!['Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [‎36r] (76/502)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000001524.0x000381/Mss Eur F126_78_0076.jp2/full/!1200,1200/0/default.jpg "'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [‎36r] (76/502)")
'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [36r] (76/502)
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.
State, and, with the exception of the seven complainants, has been paid by every
one liable to it, and even by the other Thakors of Bijapur, without objection.
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).
made every effort to induce the complainants to comply with its
demand on the subject of the payment of this Nazarana, and the move of troops
to enforce it was only made as a last resource, and with the concurrence of the
Resident.
With regard to the other grievances of the complainants, the Purbaf inti
mates its readiness to restore some of the indulgences of which they have been
deprived, and generally to make all reasonable concessions to them.
4. The Resident in his final statement, dated 12th January 1874, recapitu
lates the circumstances of this case, and the grievances of the complainants, and
quotes various reports of the Political officers of Guzerat, all tending to show
that the Gaekwar's Government never loses any opportunity of oppressing, and
encroaching on the rights of the Girasias, and Bhayads of Thakors of the class to
which complainants belong. He adds that it was this kind of policy that led to
the transfer of its tributaries from the Gaekwar's control, to that of the British Go
vernment, and remarks that the complainants consider themselves in precisely
the same position as their Bhayad the Mahi Kanta Thakors, who enjoy British
protection.
Opinion op the Commission.
I. In its general observations on the grievances of the complainants in this
case, (para. 2 above), the Commission has recorded its opinion that only three of
them are really important, viz., (1), the enhancement of the so called Ghas dana tri
bute ; (2), the alleged reduction of Giras Haks, and subsequent imposition on the
sums allowed in lieu of them of the Inam Committee tax of 2 annas in the rupee;
and (3), the levy of " Gadi Nazarana," on the accession of the present Chief.
As the Government of India attaches importance to the case of the Bijapur
Thakors, it may be as well to discuss at some length the three grievances, which
are, in the opinion of the Commission, worthy of investigation.
As regards the first of these, viz., the enhancement of the so called Ghas
Dana", annually levied from each of the villages, it should be borne in mind
that the present Gaekwar is not responsible for conimeucing the enhancements.
All that he has done is to continue, and, in some instances, still further enhance
the increases made by his predecessor. 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).
authorities maintain that
what has been done in this way is perfectly justifiable; and that there is no
reason whatever why objection should be taken to the reasonable increases, which
have been made. This being the case the Commission proceeds to consider 1st,
whether the Gaekwar's Government was justified in enhancing the " Ghas Dana"
in the different villages at all; and 2nd, whether the increases are reasonable,
with reference to the revenue derived by the Thakors from the villages.
In the first place it is of importance to bear in mind that no contract or Sanad
has been produced by the Thakors, or is alleged to have ever existed, giving a
guarantee on the part 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).
, that the "Ghas Dana" shall always remain
the same. This being the case, the Commission is not inclined, in the absence
of any trustworthy evidence to adopt the view put forward by the Thakors,
In arriving at this conclusion, the Commission has, to a certain extent, been
influenced by what is known to have occurred in the British Collectorate of Surat.
In that district are certain villages, the representatives of which, up to a few years
since, from the time Surat became British territory, had always been in the habit
of paying a fixed lump sum to Government, as the revenue assessment of their
villages. On the introduction of the Revenue Survey and revised assessment
into-the Surat Collectorate four or five years ago the whole subject in connection
with these villages was fully considered.
6—2
5
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' [36r] (76/502), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F126/78, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023442806.0x00004d> [accessed 29 June 2026]
https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100023442806.0x00004d
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_100023442806.0x00004d">'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [‎36r] (76/502)</a> <a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100023442806.0x00004d"> <img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000001524.0x000381/Mss Eur F126_78_0076.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