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'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [6v] (17/502)
The record is made up of 1 volume (249 folios). It was created in 1 Nov 1873-14 Feb 1874. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
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In this Schedule, as originally framed by the .Resident thirteen cases were
brought forward for' investigation, but the Commission considered that only
seven of the number properly appertained to this Schedule, as demanding enquiry
under the terms of para. 5 of the Despatch of 19th September 1873, and the
transfer of the remaining six cases to Schedule III. was accordingly ordered.
The Commission investigated the grievances of five of the seven complain
ants whose cases were, thus retained in this Schedule, but was unable to do so in
the case of the remaining two, as the complaints did not attend.
The opinion of the Commission on each of the cases investigated by it is
recorded in the Summary appended to this Report, and it will be seen that in only
one. No. 10, does it consider that the complaint has been substantiated in a man
ner to require special redress from the
Durbar
A public or private audience held by a high-ranking British colonial representative (e.g. Viceroy, Governor-General, or member of the British royal family).
; and further, that on the occur
rence which forms the subject of grievance in that case being brought to i{'s
notice, the
Durbar
A public or private audience held by a high-ranking British colonial representative (e.g. Viceroy, Governor-General, or member of the British royal family).
took proper action against the offending official, and awarded
adequate punishment. The amount of compensation that should be paid to the
complainant in this case, has been fixed by the Commission at Rs. 100.
Finally, the circumstances that have been brought before us, in connection
with this branch of the enquiry, do not, in our opinion, warrant our proposing any
general measures for the special protection of British subjects within the Baroda
territories.
With regard to the Resident's remarks under Cases 11 of Schedule I. and 33
of Schedule II, on the subject of the alleged irregular surrender of accused parties
to the
Durbar
A public or private audience held by a high-ranking British colonial representative (e.g. Viceroy, Governor-General, or member of the British royal family).
by the British authorities, and even their seizure by
Durbar
A public or private audience held by a high-ranking British colonial representative (e.g. Viceroy, Governor-General, or member of the British royal family).
officials
in British territory, the correction of the former practice, if it really exists, does
not rest with this Commission, while the British magistrates are fully competent
to deal effectually with every case of the latter that is brought to their notice.
This has been pointed out to the Resident, and he has been informed that the
Commission cannot enquire into and deal with such cases.
7. Schedules II. and ///.—Complaints and allegations in support of the
charge of general misgovernment.
The Commission has enquired into fifty-seven cases or groups of cases brought
forward in Schedule 11., and eight of those entered in Schedule III. Nine
cases in the former, and six in the latter Schedule, have not been investigated
or entered into, for reasons which will be found recorded under each such case in
the list of uninvestigated cases appendeii to the Summary.
. ^■ The sixty-five complaints in both Schedules, that have been enquired
into, have been grouped or classed in twenty-one cases in the Summary,
and the opinion of the Commission on each group or individual case will be found
recorded therein, as briefly shown in the following Statement :—
Number of Group or
Case in Summary.
No. 1
Nature of grievance and number
of complainants examined by
Commission.
Grievances of the Sardars, and
Military classes of the
Baroda State.
Forty complainants examined.
Opinion of the Commission.
The uncertainty of service, and liability to
summary dismissal without special cause or
reason, to which these classes appear to
have been subject at the hands of previous
Gaekwars, have been seriously aggravated
since the accession of the present Chief, by
the wholesale reductions he has carried out
amongst them within a comparatively brief
period,—gefterally in an arbitrary manner,
and as regards the followers and depen
dents of his predecessor—rather apparently
in a spirit of hate and vengeance, than
from a feeling of State necessity.
About this item
- Content
Report of the Baroda Enquiry Commission on the administration of the government of Malharrao, Gaekwar of Baroda. The Commission comprised Richard John Meade (President), Edward William Ravenscroft, Mumtazul Dowlah Nawab An honorific title; an official acting as a provincial deputy ruler in South Asia; or a significant Muslim landowner in nineteenth century India. Faiz Ali Khan, Colonel Alfred Thomas Etheridge and Thomas Duncan Mackenzie (Secretary).
The report comprises a letter from the members of the Baroda Enquiry Commission to the Secretary to the Government of India, Foreign Department presenting their report on the results of the proceedings and submitting copies of correspondence, reports and statements relative to the enquiry (ff 5-19):
Appendix A, Part I
- Schedules I-III: Complaints and grievances against the Gaekwar's Government from individuals and groups (ff 21-78).
- Appendix B, Schedules I-III: Cases of complaint and grievance which the commission did not look into during the enquiry (ff 79-81).
- Appendix C: Letter from Colonel Richard John Meade, President, Special Commission of Enquiry on Baroda Affairs, to Colonel Robert Phayre, Resident at Baroda, 1 November 1873 (ff 82-83).
- Appendix D: Translation of an amended notice issued by the Resident to complainants desirous of appearing before the Baroda Enquiry Commission (ff 84-85).
- Appendix E: Schedules presented to the Commission along with Colonel Phayre's introductory statement regarding them. (ff 86-131).
- Appendix F: Letter No. 1128 of 1873 from Colonel Phayre to the President, Baroda Commission regarding the cases already submitted to the Commission, the List of undisposed petitions to be attended to by the Resident which could be used as additional cases if required and the statements that he had yet to make on cases under enquiry by the Commission (ff 132-133).
- Appendix G, Schedule I: Statements from witnesses with cross examination statements from the Durbar A public or private audience held by a high-ranking British colonial representative (e.g. Viceroy, Governor-General, or member of the British royal family). on behalf of the Gaekwar and statements from the Resident as to the accuracy of the information provided (ff 134-229).
Appendix Part II (ff 231-245)
- Letter from James Braithwaite Peile, Acting Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. , Kattywar [Kathiawar] to T D Mackenzie, Secretary, Baroda Commission, 13 December 1873 regarding papers requested by the Commission and informing them that the outstanding paper will be forwarded as soon as they are received. Enclosed with the letter are a memorandum from Peile for reconstitution of His Highness the Gaekwar's Contingent in Kattywar, 13 December 1873 and Rule for the guidance of the Officers and Kamdars appointed to the Contingent of Horse of His Highness the Gaekwar, serving in the various Tributary Mahals according to treaty.
- Letter from Peile to Mackenzie, 6 January 1874, forwarding a report and returns received from Colonel Walker, Superintendent to the Gaekwar's Contingent in Kattywar and stating that he does not concur with the Colonel's opinion. Enclosed with this letter is a letter from Colonel Chamberlen William Walker, 30 December 1873, providing the information on the Contingent requested by the Commission and enclosing an extract of the Contingents annual report for 1871 and a statement of the men within the Contingent on duty under officials paid by Talukdars etc, 06 March 1872.
- Letters from John Whaley Watson, Acting Political Superintendent Pahlanpur [Palanpur], Captain Henry Nicholas Reeves, Acting Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. Rewa Kanta [Rewa Kantha] and Major Philip Harrison Le Geyt, Acting Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. , Mahi Kanta [Mahi Kantha] to the secretary of the Baroda Commission 19 December 1873 to 9 January 1874 reporting on the Gaekwar's contingents serving within their districts and commenting on numbers of men, pay and conditions. The letters all refer to enclosed returns, but only the return for Mahi Kanta is included in the report.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (249 folios)
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the main sequence of foliation consists of a small pencil number in the top front right hand corner of each folio enclosed in a circle.
There is also an original sequence of foliation which consists of larger pencil numbers also in the top front right hand corner of folios, however the sequence is not consistent and some of the numbers may be filing references rather than foliation numbers.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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- Reference
- Mss Eur F126/78
- Title
- 'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 2r:248v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence