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'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [28r] (60/502)
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.
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SCHEDULE No. 1.
Cases 12 and 13,
Complaints of Narangi, wife of Yithoba, and Salu, wife of Ghanu, residents
formerly of Khanwal and Sakarpa respectively, in the Ratnagiri District.
The case of these complainants is not referred to by the Resident in any of
his letters to Government, and appears only to have come to his knowledge
shortly before the Commission left Baroda. The women in both cases are British
subjects having, until they came to Baroda, a little more than two years ago,
always resided in the Katnagiri Collectorate. Their case, therefore, is classed
under Schedule I amongst those referred to by the Government of India in para. 5
of their letter 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, though it is not clear that it altogether talis within the scope and intention
of that paragraph.
1. The first complainant's grievance is as follows :—She states that about
2^ years ago she was enticed away from her husband's house in the Ratnagiri
Collectorate by some servants of Nana Sahib, His Highness the Gaekwar's
minister, who, it should be mentioned, is a native of that part of the country ;
that on arrival at Baroda, she went to live with Nana Sahib as his mistress ; that
after some time she went voluntarily to serve in the Hani's palace, but the duties
were distasteful to her; that after serving for four or five months in the palace,
she was confined in the Chabutra, or lock-up, for 1 -g months, and subsequent
ly for l-g years in jail, because she did not, in answer to the Gaekwars question,
give any information relative to an intrigue between the Raholkar and the Rani;
that when in jail she was twice flogged for some petty offence, receiving four cuts
on the back from a cane, other women also having been flogged in her presence; and
finally, that on the occasion of the last eclipse of the moon in November, she was
unconditionally released, since which time she has obtained her living by grinding
corn and other daily labour.
2 The second complainant's grievance is as follows ; She states that she
was seduced from her home by some servants of Nana Sahib the minister, who pro
mising her jewels and clothes induced her to leave her mother s house that on
arriving at Baroda she went to live with Nana Sahib as his wife, when the child
she was carrying in her arms, when examined by the Commission, was begotten;
that some little time after, she was taken by Nana Sahib to the palace, and forced
against her will to become a " Loundi" or domestic slave under the orders of the
Rani, that after serving about five months, she was sent first to the " chabutra
or lock-up, where she was confined for 1^ months, and subsequently to the jail,
where she was confined for 1| years, presumably because she could not or would
not answer satisfactorily questions put to her by the Graekwar relative to an
alleged intrigue between one Balvantrao Raholkar, and the wife of His Highness ;
that when in jail she was once flogged, receiving four cuts on the back from a
cane for some petty offence, and that on two or three occasions, other women
had been flogged in like manner in her presence ; and finally, that she had been
released from prison unconditionally and not compelled to return to serve as a
"Loundi," on the occasion of the eclipse in November last, since when she had
obtained her living by grinding corn and daily labour.
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).
Agents state that these women were not seduced from their
homes as they allege, but came to Baroda of their own accord in search of
employment; that they applied to Nana Sahib, the minister, who engaged them
for service in the Rani's palace where they received food and clothing, and were
otherwise well treated ; that when in service, they were guilty of theft and were
on this account sent to prison, from which they were released on the occasion of
a—12 1
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.
- 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