!['Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [‎26r] (56/502)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000001524.0x000381/Mss Eur F126_78_0056.jp2/full/!1200,1200/0/default.jpg "'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [‎26r] (56/502)")
'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [26r] (56/502)
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 1.
Case No. 9.
Complaint of Maneklal Vithal, Groldsmitli of Ahraedabad.
The case of this complainant is referred to by the Resident in his letter to
the Bombay Government No. 144-750, dated 18th August 1873, (para. 4,) and
is one of those whose thorough investigation by the Commission, is ordered in
letter from the Government of India to the
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.
No. 2209 p.,
dated 29th September 1873, (para. 5).
1. The complainant's grievance is that, when atBaroda, some ten months
ago, about February 1873, he was falsely accused by his cousin one Amratlal,
who lives there, of having written to his brother at Ahmedabad that the said
Amrutlal's daughter, Ganga, had gone to the Maharaja, and that he, (Amrutlal)
would be turned out of caste. Amrutlal brought ten or twelve witnesses to
prove his statement. Complainant was asked if he had written the letter, and
denied having done so. He was induced to show his handwriting, and gave a speci
men of it. A few days later he was informed that he had been sentenced to
fourteen year's imprisonment, and was taken to jail. After being four or four
and a half months in jail, he was released at the instance of the Resident. He
declares that he never wrote the letter which formed the ground of the charge
against him.
2. The original proceedings and other papers connected with the complain
ant's trial and his case, are produced by the Resident, to whom they were furnish
ed 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 it appears from them that the sentence passed on him
was one and not fourteen years' imprisonment. Amongst the papers is one pur
porting to be a confession of the complainant of his having written the letter in
question bearing his signature, which he alleges to be a forgery. The Com
mission, however, after a careful comparison of this with his other signature, is
not at all satisfied that it is so, and is, on the contrary, rather of opinion that it
is genuine.
3. 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).
Agent urges that the complainant has no claim to the
protection of the British authorities as a British subject, and states that he is a
subject of Baroda, as can be proved from a reference to the census papers ol
1872, and from his having paid the assessment on his house at Baroda, as well
as by other evidence. He adds that the depositions of the witnesses were taken
in complainant's presence, and that the signature he denies was his, and was made
by him voluntarily. The sentence passed on him was one year's imprisonment,
and to find security of Rs. 200 not to repeat the offence.
4. The Resident, in his final remarks on this case, dated 2nd January
1874, questions the genuineness and trustworthiness of the original proceedings
in it produced 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).
as having been held by it, and urges that the com
plainant is entitled to protection and redress as a " British subject," and that
whether he be the latter or not, he is still entitled to the protection of the
British Government against the oppressive action 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).
Court.
General Observations and Opinion of the Commission.
I. The Commission has given full consideration to the complainant's state
ment and the observations 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).
Agent and the Resident respectively, in
this case, and as it is clearly of opinion that there is no sufficient ground for its
a —9
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
Use and share this item
- Share this item
'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [26r] (56/502), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F126/78, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023442806.0x000039> [accessed 22 August 2026]
https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100023442806.0x000039
Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.
<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100023442806.0x000039">'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [‎26r] (56/502)</a> <a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100023442806.0x000039"> <img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000001524.0x000381/Mss Eur F126_78_0056.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000001524.0x000381/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images
Copyright: How to use this content
- 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