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'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [22r] (48/502)
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.
SCHEDULE I.
Case No. 4.
Complaint of Sadak Ali Maddat Ali, Camel contractor of Ahmedabad, a
British subject.
The complainant was employed by the late Gaekwar Khanderao for some
years as a contractor for supplying camels to the pagah and military establish
ments, and at the time of that Chief's demise had 122 camels so employed.
Subsequent to that event he was required to pay a sum of Ks. 800 to the then
Dewan as a Nazarana, and as a difficulty arose about his paying the full amount,
and the Dewan was informed he had abused his karkun, his establishment, con
sisting at the time of 94 camels, was attached and confiscated together with
some carts and bullocks, his private property. This was about seven months after
Khanderao's death, or about May 1871. Complainant petitioned the Resident,
and the Bombay authorities, but could get no redress. About five or six months
after the attachment of his establishment, or about October or November 1871,
he was seized and imprisoned by order of the Dewan, who, a few days after, had
him brought handcuffed to his house at night and directed him to give a receipt
in full for all arrears due to him, and to sign a statement that he had no complaint
to make to the British Government against that of the Gaekwar. On complain
ant's demurring to sign such papers, the Dewan ordered the men, in whose
charge he was, to compel him to do so, whereupon they tied a rope to his hand
cuffs, and fastening it to the roof pulled him up by the wrists, when he swung
round, and fell to the ground breaking his right arm. He was then taken back
to jail, where he remained six weeks, when he was released on his wife's petition
ing the Resident, after signing a bond for lis. 200, not to go near the Palace, the
Dewan's house, and the pagah head quarters. On his release complainant peti
tioned the Resident, by whose order some five or six months afterwards the Assis
tant Resident enquired into his case, and after an investigation of it directed the
payment of the arrears, Rs. 3,000, due to him, and the restitution of his property.
Complainant claimed a further sum of Bs. 7,000 as compensation for the loss and
injury he had sustained, but the Assistant Resident referred him to the Resident
regarding it. The Assistant Resident's order was objected to 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).
, and
after some days the Resident told him he was to get nothing.
Subsequently, hearing that he was to be arrested, complainant went to Bom
bay where he remained for six months. On his return to Baroda he found that
a "Rath" (native bullock carriage) of his, worth Rs. 260, had been sold during his
absence by order of 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).
for Rs. 8. Complainant has hitherto failed to
obtain any redress or compensation 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).
.
2. The complainant produces three witnesses in support of his case. The
first, who was in his service when his establishment was attached, and had known
him for 15 years, states that his arm was all right when he was imprisoned, some
ten months after Khanderao's death, that he used to lift up weights, &c., but that
he did not know what was under his sleeve. (2) The second, who Avas also in his
service up to the same period, states that he was imprisoned two months after
Khanderao's death, that his arm had been broken two years previously by the bite
of a camel, but that he had not witnessed the occurrence; that he had seen the
broken arm before the complainant's imprisonment, and that he was in the habit of
wearing an iron splint on it, (3) The third who states he was in jail, on a
charge of murder two and a half years ago, with the complainant, deposes that
his arm was all right when he came there, and for some days afterwards, and that
he used it in the ordinary way ; that he was taken away by
sepoys
Term used in English to refer to an Indian infantryman. Carries some derogatory connotations as sometimes used as a means of othering and emphasising race, colour, origins, or rank.
one evening,
and on his return three hours afterwards was put into a separate cell, the other
a—4
1
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