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'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [36v] (77/502)
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.
6
The Bombay Government then oame to the conclusion that the villages
shonld be snrve/ed. and their lands assessed at the same rate as the lamb of other
villages in the vicinity. , ,
The consequence was that a very much larger, and a varying rental was de
manded by Government in lieu of the fixed lump sum that had previously been
paid. It is believed that the enhancement was proportionately much greater than
has been made by the Gaekwar and his late brother, in the Ghas dana of the
Thakors villages. The Commission does not wish it to be inferred that the cases
are exactly parallel, but they are sufficiently similar to have some weight with
the Commission.
3. With reference to the term " Ghas dana," this levy seems, in the opinion
of the Commission, to be only one of the " Mulkgiri ^ collections periodica y made
by the Maratha armies, when proceeding_ on their annual tours. U er col
lections under different names were levied simultaneously, which h a ve ali been
lumped under the existing name of " Ghas dana, which may roughly be teimed
" Jamabandi," and which, in the opinion of the Commission, is liable to be enhanced
at the pleasure of Government.
4. The Thakors' claim that they are precisely in the same position as their
relatives in the Mahi Kanta, in respect of their payments to the Gaekwar s Go
vernment, is evidently untenable. In the case of the latter, a permanent settlement
of the Gaekwar's claims has been made under treaty, under the guarantee of the
British Government. In that of the former, nothing of the sort has been done,
and the authority of the Gaekwar's Government over them is as unrestricted as
over any other class of its subjects.
5. 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 proposal to make a ten years' settlement with the Thakors,
on the basis of their average annual payments for the last ten years, appears to be
fair and reasonable. It might, however, be better if he would make the settlement
for twenty, instead of ten years, as it is of course important that this class of
people especially on the frontier, shall remain in a contented condition. How
ever, as before mentioned, the Commission has no doubt that in enhancing the
" Ghas dana" as has been shewn, the Thakors have no just ground of complaint,
and any action tending to meet their wishes should voluntarily emanate from
His Highness.
6. The next point to be considered is, whether the enhancements made 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).
are reasonable or not. This question the Commission cannot test
very closely, because it has no means of ascertaining exactly, the precise amount
realised by the Thakors, from each of the villages. Assuming, however, that the
information on this point, given by the Thakors themselves, is correct, it would
appear that the acreage and receipts by them in each village, are, in round
numbers, as follows ;—
■ No.
Village.
Bighas.
Receipts.
Present Ghas Dana.
Increase percentage,
Es.
Rs.
1
Ghanta
2,000
2,000
675
29
4- 2
Gasaeta
8,000
6,000
1,500
50
-f 3
Ransipur .
3,000'
2,000
379
30
4
Kuvadia .
1,200
1,500
412
67
5
Lakroda .
2,500
2,000
952
8
6
MaTiudi
3,000
1,500
751
49
7
Anodio
1,800
1,500 to 2,000
361
24
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