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'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [91r] (186/502)
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
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9
SCHEDULE No. II
B aeoda S ubjects.
Complaints of Baroda Subjects.
Case of the
Sirdars
Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division.
^ Sindhees, Pagadars,
Jemadars, &c., of the Huzur, and the
Mahals of the Gaekwar State.
Case of the seven Bijapur Thakores.
Pitlaud Purgunnah.—Complaints of the re
presentatives of 37 villages of Pitlaud^
forwarded 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).
with Yad No.
2499, dated 18th of October 1873.
Case of Jethabhai Dullabhai, late Wahi
wutdar of Khyraloo.
Complaints against the Wahiwutdar,
Bulvantrao Trimbuk of Visnagar.
Gross case of torture committed by the
aforesaid Wahivutdar upon a Brahmin
woman in Visnagar.
Nowsari Purgunnah.—Case of the inhabi
tants of the village of Variao.
R emarks.
This case is separate from the Contingent, and refers only to those
employed about the Court and on revenue and general duty
in the Mahals. The principal
Sirdars
Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division.
of the State are included
in this body. The general complaints made, refer to
arrears of pay for 3^ years, unjust discharge of a number of
Pagadars and Silledars, accompanied by confiscation of private
property, &c. The Gaekwar has frequently promised to pay us
arrears, but has failed to do so, and the bankers have begun to
refuse making any further advances. The loss suffered by all
is considerable. Vide Government letter in the Political De
partment, No. 33 t., dated 25th of July 1873. Also report No.
146-762, dated 19th of August last, paras. 1 to 6^ and other
correspondence.
A full statement from the Thakores themselves has been drawn
up by the Resident^ and they are present at Baroda in readi
ness to substantiate their charges.
This complaint will give a full insight into the farming system,
with its attendant evils as practically carried out by the Gaek
war Government. Correspondence will also be produced which
took place in April, June, August, and September last regarding
the state of affairs in this purgunnah generally.
This case is one out of several that have lately come to light,
showing that although farmers of the Mahals pay large sums
to the high officials of the State by way of bribes^ yet that no
faith is kept with them, and that they are liable to be turned
out of employment without having committed any fault.
Moreover, that the bribe given, and in some instances the
security deposited, are not returned.
This case shows the malversation and gross cruelty that
has recently been practised in the Visnagar Purgunnah.
It is feared that such practices have been too common
in the Gaekwar districts; and that they have only been
brought to light owing to the present system of the Resi
dent hearing important complaints and referring them 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).
for explanation.
132 persons appeal against the oppressive land assessment, &c.,
and the forcible means used to collect it, &c., &c.
Case of Cooverjee Dulabhai Desai, ex- Claims to recover the sum of 5,000
rupees
Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf.
borrowed from a
farmer of the Goondi Bajpur Mahal. i Sowcar in Surat, in order to fulfil his agreement with the
! Gaekwar Government; also claims compensation for having
been unjustly deprived of his contract. This case also includes
i a claim made by the widow of Banker Jamnadass Shivlall, of
i Baroda, to a refund of the sum of Rs. 7,757-0-3, which was paid
| by her husband as a bribe to certain persons specified.
J
Case of Sookha Wahala, Chowdree of Claims compensation from the Gaekwar Government, for having
Nuldhura, in Nowsari. been unjustly deprived of his property, and forced to become
security for Cooverjee Dulubhai Desai mentioned in the fore
going case.
Puttun District.—Complaint by Surchand It will be seen by a reference to No. 44 of this Schedule
Doleechund, of Vagdod, Pergunnah Put-
tun, that a Kolee named Velia, of Jugrul,
and his brother Chagun, had been
tortured at Vagdod on or about the
beginning of October 1873.
3 G R
that this is not the first case of torture that has recently
come to light in the Puttan Pergunnah. The injured per
sons in the present instance were carried to the British hospital
at Deesa^ and measures will be at once taken to produce them
before the Commission.
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.
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- 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