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'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [41v] (87/502)
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.
8
known to, and been sanctioned by, the late Chief, Klianderao. The hardship of
imposing such levies where a fixed land settlement exists, is obvious.
C4). The levy by the Vahivatdars of money from the ryots, to recoup
themselves for the payment of Nazaranas 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 appointment, is
a common practice in one form or another in many Native States, and was for-
merlv universal. It is, however, inconsistent with a fixed land settlement, and
where the latter exists, such extra levies cannot but involve great hardship on
the ryots.
(5). The " Accession Nazarana" was devised by the present Chief, and was
imposed by him after ascending the Gradi, with, 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, the
knowledge and concurrence of the then Resident, Colonel Barr. Ibis tax con
sists of a special cess of 25 per cent, on one year's rental of all Government lands,
and of 40 per cent, on one year's valuation of all Inam lands. Such a cess has
never, it appears, been levied before in the State, and its imposition no doubt
added seriously to the previously heavy burdens borne by the people.
IV. The responsibility of the present Chief and his administration, in res
pect of these five heads of grievance is thus seen to be limited (1) to the alleged
levy of Nazarana from the Vahivatdars on their appointment, and to the conse
quent measures of these officials to recoup themselves from the ryots; and (2),
the imposition of " Accession Nazarana" at the rates stated, together with the
oppression and ill-treatment practised to enforce the collection of the same.
V. With regard to the payment 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).
of Nazarana on appointment
by the Vahivatdars, 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 confined himself to the general state
ment that " the Nazaranas were levied according to previous custom and it is
therefore to be inferred that the fact is not disputed. The Commission has no
means of knowing what the ordinary amount of such payments is in the Baroda
State, but while well aware of the existence of the practice as already stated in
jnany Native States, it cannot hesitate to condemn it as an inevitable and fruitful
source of abuse and oppression, and one which the Maharaja should be urged to
abolish absolutely, as being utterly inconsistent with good Government.
VI. As regards the " Accession Nazarana," the Commission has no reason
to doubt the statement that the imposition of this tax was known to and concur
red in by the then Resident. There can, however, be no doubt that the tax is
altogether a novel one, and that its imposition has been productive of serious
hardship to the people; and the Commission considers that the Maharaja's atten- 1
tion should be strongly drawn to the fact that such levies are wholly inconsistent
with a fixed land settlement, the terms of which are virtually broken by their
exaction, and that he should be urged, in the introduction of the new settlement
now at hand, to declare that no such levies shall, in future, be made from the
ryots by the Chief, or for State purposes.
VII. Lastly, as regards the alleged ill-treatment and oppression practised on
the ryots as stated by those who attended the Commission, there appears to be no
ground for doubting that such has been the common custom for enforcing the
collection of the Revenue. The punishments described are generally of the ordi-
nary character in force in such cases in Native territory, and though doubtless
painful to the sufferer, do not appear to have been of a very cruel description.
Two instances are deposed to, (by Nos. 1 and 20), in one of which, it is alleged,
a woman died from the effects of ill-treatment by the Government
sepoys
Term used in English to refer to an Indian infantryman. Carries some derogatory connotations as sometimes used as a means of othering and emphasising race, colour, origins, or rank.
, and in
the other the deponent's brother lost his life from exposure and cold, to which
he had been subjected by the local official. In the former case, the
sepoys
Term used in English to refer to an Indian infantryman. Carries some derogatory connotations as sometimes used as a means of othering and emphasising race, colour, origins, or rank.
were
very inadequately punished with only one month's imprisonment. In the other
the case was specially investigated, and the offender heavily fined, and his lands
clLtH/CuGCL,
4. ^ 11 c ousideriiig this part of the case, it is necessary to bear in mind
that the practice m Native States is to compel payment of the Government dues
by seizure of property and personal process, and not by the attachment and sate
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