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'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [23r] (50/502)
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.
3
6. In consequence of the conflicting statements regarding the injury to
the complainant's arm, the Commission deemed it desirable to refer to Cap
tain Hancock, the Assistant Resident, who is alleged by Sadak Ali to have
investigated his complaint by order of the Resident, and to have awarded him
Rs. 3,000 as the balance due to him 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).
, In his reply dated
20th December 1873, which will be found in the file of the case, Captain
Hancock states that the complainant's claims were referred to him by
the Resident for report, and that he made out the account shewing a small
amount in favour of Sadak Ali. The Resident, however, did not accept his award,
and subsequently continued the investigation himself
the. complainant. At the time of the enquiry held by him, (Captain Hancock),
mention was made hy complainant of his ar
having been practised on him 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).
complaint.
7. In his final letter on this case dated 27th December 1873, the Resident
reviews the whole of the circumstances connected with it, and urges that the
complainant's charge of ill-treatment has been fully established.
General Observations and Opinion op the Commission.
I.—The complainant though warnedby the Resident to produce adequate
proof of his being a British subject, has not brought forward any evidence on the
point. The Resident has, however, expressed his full belief that he was so when
he came to Baroda and the Commission accepts his view on this head, and admits
the complaint as appertaining to Schedule I, and to be dealt with by it ac
cordingly.
II. The grievance of the complainant consists (1) of the attachment of his
establishment and personal property, and the non-payment of the arrears he
claims, and (2) of the personal injury sustained by him at the hands 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).
officials.
With regard to the former, the Commission considers that a British subject
who enters the service of a Native Chief has / ordinarily / no title to the protection
of the British Government in respect of transactions connected with or arising out
of such service, and there is nothing of so special a character in this part of the
complainant's case as to call for exceptional treatment in this respect at its hands.
It therefore declines to enter into any enquiry regarding Sadak Ali's pecuniary
claims against 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).
.
With regard to the latter^it is not clear that British subjects, circumstanced
as the complainant was at the time of the alleged personal ill-treatment to which
he states he was subjected, have a valid claim to the protection of the
British authorities against 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).
, at the hands of whose servants such ill-
treatment may occur. In this case, Sadak Ali had been for several years in the
service of the Baroda State, and 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).
appears to have had good ground
for regarding him as one of its own subjects, or at least of being equally amenable
with the latter to its jurisdiction in respect of his conduct as a servant of the
State or of any proceedings or property of his within Baroda limits. Looking,
however, to the objects of its assembly, the Commission has no hesitation in
From Government Of India deciding that this part of the complainant's grievance
to
Government of Bombay
From c. 1668-1858, the East India Company’s administration in the city of Bombay [Mumbai] and western India. From 1858-1947, a subdivision of the British Raj. It was responsible for British relations with the Gulf and Red Sea regions.
, should form the subject of enquiry by it under the
No. 2209-p, dated 29th Sep- terms of para. 5 of the letter noted in the margin,
tember 1873. and it therefore proceeds to consider the same accor
dingly.
III. The complainant alleges that a very serious personal injury, involving
the fracture of bis right arm, the bones of which still remain separated, and can
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