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'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [46r] (96/502)
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.
SCHEDULE II.
C ases N os. 5, 10, 41, 44,
Complaints of Bar oda subjects of personal
at the hands of theGaehtvars
The following is a summary of this class of cases, as deposed to, before the
Commission.
I. Case No. 5.—Complaints against the Vahivatdar of Visnagar, Balvant-
rao Trimbak. Gross case of torture committed by him on a Brahman woman of
Visnagar. The only complaint under this head that has been brought before the
Commission, in which the Vahivatdar named is concerned, is that of the Brah
man woman, which has formed the subject of a separate enquiry in case No. 41.
II. Case No. 9.—Complaints of (j) Velia Uma, Matadar, (2), Chagan
Bania
Merchant of Indian extraction.
, and (3), Balvant Meru, Bhat of Jagral, Visnagar Mahal, of ill-treatment
by the Foujdar Fattehram.
(1) Velia Uma states that he was falsely accused by the Foujdar Fatteh
ram of theft; that his house was searched, but nothing found; that he was taken
to the Waghrol Thana, when his hands were tied behind his back, and he was
suspended to a " Nimb " tree. He was then beaten over the body and arms, (the
marks of which he shews to the Commission). He was beaten on three occasions;
on the last occasion, the Thana Karkun, Raghunath, called on him to confess.
Worn out by constant floggings, he at last falsely stated that he had given the
gold bricks, (which it was said he had stolen), to a Vania by name Chagan. He
had not stolen the bricks and knew nothing whatever of the matter ; but, in con
sequence of this false statement, Chagan was seized and beaten in the same man
ner as he had been. One Balla Bhat was also similarly beaten, though deponent
did not give his name. Deponent was kept in custody for 5 days after he was
beaten, and was then taken to Patan and confined there for two days, and was
only released on his signing a paper to the effect that he had not been beaten or
ill-treated. The Bhat Balla made a petition by post 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).
, which he
concurred in. Deponent is not aware of any enquiry having resulted from this
petition, or punishment inflicted 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).
. (2 and 3) Chagan and Balvant
Meru make similar statements to that of Velia Uma,
2. 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 the above complaints have formed the
subject of enquiry 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).
, and that the Foujdar has been arrested and
the case clearly proved against him. 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).
is accordingly only waiting for
complainant to appear, to pass sentence upon the Foujdar, and his assistant, E.a-
gunath.
3. The Besident, in his final statement, dated 6th'January 1874, describes
this as a " very serious case," and regrets that the facts have only been partially
elicited by the examination of three witnesses before the Commission. He pro
ceeds to anticipate what the results would be of further disclosures, He expresses
his satisfaction, however, that the charges have been brought home to the
Foujdar Fattehram, and his accomplice Raghunath, 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).
, which has
expressed its intention of punishing them.
4. The Commission has taken the evidence of all the parties in this case
who have attended before it to give the same ; and it is clear from it that the
Foujdar of Patan, Fattehram, was guilty of gross violence and abuse of autho-
rity towards them, and probably the other persons also, whose names are stated
a— 5 1
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