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'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [‎105r] (214/502)

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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. .

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/v
* J t.J
37
SCHEDULE No. II.—
Complaints of Baroda subjects.
Remarks.
49 Case of Kooshaba Govindrow Jadow.
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of.NofS
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50
Case of Mahasookram Nursaidass.
10 G R
favours from both Gunputrao and Khunderao Mahrajahs^ and
I amassed considerable property amounting to about Rs. 8,900,
the details of which are shown in the vernacular yad accom
panying my petition to the Resident. Four days after Khun-
deroa died I was imprisoned and all my property attached.
I was told that there was some paper in my house of a
suspicious character. I told my informant to search my
house, and my house was searched accordingly. No paper was
found. I was kept for 6 months a prisoner in my house and was
then taken off to prison. 8 or 9 of Khunderao's followers were
in prison with me about the same time. While I was in prison
I was fettered with fetters weighing half a maund. I re
mained in prison about 2^ years, and have just been released
at the recent eclipse of the moon. Up to the present time, I
have never been tried nor have any questions been asked me^
except with regard to the paper which was suspected to be
in my house. I have been deprived of all my property and
am now a ruined man. I pray for justice. During my stay in
prison at Baroda, I have seen women severely flogged there.
It is a practice to flog them with a cane on their bare backs.
This petitioner states that he came from Deccan to Baroda when
very young, and that be has been in the service of the Gaek-
war since the time of Syajeerao; and that at the time of
Khunderao's death he occupied the post of Jemadar of (Jhat-
reewallas in the Maharajah's houshold. Petitioner further
states that he was possessed of personal property amounting to
about Rs. 72,000, besides houses to the value of Rs. 8^500
and other property, of all of which he has been deprived;
he states that he was arrested in connection with the charge
of setting fire to the Havelee, and was cast into prison on
declining to make a full confession and implicate innocent
persons as he was instigated to do; that no investigation was
made, and no witness were examined in his presence; that he
suffered great hardships in jail, being kept for the first 6
months in solitary confinement; that he was only recently been
released at the Resident's intercession. Petitioner prays that
compensation may be awarded to him for the loss and
injuries which he has sustained.
The facts of the petitioner's case appear from the following
statement of the petitioner made before the Resident:—
I am a British subject and a native of Ahmedabad, but I have
loner been employed at Baroda where I practise as a Vakeel*
I enjoyed the favour of His Highness Khunderao, by whom
I was employed to investigate certain charges against Bui-
wuntrao Yeshwunt, Fouzdar, Nanajee Yeshwunt, Hariba Dada,
and Narayenbhai Laloobhai. His Highness Khunderao im
prisoned Bulvuntrao Yeshwunt and Nanajee Yeshwunt^ and
would have imprisoned Hariba Dada and Narayenbhai had
not his death occurred. After Khanderao^s death I was ar
rested and thrown into prison. I was kept in a dark room
in the Fouzdaree for 6 months; during this interval I was
called to Hariba Dada's house three times. On the first occa
sion I was called by Bulwuntrao Yeshwnnt, and was desired to
sign a paper on a promise of being released. To procure my
release I signed the paper, but I was not allowed to read it
nor I was released. On the second occasion another paper was
given to me to sign by Bulwuntrao Yeshwunt. On looking
at the paper I saw that it was a deposition, and I requested

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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)

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
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'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [‎105r] (214/502), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F126/78, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023442807.0x00000f> [accessed 29 June 2026]

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