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'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [12r] (28/502)
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.
15
riders, and less knocked about. The horses of the " Reformed Troop" are not
much superior to those of the rest of the Force, hut they are better cared for,
and may be described as fairly efficient.
31. Arms and Equipments. —The " Reformed Troop" is armed with swords
and carbines; the rest of the Force with swords and generally matchlocks, the
latter mostly of a very old and apparently unserviceable description. A few men
have old guns and pistols, and some carry spears.
32. Pay. —The pay of the "Reformed Troop" has already been stated.
That of the rest of the Force is Babasai Rs. CO, (British Rs. 23-9-0), per mensem,
for Silledar Sowars, and Babasai Rs. 8, (British Rs. 6-8-0), for Bargir Sowars.
Some of the Silledars, and specially the " Mankaris," receive considerably more
than the ordinary rate of Silledars' pay, as above. It is stated that, ordinarily,
Silledars save nothing of their pay, but that when grain and grass are cheap,
they can put by Rs. 2 or so per mensem. When prices are so exceptionally high
as to call for such a course, special compensation is, it is alleged, allowed to the
men by 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 the report of the Subah.
The pay is disbursed regularly monthly, and the Superintendent states that
there are no complaints of delay in its issue, or of deductions being made from it.
33. Officers. —With the exception of the " Reformed Troop," the ar range
ments respecting officers, whether of the superior or inferior class, appear to be
very defective and untrustworthy.
In the case of the Pagahs, the chief officer is the Deputy of the Pagadar,
and is styled a Jemadar, but he appears to exercise little authority amongst the
men. It is alleged that there are also inferior officers, but they receive no special
pay as such, and do not seem to have any weight, amongst their comrades.
Amongst the Silledars, some men are selected according to their respectability
for the subordinate posts, but receive no extra pay. Their case is apparently
similar to that of the same class in the Pagahs, as stated in the preceding
psCra.
34. With reference to the distribution of the Force, it should be noticed
that a large proportion of the number of men (223) returned as present at Head
Quarters, consists of Karkuns, who are non-effective, and old Sowars, who though
capable of performing light duties connected with the Head Quarters, are not fit
for active or detachment work. Of the (662) men entered as on duty—
{a) 131 men are at Rajkot, the Head Quarters of the
Agency
An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent.
, where they
are available for general duties.
(b) 275 are on permanent duty, as at Thanas, &c., within the four Political
Divisions (or Prants) of the
Agency
An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent.
, and are under the orders of the Political
Assistants.
(c) 140 are posted at various places, some of them only temporarily.
(d) 61 are on escort duty with boundary settlement and other officers : and
(e) 50are attached to the Superintendent of the Contingent, and employed
with the Government Stallions, or on miscellaneous duties.
35. Pahlanpur
Agency
An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent.
. —The arrangements as regards the Subah in com
mand of this Division of the Contingent have been already explained in para.
is no Special Superintendent as in Kattywar, and the
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.
applies direct to the Subah on all matters connected with the Force, which in the
latter
Agency
An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent.
are referred by the Political Officers to the Superintendent of the
Contingent, and reports to the Resident when necessary. There is a "Reformed
Iroop in this Division, consisting of 106 men of all grades, composed precisely as
About this item
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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