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'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [41r] (86/502)
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.
7 / w \
With regard to the statements that have been made relative to the action of
the Government towards the Bhats and Brahmins of Patan and Pitlad in 1865,
the Bhats of Patan ware ill-disposed to Grovernment, and were required to give
security to keep the peace. They declined, and went about from village to village
committing self-immolation, and even killing their own associates. The Govern
ment officials killed none of them.
The Sojitra (Pitlad) Bhats and Brahmins refused to pay the Inam Com
mittee tax, and were moving people against the Government. A force was sent
to arrest them, and twelve of the ringleaders were seized and brought to Baroda,
whdre they were tried and sentenced to imprisonment. While in jail three or
four died from natural causes. The present Chief has exempted these classes
from paying Inam Committee tax.
4. The Resident's final statement in this group of cases, dated 5th January
1874, which will be found in the file, challenges 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 remarks, as summa
rised above, in reply to the depositions made before the Commission ; and, in
reference to the Circular alleged to have been issued in February 1873, forbid
ding the ill-treatment of ryots 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, observes that " the system
of farming out \ r ahiv;its and other offices, judicial and executive, initiated by the
present administration, together with the prevalence of bribery and corruption,
fosters the very abuses which the Circular was supposed to suppress, and thus it
will continue to be in this unfortunate State, so long as the present administra
tion is in power."
General Observations and Opinion op the Commission.
I. The statements made before the Commission describe various sorts of
personal ill-treatment and oppression alleged to have been practised 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, during the last ten years, on the complainants and their fellow-
ryots, to compel payment of the Government dues and other collections demand
ed by such officials.
II. The items of demand referred to by the deponents are chiefly, (1) the
increased rates of assessment imposed under the ten years' settlement in 1864,
(2) the levy of the Inam Committee tax in 1864-65, (3) the levy of a heavy
Nazarana,(apparently general throughout the State), by the late Chief's minister,
Bhao Sindia, on his appointment to the post of Dewan in 1867, (4) the imposi
tion by certain Vahivatdars in 1872 of private levies on the ryots, to recoup them
selves for alleged payments of Nazarana 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).
on their appointments,
(5) the levy of the " Accession Nazarana" tax in 1871-72.
III. As regards these several items it would appear, that (1) the ten years'
settlement of 1864 was made at a time when the prices of produce were much
higher than has been the case for some time past, and that it probably even then
pressed heavily on the ryots. The fall in prices has no doubt rendered it
difficult to pay the high assessment imposed under it, and this is in a measure
admitted 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).
Agent, who states that a new settlement will be made on
the approaching expiry of the present one, in accordance with the circumstances
of the cultivators.
(2). The Inam Committee tax was devised by the late Chief in 1864,
and consists of a special cess of 2 annas in the rupee on the annual valuation
of all Inam holdings. The levy of this tax appears to have been an arbitrary
measure, aSi no benefit of any sort seems to have been bestowed on Inamdars to
reconcile them to its imposition.
(3). The circumstances of the levy of a Nazarana by the late Dewan,
Bhao Sindia, on his appointment to that post, have not been stated to the Com
mission, and are not known by it, but it appears to be probable that it was in
accordance with the custom of the State, dnd it must, it is presumed, have been
*
J
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