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'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [153v] (311/502)
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.
24
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men. The Inam village of Aurungpur, now Dewalipur, was given to him by
Seiaii Maharaj. We had a Saaad for these till a.d . 1840, but lost-it on the burn
ing of "our house that year in Baroda. We saved a copy of this S'anad, but lost'
the original.
After Samal came Motilal and Harilal in a. d . 1829, who were continued in
the establishments above detailed, and also received another palkhf-and two more
villages, Gadula and Jivkor. These were given to the firm by Seiaji Maharaj for
banking services rendered to the Gaekwar Government. He also gave them a
orant in that year, 1829, to the effect that we were continued in all Samal's hohburs.
1 produce the original grant. (The genuineness of the Sanad is admitted by the
Gaekwar's Agent, It professes to continue the allowances, &c., granted to Samal,
so long as Harilal and Motilal continue to serve the State as bankers and con
firms the statement of the witness). I produce a second original Sanad conferring
the rights on us in perpetuity of the two palkhis, (This is also acknowledged to
be genuine).
In the time of the Maharaj Khanderao an allowance of Bs. 900 annually
was conferred hereditarily on Motilal, for peons as runners to precede him. I
produce the " Karar" (which is acknowledged to be genuine by the Gaekwar's
Agents), In 1865 in place of Jivkor, we got the village of Fattehpur, Rs. 1,280,
from Khanderao in perpetuity, I produce the Sanad showing (This is also
acknowledged to be genuine). I produce a copy of the Sanad granting Dewalipur
in perpetuity, the original of which was burnt as stated above, I produce the
original Sanad for Qadula granting it annually (admitted to be genuine).
The total value of our allowances in the way of pagah, palkis, personal allow
ances, and Inam villages came to about Rs. 35,000 annually. The whole of these
allowances, &c., were stopped fifteen months ago by Malharrao, the present Gaek
war, The ostensible ground of his stopping them was a false claim for debts owed
to the State for fifty years past. He claimed Rs. 1,25,000 in all from us. Out of
this sum he said he found from our books Rs. 64,000 owing to the State, He
took away our books and has since kept them in his own possession. We do not
admit the debt at all. The Nana Sahib has, however, since settled this with us,
and we have no complaint to make about it. There was a second item of Rs.
60,000 which Nana Sahib has now settled, and we have no quarrel about that,
There remains but one item of Rs. 20,000 which the present Government claims
as a Court fee on a suit for Rs. 3,84,000 which we brought against Bechar
Nathu in the first Court of the Gaekwar, Khanderao, however, exempted us from
the fee, and directed that the suit should proceed without fees being taken, We,
therefore, now object to pay the money, The total amount dne to us now by
the Sardars, Silledars, &c., is about 15
lakhs
One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees
of
Rupees
Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf.
, This amount I claim
that the Gaekwar's Government should assist me in recovering from these Sardars
and Silledars, by deducting the amounts due to me from their pay.
The value of the horses which formed my pagah in the Kattywar Contin
gent, 62 in number, confiscated at the same time was about Rs, 12,000, including
their equipments. All the private property of the firm which w T as in Gaekwarj
territory has been attached. I cannot say what was the value of it. Motilal
after this petitioned the Resident, and lived for four months in the Camp here in a
place assigned to him by the Resident. Motilal went to Ahmedabad on urgent
business about fifteen months ago. The day after he left, his property and every
thing was attached, and he remained in Ahmedabad till he came to Baroda about
six months ago. He then stayed, as I said before, in Camp for four months and
died after an illness of a few days in Ahmedabad, to which plaice he returned when
he first fell ill. I succeeded him in the business and am new to it. I have lost
lakhs
One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees
of
rupees
Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf.
from this and have been forced to close my Banks in Ahmedabad, Surat
and Bombay. No one will do any business with me now, I have lost my credit,
The Gaekwar's Agents reserve crossr-examination,
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