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'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [&lrm;23v] (51/502)

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'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [‎23v] (51/502)

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'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874'

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Ref: Mss Eur F126/78

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. .

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4
s
never now be re-united, was inflicted on him under circumstances of cruel violence
by certaia 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). servants when he was handcuffed and helpless in their power.
IV The Police Chabutra register that has been produced, fixes the date of
the alleged iniury at about the end of April 1872, as it shews that he was received
at the Station on the 22nd of that month, and Sadak Ah asserts that he was ill,
treated as described seven days afterwards.
On the 11th May, the Resident addressed a yad to 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). regarding his
imprisonment in reference to a petition from his wife on the subject, and in its reply
dated 15th August or three months later, 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). explained the case and de
nied that he had been imprisoned.
V. Meanwhile, or about the 11th June, according to the complainant's 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). statements before the Commission of the duration of his confinement,
Sadak Ali was released, and he at once petitioned the Resident for redress as to
his pecuniary claims, but appears to have made no reference to the ill-treatment
he had suffered. His claim was transferred by the Resident to his Assistant for
enquiry, and after investigation by him, in the course of which the Foujdar and
his Karkun are admitted by the complainant to have been present, a small amount
was awarded as being due to him 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). , the matter of the injury to
his arm never having been alluded to by the complainant during such investiga
tion. The Resident, however, did not concur in this decision of his Assistant, and
took the case into his own hands, and ultimately apparently refused to interfere.
YI. Up to this time, November 1872, no mention appears to have been
made by complainant of the injury to his arm, but on the 11th of that month he
addressed a petition to the Resident, in which, amongst his other grievances he, for
the first time, brought it forward. On the 16th of the same month, the Resident
informed complainant verbally that his petition was returned, that his com
plaint was dismissed, "and an endorsement to this effect was recorded on the
Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. Office precis of the petition. It is much to be regretted that the pro
ceedings of the Resident's Assistant in the investigation of the case held by him
are not forthcoming, but they cannot be traced,
VII. The evidence adduced by complainant before the Commission in support
of the alleged injury to his arm as described by him, is conflicting. Of two witnesses
examined, both formerly in his service, one states that his arm was all right, when
he was imprisoned, while the other alleges that it had been broken two years pre
viously by the bite of a camel, and that he had been in the habit of wearing an iron
splint on it. A third witness who was in jail with him deposes that he used his
arm in the ordinary way when he came to jail, but that after his return when
taken away for 3 hours some nights afterwards, he called out as if in pain, and
Used to point to his arm. This witness though confined for 20 or 22 days with
complainant did not however know what had happened to him.
_ VIII. The evidence of the Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. Surgeon is opposed to the idea of the
injury having been caused by the bite of a camel, and is favourable to the com
plainant's account of the manner in which he alleges it occurred, but is of course
inconclusive on the latter point.
IX The evidence offered 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 proof of the complainant's arm
having been mjured when he was admitted to the Police Chabutra, viz., the
lecord of the fact m the Station Register, would have been conclusive on the point,
if trustworthy, but the Commission is satisfied that the entry was not an original
one, and it is compelled to concur with the Resident that it'was probably made
recently witii an intention to deceive the Commission.
X. If this view be correct, the fact of no note of the complainant's
arm being injured when admitted having been made in the descriptive co-
1 ? fv! S n 7 i 0 V g y . in su PP ort of his assertion that it was then sound,
but the Commission, while giving every weight to this important point, feels

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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

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'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [‎23v] (51/502), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F126/78, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023442806.0x000034> [accessed 10 July 2026]

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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