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'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [40v] (85/502)
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
punishment for presenting the petition, the Vahivatdar afterwards seized
confined him in his house for three days, when he managed to escape.
and
pargana
Pitlad
Sinor
Patan
Khangi
Naosari
Deligam
Dhabhoi
Kheiralu
In addition
more, who have
11
Pitlad pargana
43
a
Patan „
15
3
Khangi „
19
3
DhabLoi „
1
2
Kbeirakt ,,
1
1
Damala ,,
3
2
Kadi „
33
1
Baroda „
27
—
Vagbadra,,
4
26
Teladi ,,
8
Saoli „
1
155
No 26 a cultivator of Kheiralu pargana, states, that the rates of assess
ment have, of late, been repeatedly raised, and improper cesses imposed m bs
^llaae In 1867-68 a Karkun came and practised all sorts of ill-treatment on the
villagers, as already described, because they would not pay up. The \ ahivatdar
was subsequently changed, but the same sort of oppression was continued to
compel payment of these demands, and 50 villagers left the village m consequence.
Deponent petitioned the Graekwar repeatedly on the subject, but got no redress.
2. The statements of the complainants in this group of grievances being
o-enerally a mere repetition of the various modes of ill-treatment practised to
wards them to compel payment of the Government land revenue and taxes, the
Commission deems it unnecessary to record further individual depositions on the
subject.
The 26 deponents whose statements are summarised above, belong to eight
different parganas, and the Commission has
taken verbal statements from 155 other
complainants who belong to these and sis
other parganas and have attended to sub
mit the same. The whole of these persons
depose to the practice 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).
offi
cials of the same system of personal ill-
treatment towards the inhabitants of the
villages to which they belong, to enforce
payment of the land assessment and the
taxes and cesses demanded of them,
to these complainants, the Resident states that some 300
attended at the
Residency
An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India.
, are desirous to come before the
Commission, and represent the similar hardships and ill-treatment to which they
and the inhabitants of their respective villages have been subjected, but as the
evidence already taken appears to be ample for the object in view, and it is very
undesirable to continue the excitement that already exists amongst this class of
complainants in connection with the enquiry in progress, he is informed accord
ingly, and requested to recommend them to return to their respective villages.
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).
Agent states that while 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).
neither admits nor
denies the truth of the allegations made by the complainants, it believes that their
description of the ill-treatment to which they have been subjected is consider
ably exaggerated, if not totally false. The probable truth is that when they
refused to pay the Government dues, they were kept in confinement for short
terms with a view to enforce payment. If any thing beyond this was done,
which it does not admit, it was so without its sanction. The rules in force
do not permit such proceedings as those complained of, and a general Circular
issued in February 1873 distinctly prohibits the exercise of any ill-treat
ment of any persons 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).
officials. (A copy of this Circular is handed
in, and will be found in the file of this case). The conduct 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).
has
been in accord with the spirit of this Circular, and all complaints of oppression
reaching 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).
have been regularly inquired into, and the parties guilty
thereof punished. With regard to the land assessment, and the "Accession" and
other Nazaranas complained of, the former having been fixed for a term of ten
years, when prices of produce were high, may now appear excessive, but the
term is about to expire, and a new settlement will be made in accordance with the
circumstances of the cultivators. The ISTazaranas, generally, were levied accord
ing to previous custom, and the "Accession Nazarana," specially, was so with
the knowledge of the then Resident, Colonel Barr.
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