869, due to the formation of Nashik and Solapur districts, Wani and Karmala were excluded from Ahmednagar. From February 1981, the Ahmednagar District of Pune Revenue Division was incorporated in the new revenue department Nashik.