The Holkars (pronunciation: [ɦo(ː)ɭkəɾ]) were the ruling house of the Indore State of the Maratha Confederacy, and earlier held the rank of Subahdar under Peshwa Baji Rao I.

HH Maharanidhiraja Rani Rajeshwar Sawai Shrimant Akhand Soubbagyavati Usha Devi Holkar, 15th Maharani of Indore is the current titular head.

By the time of his death, he ruled much of Malwa, and was acknowledged as one of the five virtually independent rulers of the Maratha Empire.

He tried to free the Delhi Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II from the British in the unsuccessful Second Anglo-Maratha War.

The grateful Shah Alam gave him the title of Maharajadiraj Rajrajeshwar Alija Bahadur in honor of his bravery.

[citation needed] Attempts by Yashwantrao Holkar to unite the kings failed, and he was approached to sign a peace treaty with the British.

However, with the help of Pathans, Pindaris, and the British, Dharama Kunwar and Balaram Seth plotted to imprison Tulsabai and Malharrao.

As a result, Gaffur Khan Pindari secretly signed a treaty with the British on 9 November 1817 and killed Tulsabai on 19 December 1817.

Malharrao III was succeeded by Marthand Rao Holkar, who formally ascended to the throne on 17 January 1834.