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'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [17v] (39/502)
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.
Force are generally alleged to be wholly inadequate, and it is clear that, without
some change on this bead, the proposed organization will be defective on the most
essential point.
(1). It has been already explained that the Head of the Contingent is the
Sir Subah, who is the G-aekwar's Minister and resides at Baroda. It would
appear that, formerly, this office merged in that of the Senapati, to whom the
Subahs reported direct, and the Commission has no doubt that the change has had
a mischievous result, by introducing a new and probably embarrassing element
into the control arrangements of the Force.
(2). The Subahs, who are the nominal commandants of the chief divisions of
the Contingent, have certain powers of fine and imprisonment, and can suspend
Silledars and dismiss Birgirs ; bat thair authority appears to be inadequate to the
due enforcement of discipline and obedience amongst the men under their charge,
and they are, it is alleged, checked and interfered with by the Karkuns attached
to their offices, and are so dependent on Court influence at the Capital, that they
cannot always use the authority they possess in a proper and vigorous manner.
Colonel Walker's report on this head, as regards the Subah of the Kattywar por
tion of the Force, is not unfavourable; but the correspondence before the Commis
sion is conclusive as to the insufficiency of the Subahs' powers to maintain disci
pline in the Force under their charge.
It appears to us that, if the organization now proposed be adopted, it will be
absolutely necessary for 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).
to delegate to the Subahs larger powers then
they now possess, and to require them to perform their duties with much more
energy and attention than has heretofore been the practice.
(?)• are farther of opinion that, in the present condition of the Contin
gent, it will be hopeless to expect that the proposed organization can be carried
out m a way to satisfy the reasonable requirements of the case, without the
immemate supervision and control of a British Officer, specially nominated to
that duty, for each division of the Force, and associated with the Subah in
command, through whom it would be necessary for him to work. The discharge
of 611 h ? r 1f' however ' should, as regards the question
of efficiency or otherwise, rest wholly with the Superintendent
accord witlTth^p 0 f as ^ lus su ggested, is not altogether in
0ffiC " ^ve written regarding the Contin-
and subordinate to ^ For ? e bein g Meetly controlled by
without anv such JntPr 6 ° ltlca ^ Officers, withm whose districts it is serving,
poses that as reffard^^ 0r ln ^® rv ®® in & authority. Mr. Peile indeed pro-
Assistant of the Political 1 IZnt but ^ Uperm ^ ndent ^ould be the Personal
within whose districts the i-' • W0U ! ( J Polltlc al Assistants
employed wSlSS-^^ 18 con ^erable powers over the men so
tion, that^must be^orne^ in mimi tiia^th^'r 11 °. 0nsid f . in ^ * his P art of the c l ue «-
and that it would be most f ^l / ^ on i tln & ent 18 a " Uaekwari" Force,
men composing it subiect to tb 6 ^ i the Gaekwar's Government to have the
local Officer if whose Itri^r ^ COntr0 i pr0pOSed ' at the hands
Superintendent, who could devotp 6 ^ ^ 611 , t0 - be servm »- With an active
of the portion of the ContiTio PTi+ e |ie ces sary time to the proper supervision
companies, who would be loLt I" 1 1 er iu con ^ ro ^ and efficient commandants of
their men, it seeC to ^ most conveniently look after
of the local Political Officers witbtb^"/ , necessity for the interference
tion of the Force employed witbni -v or discipline of the por-
empioyed withm their limits, though they would of course em-
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