page_title: Yashwantrao Holkar
section_title: Struggle for the throne
hierarchical_section_title: Yashwantrao Holkar / Struggle for the throne
caption_attribution_description: English: चक्रवती येशवंतराजे होळकर
context_page_description: H. H. Maharajadhiraj Raj Rajeshwar Shrimant Chakravarti Yashwant Rao Holkar Bahadur, belonging to the Holkar dynasty of the Maratha Empires was the raja of the Maratha Empire. He was born on 3 December 1776. He was a gifted military leader and educated in accountancy as well as literate in Persian and Marathi.
  In January 1799, Chakravarti Yashwant Rao Holkar was crowned King, as per Hindu Vedic rites and in May, 1799, he captured Ujjain. He was conferred with regal titles by the Mughal Emperor and the British recognized him as a sovereign king. He started campaigning towards the north to expand his empire in that region. Chakravarti Yashwant Rao rebelled against the policies of the Peshwa Baji Rao II. In May 1802, he marched towards Pune the seat of the Peshwa. This gave rise to the Battle of Poona in which the Peshwa was defeated. After the defeat, the Peshwa fled from Pune. The Conquest of Pune left Chakravarti Yashwant Rao Holkar in charge of the administration and he made some constructive steps to rebuild the Maratha Empire.
  Realising the growing British strength in India, Chakravarti Yashwant Rao Holkar decided to make a stand against the British.
context_section_description: Kashi Rao Holkar was not an able ruler, but Malhar Rao Holkar II had all the qualities of an able ruler and was also a military leader; naturally, the people and the soldiers preferred Malharrao. Malharrao, Vithojirao, and Yashwantrao opposed Kashirao and demanded that Malharrao should be the heir after Maharaja Tukojirao. Another reason was the courage, leadership, and bravery shown by Malharrao in the Battle of Lakhairi (1793), where the Holkars were defeated by the well-trained modern army of Scindia under the command of Benoît de Boigne. He stood till the last soldier fell in the battlefield, and was wounded and fell unconscious there. Support was growing for Malharrao, and Kashirao felt his authority was in danger—so he sought the help of the Scindia, who were considered jealous of the Holkars, due to the growing prominence and rising power of Holkars in North India. This move angered the people, as, during the siege of the Kumher fort in 1754, Scindias had agreed to sign the treaty with Surajmal Jat even though Malharrao's son Khanderao was killed during the siege.
  On 14 September 1797, Daulat Rao Scindia suddenly attacked Malharrao and killed him. He imprisoned Malharrao’s pregnant wife, Jijabai, who gave birth to Khande Rao Holkar, and Bhimabai Holkar, daughter of Yashwantrao Holkar. Nana Phadnawis condemned this, and so Peshwa Bajirao II, Scindia, and Sarjarao Ghatke imprisoned him. Yashwantrao Holkar took shelter at Nagpur’s Raghoji II Bhonsle. When Scindia learned this, he asked Raghoji II Bhonsle to arrest Yashwantrao Holkar; accordingly, Yashwantrao Holkar was arrested on 20 February 1798. Bhawani Shankar Khatri, who was with Yashwantrao, helped him to escape, and both of them escaped from Nagpur on 6 April 1798.
caption: चक्रवती येशवंतराजे होळकर
exif: {}