!['Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [‎108r] (220/502)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000001524.0x000381/Mss Eur F126_78_0220.jp2/full/!1200,1200/0/default.jpg "'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [‎108r] (220/502)")
'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [108r] (220/502)
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.
Z/cT
43
SCHEDULE No. W.—^continued.
Remarks.
Case ofBapoobhai Hurriyallub, represen
tative of the firm of Ruttonjee Khan-
^ ~ of Baroda,
I W:
Case of Madhowrao bin Godhajee, P^tel ( oJ
Baroda.
Petitioner complains that his inam village, Gamdi, has been
attached by the present Mahrajah. The village was granted
by His Highness Siyajeerao Maharajah in as
hereditary inam by sunnud. He also complains that his
palkee and other personal allowances for which he holds
sunnuds, have also been stopped by the present Government
without any cause.
f The following statement has been made by the petitioner :—
My father got an inam village (Maletha) from His High
ness Khunderow in Sumv ^ 19 -^ ; I hold a sunnud for it. The
A. D. lobl-oz
Mv father died 2
Case of Nurseebhai Runcbadbhai, of Ne-
riad, on behalf of the widows and
daughter of the late Kussundass Withul-
dass, of Bakrole inPetlad.
'This case illustrates the mode in which the or
dinary provisions of Hindoo Law are disre
garded by the present administration anc
inheritances sold to the highest bidder.
The petitioners are highly respectable
persons, and the present freirs of th(
deceased Kussundass, viz., his widows
are left utterly destitute, even then
stridhun having been seized with the
inheritance.
grant is hereditary.
i.e., in Sumvut 1920.
it was
Snmvut 1928 "\yhen
irsrisn-T^ ,
row and given to Govindrow Mama..
years subsequently^
I continued to enjoy the village till
resumed by His Highness Mulhar-
A. palkee allowance of Rs. 600 annually was also granted to
my
father by His Highness Khunderow in
I en-
a>
P
d. 1862-63 ?
joyed this allowance till Sumvnt 1928, when it was stopped
by His Highness Mulharrao. This grant was also an heredi-
tory one.
The petitioner's case is stated by himself as follows One Kus-
sundas Vittuldass died in 1869 possessed of very considerable
property amounting to upwards of 5
lacs
One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees
of
rupees
Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf.
. Kussun
dass left three widows who are his sole heirs ; of these three
widows one only Kussundass had issue, a daughter named
Suraj ; this daughter isallegedto be the reversionary heir to the
estate of the deceased Kussundass; and the petitioner, who is her
husband, claims on' behalf of herself and an infant son, Apajee.
Kussundass had an elder brother named Rugabhai, who died 88
vears a^o, leaving two widows and a daughter. On the death
of Rughabhai without male issue, Kussundass. became sole heir,
the property iu quesji'.on being alleged to be an ord nary undivi
ded property, and the descendants of Rughauhai's daughter,
Heta, possessed no claim to any share in the inheritance. On
the death of Kussundass, in 1869, one Lrdlpo, grandson of Hetal
petitioned 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).
that the property in question was heir-
■ less property, although at the time Kussundass had three
widows and a daughter living, the daughter i» question being
the wife of the present petitioner.
The petitioner alleges that his son, Apajee, the grandson of
Kussundass, was formally recognised by the present Govern
ment as heir to the estate, and that the usual dress of honor
was sent to him on the completion of Kussundass' funeral
ceremonies. He also states that he was forcibly compelled
to pay a nuzerana of Rs. 15,000 in order to procure the
formal recognition of Government. This nuzerana was sulv
sequently refunded to petitioner, and a nuzerana of 40,000
was accepted by the present Government from his of
ponent, Lulloo Toolshee, who was placed in possessoin of the
property, and was recognized by the Government as heir to
the estate of the deceased Kussundass. This descision of
Government is alleged to be in direct contravention of the
ordinary law prevailing in the Gaekwar's dominions, and to
the result of corrupt influence on the part of the highest
officials in the State.
Petitioner prays that his valuable estate may be restored to
him, and that he may be declared the lawful heir to the estate
of the deceased Kussundass.
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
Use and share this item
- Share this item
'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [108r] (220/502), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F126/78, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023442807.0x000015> [accessed 4 July 2026]
https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100023442807.0x000015
Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.
<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100023442807.0x000015">'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [‎108r] (220/502)</a> <a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100023442807.0x000015"> <img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000001524.0x000381/Mss Eur F126_78_0220.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000001524.0x000381/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images
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