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'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [33r] (70/502)
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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General Obseevations and Opinion op the Commission.
I. From the foregoing summary and the opinion recorded on each case it will
seen
(1).—That six of the complainants before the Commission have no personal
grievance ; their discontent having reference solely 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).
's proceedings
towards others of their class.
(2).—That the grievances of six of the complainants have been adjusted, and
that they have withdrawn their complaints.
(3).— That the canse of grievance in the cases of eleven of the complainants
arose in the time of the late or previous Gaekwars, and that the Commission
does not feel called on to record any opinion in ten of the number. In one of
these cases—No. 8 on the list—the action complained of appears to have been
harsh and arbitrary, though quite in accordance with the then existing practice
in the State.
(4).—That there are seventeen cases of complaint against the proceedings
of the Government since the accession of the present Chiet, six of which do not
appear to the Commission to call for an opinion from it.
(5).—In the remaining eleven cases the Commission considers that the action
taken towards the complainants is open to objection as having been harsh, arbi
trary, inconsiderate or imprudent according to the special circumstances of each,
though it does not doubt that such action can be justified, in almost each case,
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 in accordance with precedent and the previous
practice of the State.
II. 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 has furnished the Commission with statements show
ing the annual reductions that havebeenmadeby successive Gaekwars during the
last sixty years amongst the classes whose grievances form the subject of enquiry
by it under this head, in view to proving that such reductions have been conti
nued during that period, and that the proceedings of the present Chief in the
matter have not involved the introduction of anew system or of novel measures
towards these classes.
It appears from these statements, of which abstracts are appended—(1) that
between Sanvat 1870, ( a.d . 1813-14) and 1926 (1869-70) at the close of which
latter year Khanderao Gaekwar died, and the present Chief succeeded to the Gadi,
reductions to an aggregate amount of Rs. 10,84,913 were carried out amongst
the Sardars and Silledars' classes, or on an average Rs. 19,373 annually ; (2) that
during Khanderao's fourteen years' incumbency of the Gadi, from a.d . 1856-57
to 1869-70, the reductions aggregated Rs. 2,66,400, as an average Rs. 19,028 annu
ally ; (3) that since the present Chief's accession in November 1870, or three years
ago, the reductions made have aggregated Rs. 3,53,958, or on an average
Rs. 1,17,986 annually.
It is also deserving of notice that of the large amount of reductions so made
by the present Chief no less than Rs. 1,93,500 or nearly 55 per cent, are admitted
in the statement to have been enforced among the favourites and adherents of
the late Gaekwar, Khanderao.
The reductions amongst the Sebandi class during the same period were
similarly—(1) between Sanvat 1877 ( a.d . 1820-21) and 1926 (1869-70) in the
aggregate Rs, 7,69,064, or on an average Rs. ] 5,695 annually; (2) that during
Khanderao's fourteen years' incumbency of the Gadi they aggregated Rs. 6,36,575,
or on an average Rs. 45,484 annually ; (3) that since the present Chief's accession
they have aggregated Rs, 1,15,198, or an average Rs. 38,399 annually.
It should also perhaps be mentioned in connection with the reductions car
ried out by Khanderao, which were very considerable amongst the Sebandi
classes, that the Resident has brought to notice that subsequent to 1858 he largely
increased his Military force, and improved its efficiency at a considerable
c—1 9
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