John Keay, the British historian, gave the queen the title of 'The Philosopher Queen'. He said in her praise: 'Ahilyabai Holkar, the philosopher-queen of Malwa, had evidently been an acute observer of the wider political scene.'
The Queen of Malwa was not only a brave queen and skilled ruler but also a learned politician. Her observation of the British and their agenda was something even the Maratha Peshwa had missed noticing. In a letter written to the Peshwa in 1772, she threw caution to the wind and said: 'Other beasts, like tigers, can be killed by might or contrivance, but to kill a bear it is very difficult. It will die only if you kill it straight in the face, or else, once caught in its powerful hold; the bear will kill its prey by tickling. Such is the way of the English. And given this, it is difficult to triumph over them.'