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'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [111r] (226/502)
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.
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49
SCHEDULE No. II.—
Eemarks.
Petition of the following ryots of the
village of Vaysma, Nowsari District :
1. Morarjee Pragjee.
2. Sunkurjee Shewram.
3. Eoodur Dajee.
Hope from the person, as per margin was, delivered at 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.
on the 2nd instant (December 1873), viz " The
Gaekwar Government commits oppression on the ryots of the
Tailoii I uppa. Ihe appointment of the Wywutdar is
held by Narayanrao Raghonath's son, a boy of 8 years old, and
the work is carried on in his name by Lalloo Lala, who com
mitted great oppression on us. At present, the people were
preparing to come to Baroda to complain, and several of
them have been imprisoned in consequence, viz., Lulloo
Nuthoo, of Sondulpur, Lalla Doolubbhaee, Naranjee Bhaidass,
and several others, whose names we do not know, but we have
got a paper signed by numbers of men. We made our escape
and have come here to complain. Some of the runaways
were seized and 10 or 15 of us have secretly left at night, and
have come here, because if we do not represent over grievances
we shall continue in the same miserable condition. AVe have
come with only our clothes on, and pray you will be so kind as
to record our depositions regarding over grievances. Now that
we have come here, we hope you will be so kind as to arrange
to prevent the
which is We cannot return without some
arrangement.
Similar obstruction appears to have been offered to the ryots
of Mundala, in the Dubhoe Purgunna, as appears from a
petition received in the Resident's Office.
Petition from the Ryots of 6 villages of Another instance has just occurred ; it is reported in the following
the Bullesur Purganna, Nowsari. petition from the ryots of Oomruck, Gangpur, Soyanee, Bar-
shada, Jutpurda, and Vanesha. Pistad, of the Balesur Pur
gunna, Nowsari District, signed by 26 persons, who represent
that organized attempts are being made by
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).
officials to
prevent their coming to Baroda to lay their grievances before
the Commission. They state in substance as follows;—
That at the present time Dessai Mukunjee, son of Govind Neecha,
Desai of Pulsana and Kharbaree of the Balesur Purgunna, and'
the other Kharbarees, Gossai Bhai, Rugha Vushnu, and other
Dessais visit their villages by day and night to prevent them
from appearing before the British Government to represent
their grievances; that the said officials forcibly take their sig
natures to writings prepared by themselves; that they have
made a petition about this to the Gaekwar Government, but
that they do not think it probable that on that petition their
grievances will be redressed, they therefore submit this petition
to the Resident.
They state that from the time that Govind Neecha became
Wywutdar and Kharbaree in their Purgunnas, and the sur
vey was introduced, the said Govind Neecha has treated them
oppressively, and they were obliged to consider him as the
Gaekwar himself and no one would listen to their complaints.
British officials visit their districts and redress grievances on
the spot; the petitioners plead that no one comes to them for
that purpose.
They complain that the assessment is very high, that prices have
fallen, and therefore that the assessment should be reduced
and the re-marriage tax done away with. Govind Neecha and
other Dessais should be prevented from going into the dis
tricts and causing discontent and exacting forced labour.
They further complain that their credit with the sowkars is at an
end, owing to their extreme poverty. Their sons remain
unmarried, and that they are starving; after paying the Go
vernment assessment they declare that they have not even a
sufficient quantity of grain left for food, and consequently they
are in a miserable plight.
13 G E
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