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'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [74r] (152/502)
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 III.
Cases Nos. 2 and 3.
Claims of certain jewellers of Alimedabad on account of jewels sold by tliem
to Maharaja Malharrao.
The circumstances of these claims are set forth at length under the above
cases in Schedule III., and are summarised as follows :—
1. Case No. 2. Complainant brought certain jewels, valued by him at 3
or 3lakhs of
rupees
Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf.
, for sale to the Maharaja on the occasion of his marriage
nearly three years ago. The jewels were placed in the Jamdar Khana for about
a month, and complainant was then summoned, and informed that their value
was estimated at about Rs. 2,50,000 to Rs. 2,60,000. After some discussion, the
sum of Rs. 2,71,790 was offered to complainant, and accepted by him, and that
amount was credited to his account, and a few days subsequently, orders for its
payment were made out and signed by the Maharaja. The marriage had then
taken place, and the jewels had been worn by the Rani. Complainant then went
to get the orders for the money, but was told he could not receive the full
amount, on which he stated he must either receive it or take back his jewels.
He was told they could not be returned as the Rani had worn them. He
afterwards heard that the orders had been cashed by Yasant Rambhao, who was
in charge of the State Bank, and that the amount had been deposited by him at
interest in the Bank. Complainant subsequently petitioned the Maharaja three
times by letter, but without any result. Afterwards one of the firm visited
Baroda, and presented a petition in person to His Highness, who referred him to
the Dewan. The Dewan ultimately made three proposals, viz;—
((1). That two jewellers of Ahmedabad, and two of Baroda, should
re-value the ornaments, and that complainant should accept the price fixed by
them, without interest thereon, except for the first twelve months.
(2). That complainant should receive back the ornaments, and that the
Maharaja would pay any reasonable loss he had sustained by their retention by
him.
(3). That complainant should agree to receive the amount 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).
may
fix in full satisfaction of his claim.
Complainant declained to entertain either of these proposals, and petitioned
the Resident for redress, placing his claim at Rs. 2,71,799, the amount origi
nally fixed, and Rs. 39,333 interest thereon at 6 per cent, per annum.
2. The explanation of this case given 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 and by the
Maharaja personally to the President of the Commission is, that when the jewels
came to be carefully examined after the marriage, with those purchased from
other jewellers for the occasion, it was found that they were considerably below
the value it was first proposed to put on them, and a fair re-valuation was accord
ingly made of the whole, and the amount refixed offered accordingly to the several
jewellers concerned, by all of whom the same was accepted, excepting complain
ant and another Ahmedabad jeweller.
It is denied that the return of the jewels to complainant was refused. On
the contrary, 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).
alleges that he was told to take them if he was not
satisfied with the price offered for 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