Tukojirao Holkar III


Maharajadhiraja Sir Raj Rajeshwar Sawai Shri Tukojirao III Holkar XIII Bahadur was the Maharaja of Indore belonging to the Holkar dynasty of the Marathas, son and successor of Shivajirao Holkar who abdicated in his favor on 31 January 1903. His mother was Akhand Soubhagyavati Shrimant Maharani Sita Bai Sahib Holkar. He completed his education from the Daly College, Indore and ICC, Dehradun.
He reigned under a regency council initially. He was sworn in with all the powers on 6 November 1911 at the age of 21. That same year he attended the coronation of George V of England in London. He founded the Order of Merit of Holkar and the Order of Ahilyabai Holkar. He was invested as a Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India in the 1918 New Year Honours. He abdicated in favour of his only son Yashwantrao Holkar II on 26 February 1926.
In 1895 he married Maharani Shrimant Chandravati Bai Sahib Holkar, in 1913 he married Maharani Akhand Soubhagyavati Shrimanta Indira Bai Sahib Holkar and 1928 with Maharani Akhand Soubhagyavati Shrimanta Sharmista Devi Sahib Holkar, an American born Nancy Anne Miller. Before the wedding, Nancy Anne Miller adopted Hinduism. Dr. Shrinivas Gosavi, personal physician to HH Tukojirao, had to ask Aadi Shankarachrya to intervene as the Hindu hierarchy around Tukojirao was against performing the conversion ceremony. Aadi Shankarachrya himself performed the ceremony and the wedding took place. Dr. Gosavi had received many death threats and went underground for some time till he prevailed.
HH Tukojirao died in Paris on 21 May 1978. He had one son and six daughters.