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'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [159v] (323/502)
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.
Gaekwar has introduced another tax of Rs. 5 on each " natra" or remarriage,
which he takes to himself.
mil. In the year *^1 the custom of giving safe conducts to Thakors
leaviDo- their villages for the Yahivatdar's town, or Baroda, was abolished, and
in consequence of this I suffered the disgrace in of being kept m custody
at Bijapur for 2 days, because I refused to pay the " Accession nazarana tax.
The Commissioners are of opinion that the 13th grievance, being the
sum of the Thakor's complaints, should be kept to the last. Its number is there
fore changed from 13 to 17.)
1 Mh.It was in -xr^eVthat the Government of Khanderao Gaekwar did away
with the custom of summoning our ryots through us, and directed that when sent
for bv the Vahivatdar, they should be called direct. , • ,,
14^. Since ^ H i the custom of sending Mohsals and making us pay tne
cost of their keep has been forced upon us.
loth We have always claimed and held the right of ownership of the pro
perty of our ryots who died without heirs, but since ^nUthe Government has
taken that right to itself.
\Qth. Till 5 or 6 years ago there were no tolls in our districts, but they were
then uniustly established"by the Gaekwar. We consider ourselves in precisely the
same position as our " Bhayad," the Mahikanta Thakors, and that Government
has no right to levy anything whatsoever from us but the " ghas dana tribute.
lllh.The nazarana on accession demanded from us was 25 per cent, on our
"ghas dana" tribute, and 40 per cent, on the giras haks. This we, Thakors,
refused to pay, as no previous Gaekwar had ever demanded such a tax, and we
thouo-ht Malharrao had no right to exact it. What happened to me is what
occurred to the remaining Thakors, and the whole history is as follows On the
Vahivatdar of Bijapur intimating to me that we had to pay this tax, I asked
him to represent our grievances to the Government, and that this tax coming on
the top of them, made it impossible foi'" us to pay. Tie imprisoned me and Kept
me without food at Bijapur for 2 days, trying to get a promise from me to pay,
and I was onlv released on agreeing to go to Baroda. I went to Baroda with
the other six " Thakors of Bijapur, and presented 2 petitions to Nana Sahib
Kbanvelkar, the Prime Minister. We had no intention or wish at that time to
make any disturbance or cause any outbreak. We were kept waiting on the
Dewan for a month, and the only reply he would give us was, that when we had
paid the accession nazarana tax, he would see about enquiring into our other
grievances, through the Vahivatdar. We declined to pay nazarana, and returned
to our villages. Shortly afterwards, viz. in we made a petition to the
Resident, Colonel Shortt, and 3 months afterwards, having had _ no answer to
that, we sent him and the Maharaj a second petition, which they took
no notice of. About 2 months.after that, viz. in March 1873, my Mehta,
together with Amarsinji. the Likhe Thakor, went to the Vahivatdar com
plaining of the mohsals placed over us, offering to pay our usual ghas dana
tribute^ and declining again to pay the accession nazarana. The Vahivatdar
refused' to take our" " ghas dana'' unless we first paid the nazarana, and
said he would bring a force from Baroda to compel payment. Upon this I
sent a petition to the Dewan requesting that the Vahivatdar might be confronted
with us at Baroda, but we got no answer to this request, or to a similar petition we
sent to the Resident. In ^ we received an order from the Sirsubha calling us to
Baroda, but were afraid to go without the usual guarantee. Upon this a force was
sent to Bijapur consisting of 100 Infantry, and from 1,000 to 1,500 men were also
called in from the Mahals to aid them. My village is 3 kos from Bijapur, and the
cultivators hearing about the force all ran away, leaving only from 200 to 300
kolis there. A proclamation was posted up in the village forbidding the ryots
to give me my haks or dues, and so with the other Thakors. Four of the Gaekwar's
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