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'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [44v] (93/502)
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.
4
Government No. 173—852 of 18th September, in which he brought to notice the
impossibility of subordinates sitting in judgment upon the acts of a superior, that
superior being the Minister of the State in full possession of his ministerial duties.
He further remarks the extensive scale upon which local subordinates, from the
Vahivatdar down, are obliged to extort money in various ways, in order to re
imburse themselves for their heavy payments to the Minister and other
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. Hence complaints against the system of Nazarana, and sale of offices
are justly, it is said, universal throughout the Gaekwar s dominions ; and when it
is considered that the Vahivatdar of a Mahal is not simply a farmer of land reve
nue, but the sole executive and judicial authority of the district, carrying with
him, locally, the entire authority of Government in both Civil and Criminal de
partments, some idea of the importance of the office of Vahivatdar may be formed
t —an importance quite unknown in British districts—and when it is added that
the pay of the appointment is generally small, that large sums are offered to
obtain the post, that every other office is sold to the highest bidder, and that
bribery and corruption prevail in all quarters, it is not to be wondered at that the
people are oppressed, that justice is sold, life and property insecure, and in short
that the whole machinery of Government is obliged to have recourse to unlawful
means to extort money from the people. The Resident concludes his remarks by
stating that the above observations apply to the whole group of bribery cases, as
exhibiting their effects upon the revenue, police, and judicial administrations, in
all of which violence is resorted to, to extort confessions and agreements as well
as money.
General Observations and Opinion op the Gommission.
I. The complainant in the 1st of the above cases deposes that in 1872, he
paid the Minister a Nazarana of Rs. 10,000 and Rs. 2,000 to the subordinate
karkuns, for the Vahivat for a term of 5 years of the Kheiralu Mahal, the
revenue of which he agreed to increase by Rs. 1,000 annually, but that he was
deprived of the post at the end of 6 or 7 months.
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).
states that his appointment was only for one year, as shewn in
the agreement produced before the Gommission; that his case has not been en
quired into, because he failed to appear; and that he stands charged with the
embezzlement of public money, and not having rendered the accounts of his
Mahal. It does not call in question the allegation of the payment of the> Nazarana,
&c., and this appears therefore to be admitted.
II. The complainant in the 2nd case deposes that in 1872 he paid the
Minister a "Sukhdi" of Rs. 2,000 for giving him the Vahivat of the Kural Mahal,
the year's revenue of which he agreed to increase by Rs. 2,000. The Minister
would not sign the appointment until the money was paid. He subsequently
paid Rs. 1,000 more, in part of a 2nd " Sukhdi/' but was deprived of his Vahivat
alter holding it only 10 months altogether.
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).
states that the " Sukhdi" of Rs. 2,000 paid by this complainant
was received into the treasury, and that he was dispossessed because he had
embezzled Rs. 16,000 public money. The levy of the 2nd " Sukhdi" of Rs. 1,000
is denied.
, , m 11 ' T he complainants in the 3rd case depose that, in 1871, they agreed to
take the Vahivat of the Vasravi and Gala Mahals for 5 years, and to increase
their revenue by Rs. 10,000 annually.
f +1 Tlie • 1 ! t dep0n ! nt states tl:iat the y P aid the Minister a Nazarana of Rs. 6,425
lor the joint appointment so conferred on them, but that as they did not furnish
the security required, they were deprived of it at the end of l-i months.
, , -"P 16 2nd deponent states that he has no personal knowledge of the terms or
details ol the agreement or Nazarana, on which the farm was taken by them.
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