Born in Maharashtra in an unknown dhangar shephard family in the late 1720s, Ahilya became the daughterinlaw of Malharrao Holkar, the first Maratha Subhedar Governor of Malwa in Central India. Malharrao had already departed from the prevailing wisdom of the times by creating an independent financial account in the name of Gautambai, his wife and mother of Khanderao. Ahilya subsequently inherited this account and built her Empire of Charities all over the subcontinent and well beyond the boundaries of Malwa. Her other motherinlaw Harkubai, also contributed to her growth by transforming Ahilya from a simple village girl into a noble ruler with rare social and political acumen.