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'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [137r] (278/502)
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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camel s teeth tlieie sliould have been an equal injury on both bones, whereas one
bone "was fiacturecl short, and the other at a considerable length above it. If the
man had been absolutely lifted off the ground, it is possible that dislocation of
the arm might ha\e followed j but before that could occur the agony would have
been so intolerable, that the person under torture would probably do precisely
what badak Ah says he did, roll over on one arm or the other. It would be
difficult to form a precise opinion as to when the fracture occurred, but the
pi ebent condition of the arm shews that the accident must have happened at
least 18 months ago.
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 decline to cross-examine.
Final Statement by the Resident,
Having omitted to obtain the evidence recorded by the Commission in this
case, lam unable to refer to it specifically, but 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).
reply has been furnished
to me, and I have a good knowledge of the facts of the case generally.
On His Highness Khanderao's death, Sadak Ali, who was a large camel con
tractor for the troops, &c. &c., got into trouble with the officials of the new regime,
just as many others did about the same time. In this instance, ihe Kamdar of
the Khas Paga, one Balvantrao Pimplekar, intimated to Sadak Ali that his contract
could not be continued unless he paid him a bribe of Es. 800. After some
altercation Sadak Ah agreed to this, but, as large arrears of pay were due to him,
he could only manage to pay Rs. 400, and left the remainder for future adjustment.
This was not approved by Pimplekar; a quarrel ensued, and a complaint was
made to the Acting Dewan, Raholkar, that Sadak Ali had threatened Pimplekar,
who was really working for Eaholkar in the whole matter. His camels were
then seized, and the whole of his property confiscated. He at once complained
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).
of this treatment, and appears to have continued doing so till he
at length addressed the then Resident, Colonel Barr, in September and October
1871, to the effect that Raholkar had seized his property and intended impri
soning him. Not having obtained redress, he went to Ahmedabad, and petitioned
the Resident again, through the Magistrate of the District, under date 1st
December 1871. He again failed to obtain redress, but appears to have continued
representing his case, till at length Raholkar being determined to be rid of his im
portunity in complaining to the Resident, threw him into prison. On being first
taken to prison, he was stripped, examined, and a minute description of him entered
in the Prison Register. This was in April 1872. About a week afterwards,
Sadak Ali was taken before Raholkar, to his private residence, about 9 p.m ., and
he was there and then told to give an acquittance in full of all demands upon
him in regard to pay and property, and further that he would never again com
plain to the British authorities. Sadak Ali declined to do anything of the sort;
he was therefore at once seized and tortured, in order to make him yield to the
demands of his persecutors. During the process his right arm was broken in two
between the wrist and elbow. He was sent back to prison, and left to take his
chance, without any medical man being allowed to visit him. He probably
would have remained in prison to this day had not his wife presented a petition
to the Resident, on or about the 11th of May 1872, stating that she and her
husband were British subjects, that he had been thrown into prison a fortnight
previously, and imploring the Resident's interference to have him released.
Under such circumstances. Colonel Shortt, the Resident, at once referred this
petition 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).
for explanation. No reply was received to his yad for
about three months, and when one came, in
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).
yad No. 1082, dated 15th
August 1872, the fact of Sadak Ali's being a British subject was not called in
question, but a flat denial was given to the fact that he had been imprisoned at
all, and it was declared that he had no claims whatever—on the contrary, that he
owed money 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).
. Sadak Ali himself had been released in the interim,
i—4 h
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