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'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [128r] (260/502)
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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83
SCHEDULE No. III. — continue
Names of Claimants, &c.
Case of Narrayen Putsliotum and others
of the village of Sukra, Baroda Pur-
ganna.
General circumstances of each case.
by the Sir Sooba in justification of his conduct is manifestly
very wrong, and ought not to have appeared in a public docu
ment addressed to the British Government. I have now
seen many cases of this kind in which faith is not kept with
Wywutdars and farmers of all kinds^ and that high officials
appear to do great injustice by re-selling contracts as has been
done in the present case. So long as this want of good
faith continues there cannot be any proper conduct of busi
ness throught the State, and as the bad con duct of the Sir Sooba,
Hurriba Gaekwar, is clearly proved in this instance, I hope
that Your Highness will listen to my advice and commence
the so-much-needed reform in every department of your
State, by reinstating the petitioner^ Bulwuntrao Luximon,
whose security money is at the present moment lodged with
the bonds in the hands of the Senapatee himself, who is the
Wywutdar of the Mahal.
No reply to this yad has been received, and the petitioner is
without redress.
The particulars of this case fully appear from Yad to 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).
No. 2420 of October 11th, 1873^ of which the follow
ing is dn extract :—
Your Highness^—Patels, Narrayen Purshotum^ Jewun Nuthoo-
bhai, Bapoo Umta, and Harribhai Purshotum^ of Sookra
village, under the Baroda Purgunna,have brought to my notice
the following distressing circumstances, in the hope that
Your Highness may give them immediate relief from the
injustice and oppression to which they have been subjected
by one Gopal Kashee, a resident of their village, who is sup
ported by Nutwalal, Thanedar, Luximeedass Eughoonath, the
Police Patel, and Jalalbhai,
Havildar
Custodian; police sergeant; jail or prison guard.
. Their case appears
to be as follows:—Their families have been pro
prietors of the fifth part of the Sukra village from time
immemorial. They inherited this from their uncles,
Nuthoo Narotum, Rojeedass Nurseedass, and Mahadev
Nurseedass, as will be seen from the accompanying lineal
trees. They have also been in possession of the property for
upwards of 20 years. In Sumvut 1921 the land in their
village was assessed for 10 years at Rs. 8 per komba, and
securities were taken from them for the payment of that rate
on all the lands belonging to these persons. Notwith
standing these arrangements, the land was re-assessed in
Sumvut 1923 and Ks. 9-8 per komba were fixed. This
increased assessment has been paid without any demur
whatever, but notwithstanding this submission on their part,
Gopal Kashee, supported by the abovenamed village authori
ties, has demanded from them a few koombas of land as a
bribe; otherwise he would attach their claim to the property which
they had inherited from their uncle. The three patels refused
compliance with this man's request. A report was therefore
made to 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).
in Sumvut 1925 that the three patels
in question were in the enjoyment of heirless property, and
that if the same were made over to Gopal Kashee, he would
pay a nuzerana at Rs. 6,000. 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).
gave immediate
orders that Gopal Kashee was to be put in immediate pos
session of the said land ; and Gopal Kashee taking the order
with him came to the village and seized Narrayen Purshotum,
and requested him to sign a paper without informing him of
its contents. Narayen Purshotum declined to sign; whereupon
he was threatened with severe punishment, to avoid which
he and the two other patels fled to the neighbouring village
of Dodka.
Gopal Kashee then took possession of the lands belonging to
the aforesaid patels as well as the standing crops on them to
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