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'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [31r] (66/502)
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.
to him by the present Chief after his accession. At the end of six months how
ever, the management was again taken from him, and given over 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).
to complainant's mother, with whom it still remains, a monthly allowance of
Es 125 and a horse being assigned to the complainant.
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).
admits the above to be correct, and states that the arrangement
so described was made by it, in consequence of the complainant being unfit to
carry on the duties of Pagadar.
The Commission does not feel called on to record any opinion on the merits
of this case.
No. 18.—In this case complainant, who was the son-in-law of Maharaja
Seiajirao, held a pagah of sowars with an annual cash allowance therefor of
Rs. 22,000 and Rs. 2,000 personal allowance, and an Inam village of the value of
Rs, 5,000, the same having been assigned to him by Seiajirao,"bn^lTis marriage
with his daughter in 1836. In 1858 the pagah, with the pagah and personal cash
allowances, was transferred to his two sons by the then Gaekwar, Khanderao, who
added a further sum of Rs 2,000 to the younger son, and complainant was made
Subah of Deesa, with an annual cash allowance of Rs. 29,800. On the
accession of the present Gaekwar, complainant states he was deprived of the
office of Subah, and the cash allowance of Rs. 29,800, and the Inam village alone
was left to him. The pagah with the aggregate cash allowances of Rs. 26,000
as shown above, which had been transferred to his sons, was also resumed, 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).
seized 6 horses, houses, and other private property belonging to him to
the amount of Rs. 55,000.
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).
admits the truth of the complaint, but states that the complain
ant's wife, on whose account the grants were made to him, having died, it
was at liberty to resume the said grants; and that as complainant, when in
power, adopted the same course towards the present Graekwar's father-in-law, it
saw no good reason for leaving him in possession of the grants that have been
resumed, though he has not been disturbed in that of the village. With regard
to the seizure of the horses and other property, the former were taken in lieu
of State horses, which complainant had not restored; the houses were Govern
ment, and not private property, and complainant still owes Rs. 15,000 to the
State.
Nos. 19 and 20.—The complainants in these cases are sons of the complain
ant in No. 18. They state that the pagah with a cash allowance of Rs. 24,000
which was transferred to them from their father by the late Gaekwar, and Rs. 2,000,
additional grant to the younger of them in 1858, was resumed by the present
Gaekwar on his accession, and that they are left without means of subsistence.
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).
observes that the custom of the State fully warranted the re
sumption in these cases, and that it does not admit that either the father or the
sons have any grievance in the course that has been taken in the matter.
It appears to the Commission that the summary resumption by the present
Gaekwar of the employment and allowances granted to the first complainant (his
own brother-in-law) by Maharaja Seiajirao 35 years previously, and continued to
him and his sons, as described by them, by the two succeeding Chiefs, however
warranted by the custom of the State, was a harsh measure, dictated apparently
by personal animosity on the part of the Chief.
No. 21.—In this case the complainant is the representative of one of the old
State bankers. His grievances are of two kinds,— the resumption by the
present Chief of a pagah of 62 horses and 10 footmen, which had been granted to
the firm with 3 Inam villages, and cash allowances for the maintenance of the
above establishment, 2 palkis, &c., &c.,— all of the aggregate amount of
Rs. 35,000—by Maharaja Govindrao about 100 years ago, and his successors up to
the late Khanderao Gaekwar's time ; 2qc?, the seizure 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).
, about 15
months ago, of the private property of the firm, and its refusal to aid the latter, as
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