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'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [135r] (274/502)
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.
SCHEDULE No. I.
C ase N o. 4.
Seiad Sadak M i.
1. Sadak Ali Maddat Ali, Musalman, 40 years, Camel Contractor of
Alimedabad, states:—
My father came from Hindustan when I was a child two or three years old,
and settled in Ahmedabad. I am, and have been for many years, a British sub
ject living and settled in Ahmedabad, where my house and family are.
My connection with the Baroda Government first began when the late
Khanderao came to Kattywar. I do not remember the year. I have held con
tracts from time to time since then from the Gaekwar's Government, and at the
time of Khanderao's death, I had the following establishment under him:— 122
camels at Rs. 15 per pair per mensem; of these 51 were in the head quarter's
paga, and 71 employed in the batteries, regiments, and other branches of the
establishment. After Khanderao's death a Karkun of Balvantrao Eaholkar's
said there would be a difficulty in keeping up my establishment. I told him I
had to pay Rs. 12,000 to the men from whom I had bought the camels, and that
I was at a loss what to do. He offered to settle the matter with the Dewan if
I would give him Rs. 1,000. After some talk I paid Rs. 400 to him in cash,
and begged that Rs. 400 more might be deducted from the arrears of Rs. 3,000
pay due to me. He would not agree to this, and said I must pay the whole
amount before I received the "chits" for my pay. Matters remained thus for
some six or seven months (about May 1871), when he represented to the Dewan
that I had abused him, whereupon my property, as detailed below, was attached
and confiscated:—
94 camels, 1 shigram and pair of bullocks, 1 buffalo, 2 country carts.
I complained about this to Colonel Barr, and to the authorities in Bombay,
but no attention was paid to me.
Shortly afterwards, the Dewan sent for me to his house, on the pretence of
making a contract with me for 200 camels to go to Junaghad. From there I was
taken by some
sepoys
Term used in English to refer to an Indian infantryman. Carries some derogatory connotations as sometimes used as a means of othering and emphasising race, colour, origins, or rank.
, and put into jail. Seven days after, Appa Sahib (the son
of Balvantrao Eshvantrao, one 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).
Agents now present) and one Tatya
Punekar, with three or four
sepoys
Term used in English to refer to an Indian infantryman. Carries some derogatory connotations as sometimes used as a means of othering and emphasising race, colour, origins, or rank.
, took me one night to the Raholkar (Balvant
rao Dewan). I was handcuffed, my hands being fastened behind my back. The
Raholkar ordered me to give a receipt in full for all my arrears, and to sign a
statement that I had no complaint to make to the British Government against the
Gaekwar's Government. I represented that I owed Rs. 10,000 or Rs. 12,000 to
my creditors for the camels, and that if I signed such a paper I could not settle
my accounts with them. Upon this the Raholkar ordered the men to " make me
consent and sign such a document." Thereupon they tied a rope to the hand
cuffs, and fastening it to the roof they pulled me up by the wrists. In doing so
I swung round, and, falling to the ground, 1 broke my right arm above the wrist.
(The complainant shows his arm, which is in a useless and fractured state).
Seeing this they took me back to jail, where I remained for some six weeks, and
was only released on my wife petitioning the Resident, Colonel Shortt. I was
made to sign a bond for Rs. 200 not to go near the Palace, the Raholkar's house,
or the Head Quarter's paga. My wife was also made to refund at double rates the
amount of subsistence allowance which had been expended for me in jail. On
my release I made a complaint to the Resident, who transferred my case to the
Assistant Resident for disposal. That officer called for the Foujdar and his
i—4 a
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