The Queen Who Repaired Instead of Conquered
Ahilyabai Holkar ruled Malwa from 1767 until her death in 1795 and spent a significant portion of the state treasury on things that were already there. She restored the Kashi Vishwanath temple at Varanasi after it had been demolished. She rebuilt ghats at Maheshwar, Haridwar, Nashik, and Prayag. She repaired trade routes and rest houses, dharamshalas, so that merchants and pilgrims could move safely. None of this was conquest. All of it was upkeep.
