Memoirs of a Braveheart - A road ahead

Ahilyabai Holkar was raised by her parents Mankoji Shinde and Sushila Shinde in a small district in early 1700’s in Chaundi village (present-time Ahmednagar district) of Maharashtra and according to a legend rose to prominence with her military training to lead the Holkar dynasty. She was not alone in her journey of life. Her father insisted that she learnt to read and write in the days when women were only expected to do household chores.

Ahilya married Khande Rao and accompanied him on many campaigns. Throughout her married life, she was brought up by her mother-in-law, Gautama Bai, who trained her in administration, accounts, and politics, and eventually handed over her Khasgi Jagir in 1759

"The reign of Ahilyabai, of Indore in central India, lasted for thirty years. This has become almost legendary as a period during which perfect order and good government prevailed and the people prospered. She was a very able ruler and organizer, highly respected during her lifetime, and considered as a saint ...  after her death."
— Jawaharlal Nehru, The Discovery of India (1946)

After her husband Khande Rao's death, Ahilyabai decided to perform "Sati" to accompany her husband at his funeral pyre. It was on the bequest of her father-in-law Malhar Rao that she did not go along with the practice of Sati.

He said, "Daughter, my son left me whom I raised with a hope that he would support me in my old age. Now, will you also leave me, an old man, alone to be drowned in the fathomless ocean? ... Will you also leave me without any support? Still, if you don't want to change your mind, let me die first."

In a patriarchal society, though we are fighting for equality and justice, it cannot be reached unless men like Malhar Rao and Manokji Shinde came forward to empower women.

Ahilyabai was the first women who repealed a traditional law which allowed princely states to confiscate the property of childless widows. She was a beacon of bravery and tradition where art and culture flourished during her reign and people were prosperous as she started the textile industry in Maheshwar.
She was a mother of two, a son and a daughter, Muktabai.

But In 1780, Ahilyabai's daughter Muktabai became a widow and lost her 16-year-old son.
Ahilyabai could not prevent her daughter Muktabai from committing Sati.


Another lesser-known story is that of the western world is Bobbi Gibb who started training for Boston Marathon in 1964 when women were not allowed and considered physiologically incapable of running a marathon.

She practiced along Rocky Mountains and Mississippi River before jumping into the Pacific Ocean and back to plains as she had no way of measuring her stamina or distance travelled for her to compete in a marathon. She spent 40 days in her summers at the age of 21 moving from the east coast of USA to west coast in an endeavour to have her practice sessions

On the day of the marathon, she dressed like a man for the fear of being ejected from the race and wore an oversized sweatshirt with a hood and Bermudas, a swimsuit underneath in the blistering heat. She did not begin her race when the starting pistol crackled instead hid in the bushes and went back to the start line after some time so that she could disappear in the crowd. However, a few men realised that she was a woman and Gibb says". "I was so nervous. I didn't know what would happen. I thought I might even be arrested."

But to her surprise, instead of hostility, the men around her supported her to run faster. She said to a few men around her that she was afraid that she will be asked to leave the marathon
We won't let them," came their unified assurance from the men.

Gibb completed her first Boston Marathon in an impressive three hours, 21 minutes and 40 seconds - faster than two-thirds of the competitors.

As Gibbs was nearing the finish line. On both sides, spectators craned their necks, ignoring other runners passing by, desperate to glimpse the first female finishing the storied race.

After the interviews, the group of men she had been running with invited her to join them for the traditional post-race stew, but as they reached the door, Gibb was barred from entry: "Sorry, men only."

Preeti Gilhotra
Co-Founder, UBelong Consulting.