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'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [16r] (36/502)
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
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23
III.—Regular Monthly Payment of the Force.
I* So far as the Commission has been able to ascertain, the arrangements for
V V the regular monthly payment of the Contingent are at present generally fair and
^ {efficient. Some officers who have written on the subject speak of delays in the
Jl' p* issue of pay and deductions therefrom at the hands of various persons as being
- common. In one report reference is also made to the practice of
if' / Pagahs, by which is probably meant, the giving on contract the Feeding of
' } p a gadars'horses ridden by Bargirs, which is expressly forbidden in the rules of
1868. On these points, no direct information has come to the knowledge of the
/ r . Commission, but the general results of its enquiries on them has led to the con-
f elusion that the authorised rate of pay is, as a rule, disbursed regularly and
. without deductions, except such as are made at the request, or with the con
currence of the men.
The conversion of the Baroda currency in which the pay is issued into British
currency, which is that in use where the Contingent is employed, involves some
loss to the men, and some measure appears to be called for to relieve them there- ^
from.
IV.—Arms and Accoutrements.
The ordinary equipments of the class of troops of which the Contingent is
composed, though suited perhaps to the work on which they used to'be employed
in former times, cannot be said to meet adequately the requirements of the duty
for which they are now maintained in the Tributary Mahals.
The men wear no uniform, and their Turbans even are of different colours.
Their arms are swords, matchlocks or spears. The swords and spears might doubt
less with a little attention be made efficient, but they are at present uncared for
and in bad order. The matchlocks are quite worthless. The saddlery and horse
appointments are after no fixed pattern, and the general appearance of horse and
man is certainly ragged, and the reverse of soldierly.
All these points have, however, been fairly rectified in the Reformed Troops,
and might, doubtless, be so in the rest of the Force, if the Gaekwar would consent
^thereto.
The Rules of 1868 referred to in the foregoing paras, may be regarded as
illustrating, as far as they go, '' the customs of the Gaekwar's Government," as
modified by it to meet the requirements of the Contingent, and a copy of them
will be found in the Appendix appertaining to this part of the Report.
50. Next, as to the measures and Rules we would recommend for adoption,
under the terms of the foregoing remarks, to render the force efficient for the pur
poses for which it required.
I.—Formation of the Force.
We have come to the conclusion, after an attentive perusal of the several ^
opinions that have been recorded on this point, including the views of the Bombay ?
No. 31- t ., dated 26th July 1873, Government as set forth in the despatch noted
to the Secretary to the Governmeiit in the margin, that the formation of the Contingent
of India. into separate companies, as ordered in the Rules
of 1868, will best meet the difficulties connected with it, provided that the measure
is carried out in a real and effective manner, by the selection of fit men for the
superior and subordinate grades of officers, and the due enforcement of discipline
and subordination amongst all ranks.
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.
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- 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