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'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [55r] (114/502)
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 ase N o . 39.
The flogging
In this case, which has formed the subject of correspondence between the
Resident of Baroda and 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 between the Resident of Baroda and
the Bombay Government, eight persons were charged 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).
with
poisoning one Tatia Powar, a confidential servant of His Highness the Graekwar.
It appears that on Sunday, March 16th, 1873, the said Tatia Powar was present
at some ceremonies in connection with the Holi festival which took place in the
city of Baroda. After returning from these, he went to dinner, and shortly
afterwards was seized with violent vomiting and purging which caused his death
in a few hours. His sister appears to have suspected at once that her brother
had been poisoned, and she gave information to the Police and Judicial authori
ties, which led to the arrest of the following persons ;—
These eight persons were at once arraigned and tried by the Judicial autho
rities ; and being convicted, were sentenced to be imprisoned for life, and to
receive twelve lashes each, at each of certain fixed places. The flogging was
accordingly inflicted ; and one of the men, (No. 2, Grhanu), being, it is said, of a
delicate constitution, died under it. The Resident states that those of the above
eight persons, who confessed their guilt, allege that the confessions were extorted
by the flogging in question, and points out that it is a question for consideration;
1. Whether Tatia Powar was, in fact, poisoned as alleged ?
2. "Whether the flogging inflicted was a judicial sentence inflicted after a
legal investigation, or whether the flogging in question was the cause of, and
preceded the confession of four or five out of the accused eight persons ?
The Commission did not, when this case was brought forward, feel in a posi
tion to settle these two points satisfactorily, and thought the only means of
forming some sort of judgment on the matter, was by explaining the particulars
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).
Agents present, and requesting them to make any remarks there
on, they thought necessary. The Commission also requested to be furnished with
the original proceedings held by the Judicial Court which tried the previously
mentioned eight prisoners.
2. The Sir Foujdar, Balvantrao Eshvant, one 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).
Agents who
daily attended before the Commission, then proposed to put in the original pro
ceedings, containing full particulars of the trial, and all information as to what
took place at the trial, which, he informed the Commission, was held before him
as Chief Judicial Officer of Baroda. He added that the confessions were taken
down in his presence, and signed by the prisoners before him in the course of the
proceedings, and that these proceedings were completed, and the sentence of
punishment pronounced, before punishment was inflicted. The original proceed
ings were then received, and ordered by the Commission to be translated into the
English language.
a—39 1
1. Dajiba Kamati,
2. Ghanu,
3. Vithoba,
4. Raghu Savant,
5. Narayen bin Shivba,
6. Lakshman bin Pandoba,
7. Borah Fatteh Ali,
8. An oilman.
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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Copyright: How to use this content
- 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