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'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [131r] (266/502)
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.
89
SCHEDULE No. III.— continued.
3. Serious general maladminstration of
the Baroda State in the Revenue,
Police, and Judicial Departments ; —re
sulting in general insecurity of life and
property of all classes^ amounting to
persecution in certain instances.
4. Bribery and corruption amongst the
high officials of the State^ including
Wywutdars, Fouzdars, &c., &c.
5; Abduction of respectable women from
their families to serve as loundees.
6. Inefficiency of the contingent of 3,000
Horse—its condition being far below
the standard provided for by Treaty,
27 Boundary disputes.
10 Claims to jurisdiction.
27 Claims to deserted and populated
villages.
In addition to the cases brought forward
in these schedules^ there still remain
1,385 petitions, upon which no action
has been taken by the Resident.
288 refer to complaints about civil
matters.
297 do Revenue do.
118 do Girass do.
173 do Criminal cases.
414 do complaints against
officials.
95 Miscellaneous.
It is submitted that in this and other sentences of the report
quoted above, we have a perfectly true description of much
that has subsequently and quite independently been brought
to light in the cases of the
Sirdars
Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division.
^ the Thacores, the Wut-
tundars, the Jagheerdars, the Ryots, the Bankers^ His High
ness Khunderao s followers and other servants of the Baroda
State.
4r
We see also that instead of principles of reciprocity governing
the relations between the two States, as they ought to do,
" counter charges" or a system of counter attack^ characterise
the proceedings of 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).
to an extent that is not merely
disrespectful to British officers, but insulting to their Gov
ernment. In the events which are now taking place in Now-
sari and elsewhere, even with regard to persons who come to
Baroda to complain to the British Government of their
grievances, we have significant instances of the system of reta
liation that will be indulged in unless authoritatively checked.
Verifying Colonel Barton^s experience that the " acts of the
local officials, however arbitrary or illegal are upheld and justi
fied, and any representations from the
Agency
An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent.
are treated with
contempt or denied point blank."
The present system of administration in short unsettles every
thing and settles nothing. Its effect upon the borders of
Pahlanpur and the petty States under that
Agency
An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent.
with
which it comes in contact is most injurious in every way. A
few months ago there were upwards * of villages deserted in
Kankrij alone owing to claims put forward by the Baroda
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).
to them according to its normal spirit of encroach
ment—a spirit that must be systematically and authorita
tively checked on all sides.
The last Administration Report of the Mahi Kanta also contains^
in para. 31, a complaint that the Thakore of Mansa cannot
obtain his dues on Wanta lands in the Kurree Purgunna,
though repeatedly applied for.
Again^ u under the head Police, Lieutenant Hunter, Assistant
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, reports that the Baroda officials
invariably repudiate their responsibility when thieves are
tracked into their territory although the village system is
kept up."
Again the same officer reports ^ complainants of the Mahi Kanta
must now appear in the Baroda District Revenue Courts
and prosecute their claims, there is no guarantee that they
obtain justice. My own experience has shown me that the
contrary is the case. In a recent case I proved the revenue
officer had made a false report of the settlement of the claims,
and compensation was eventually paid. In some cases the
theft of a few seers of grain drags on a weary correspondence
for several years.
In short, whether it is on behalf of the business of Political
Agents of Native States, or of the Collectors of neighbouring
British Districts, the Residents advice tendered to H. H. the
present Gaekwar according to Treaty, has seldom^ if ever
been followed, even, though sound, just, and friendly. Nume
rous instances of this may be quoted between 1871 and the
present time. Hence " business is at a stand still," and will
remain so until the whole system of
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).
administration
is changed from what it is at present.
- R. PHAYRE,
Resident of Baroda.
23 g r
printed at the government central press, bombay.
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