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'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [‎108v] (221/502)

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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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i
44
'■Mr
SCHEDULE No. I.—
Complaints of Baroda Subjects.
Case of Lowjee Oomed, Goomasta of Choo
nilall Dulcharam, Banker of Ahmed
abad, Baroda, and elsewere.
This case affords another instance of a
Banker having been ruined through
the private enmity of the chief crimi
nal authorities. It -will be observed
that the petitioner alleges that a false
statement was extorted from him under
pressure, and that it was followed by
imprisonment and heavy fine, no offence
whatever having been charged against
him and no proceedings having been
recorded.
ItEMAKKS.
The following statement has been made by the petitioner
I am Goomasta of the firm of Choonilall Dulcharam, Banker !
Choonilall has firms in Baroda, Ahmedabad, Visnagar
Pahlunpur, Patun, Bombay, and Dhollera. Choonilall is on
bad terms with Bulwuntrao Eshwunt, the present Sir Fouzdar'
of Police. I am in charge of Choonilall's firm in Baroda
An attachment was placed on my firm by Bulwuntrow Esh
wunt in January 1871, and all our papers, &c., were removed
to Bulwuntrow Eshwunt's private house. When His HigHness
Khunderow died in November 1870, Bulwunt Eshwunt was
a prisoner in his own house by Khunderow's orders. Kara-
yenrao Babajee was then Fouzdar, and Bulwuntrow Eshwunt
had no criminal jurisdiction as Fouzdar. I do not know-
by what authority he attached my firm. This attachment
was ^placed on my firm on account of a certain sum of
Rs. 5,000 which I was said to have received on behalf of one
Prema Itcha. I had not received this sum, nor was there
any entry in my accounts of this sum having been received.
Bulwuntrow Eshwunt told me to confess that the amount in
question had been received by me from Bhow Scindia. '
I refused to do so. I was then urged to confess that the |
amount rn question had been offered to me by Bhow Sciu-
i [ re ^ u,se< -' confess as it was false. I was then forced
by Bulwuntrow Eshwunt to sign a statement to the above !
effect under threats of being sent to jail: under this compul
sion I signed. Another statement was also exacted from me i
under similar compulsion. This took place about one or two
months after Khunderao's death. The attachment was
maintained over my shop, and I was kept under surveillance
or about nine months*not being allowed to leave my house.
iy e moiiths after I had been placed in confinement, I was
ordered by Bulwuntrow Eshwunt, who had been made Fouz
dar m the interim, to pay a fine of Rs. 15,000. This fine
was no paid. An attachment was therefore placed on the firm
m Visnagar in order to realize this amount. The debtors
» .r , ril 1 1 . were summoned by the Fouzdar and were for-
ic en y him to pay their debts to my firm. Chitties were
a ven rom my debtors that they would not pay their debts
i 0 '"'l Avl ! Sirkar's orders. In this manner I had
i money due to me to the amount of Rs.
, . ' , •', T 11S amoii nt is still outstanding. From the treatment
1+ layebeen subjected, the business of my firm has
s 0 PP ec ' m Baroda and I have suffered great loss thereby. ,
^'n '^ aCe ? over m y ^ rm i n Visnagar was removed
fnnj T> '■ t ■ ^ y after I had caused a petition to be made
Spnfpmti ri +v, oven i linen t. Subsequently in the month of
Bornlo k r + 6 a ^ ac n<jn ^ wa ' s removed from my firm in
the F ai ' i ] U v ! e ? Urit i y Was ^ken from me to report myself to
ritv nriP IW" 1 !! 6 0r f i! e m V - n ^ ■^ aro< ^ a ' ^ produced as my secu-
f or • a ; , 1 ] S00 l ribovun, of Baroda, who stood security
original fiiit "ti!" 111 ? S ' _ the amount of my
TrihhmMin • ' +-n • securi tj bond signed by Mahasookh
without tl 18 T? 1 ^ { orce -' an d I am unable to leave Baroda
fault T 1 6 < ? u ^ ars Permission. I have committed no
on m 'p hv "R l 110 iriten 5| P a y the fine illegally inflicted
on me by Bulwuntrow Eshwunt.
1 P on y m^tl t ,riSi e0eiVe com P ens ation for the injuries inflicted,
me through the private enmity of Bulwuntrow Eshwunt;

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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' [‎108v] (221/502), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F126/78, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023442807.0x000016> [accessed 4 August 2026]

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