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'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [95r] (194/502)
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.
/<£s
17
SCHEDULE No.
Complaints of Baroda Subjects.
R emarks.
Case of the present representative of the
old banking firm of Hurree Bhugtee,
Muggunbhai Purshotum.
That Hurree Bhugtee's is not an isolat
ed case of loss inflicted npon bankers on
a large scale by the present Maharajah
is shown by the following cases
The case of the Banking Firm of Samul
Bechur involving many
lakhs
One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees
of
Rupees
Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf.
2. Also the case of Dowlutchund Juver-
chund, of Ahmedabad, for Ks. 2^71,000.
3. Also the case of Amtha Runchord for
Rs. 50,750,
4. Also the case of Muggunlall Hukkum
chund, of Ahmedabad, for about Rs. I
lakhs
One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees
.
The heads of all these firms are British
subjects, resident in, or trading with,
Baroda, and they have no means of
redress, save through the Resident, in
case injustice is done to them.
Muggunbhai Purshotum is a youth about 17 years of age. His
father came to the
Residency
An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India.
to complain that his son^ the
head of the Firm of Hurree Bhugtee, though a ward of the
Gaekwar Government, has been despoiled of a considerable
amount of property, and that unless some inquiry were made
into his case, he would be ruined. Measures were then
adopted through the minister to obtain the attendance of the
youth in question ; and the facts as related by Muggunbhai
himself, are as follows ; it is submitted that they afford prima
facie evidence of serious abuse of power and breach of trust
on the part of His Highness Mulharrao, whose r lation to
the minor in question is that of guardian.
'I am 17 years of age and reside at Baroda. Originally Hurree
and Bhugtee were two brothers trading under the name of
Hurree Bughtee at Poona under the Peishwa, and the firm
accompanied Govindrao Gaekwar when he ascended the Gadi
of Baroda, and he established them as the State Bankers/'
I have heard part of an anonymous petition read to me. 1st,
about 6
lacs
One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees
of
Rupees
Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf.
connected with my firm ; 2nd, a
Nuzerana of five
lacs
One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees
taken on my adoption ; 3rd, the sum of
3
lacs
One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees
of
Rupees
Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf.
lent to Bhow Scindia; 4th, a receipt for
Rs. 75,000 taken by His Highness Mulharrao, without
paying the money; oth, Rs. 1,00^000 taken by Geerdhur
Tricum himself; 6th, an emerald necklace and other orna
ments with cash, chandeliers^ clock, Ac.,taken by the Maharajah
Mulharrao ; 7th, the resumption about a year ago of our Inam
village and allowances."
"In the year 1925 His Highness Khunderao Maharajah appointed
one Girdhur Tricum as Mooneem to superintend the affairs
of my firm ; owing to the misconduct of this man, I made a
petition to His Highness Khunderao to remove him; this
was a few months before his death in 1870. Khunderao
Maharajah died, and representations were continually made to
the same effect to His Highness Mulharrao, but nothing was
settled; then a cashier named Gordhun Bapoojee arranged
through Balvuntrao Rahoolkur to give a Nuzerana of
Rs. 75,000 to the Sirkar to get the appointment renewed; and
a man named Choonilall Peetamber was appointed by me
with the sanction of His Highness Mulharrao. This was
about September 1871. Wussuntram Bhow and Bulvantrao
Rahoolker threw difficulties in the way in their dealings with
the firm as connected with the Government Banks, and Bul-
vuntrao told me that unless I re-appointed Girdhur my firm
would be ruined. Upon this I had no alternative but to
reinstate Girdhur. Bulvuntrao Rahoolker was at that time
doing the work of Dewan, and I looked upon this as an order
of Government. Girdhur Tricum continued in my employ as
Mooneem until about two months ago."
•''Next, about the six
lacs
One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees
; it refers to a transaction which occur
red when I was a minor ; but this much I know. That the
Sirkar sent their men to examine our accounts, and they said
that 20
lacs
One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees
were owed by the firm to the State on account of
some old debt, and a chit for 20
lacs
One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees
of
Rupees
Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf.
was taken
from my adopted mother for that amount. Six
lacs
One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees
were
paid by the firm in part payment of that amount, but three
proofs were adduced by the firm to show that the debt had
been really paid off, and in consequence of this His Highness
Khunderao ordered that the said six
lacs
One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees
should be returned
and no demand made for any more ; and Mulharrao Maharajah
returned the chit for the 20
lacs
One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees
; but did not retv/rw ^
lacs
One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees
ordered by Khunderao, and they are still unpaid. I do
5 G R
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