!['Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [‎160r] (324/502)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000001524.0x000381/Mss Eur F126_78_0324.jp2/full/!1200,1200/0/default.jpg "'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [‎160r] (324/502)")
'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [160r] (324/502)
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.
3
ine ™ V ^n"' •^' a ^ c ^ 1 ° c ^' Harilal, Bacliar, and Pannu Mia, Jemadar, called us together
at Maoda, and advised us to pay the nazarana if we did not wish to be ruined.
Several 01 t le anias of Bijapur went away in fear of their lives and property.
Ofmy ryots who fled only one-third have since come back, and I have suffered
personal y a oss of s. *2,000 to 3,000, as they left just when the land was being*
prepaiedfoi cultivation. Matters bein^ in the state above described, we, Thakors,
sent a petition to the Resident at Barodain June, as well as to the Dewan, to the
effect that " the Grovernnient had sent a force against us, and wished to destroy us,
that theie would be a disturbance and outbreak if the Sarkar would not do us
justice, and that we should be blamed for having* caused this disturbance." We
also sent oui Kaikun Nandlal to state our case to the Sesident, and about one
month afterwards, July, on the invitation of the Resident, we came to Baroda.
The force was withdrawn about the .Dassera by the orders of the Government.
We have been in constant attendance on the Gaekwar since we came to Baroda,
but all his answer to our complaints is a demand for the nazarana. We have
been to Hariba Dada Gaekwar, to the Sir Foujdar, to the High Court, and from
all of them we receive the same reply, pay the nazaraua and the Inam Commission
tax, and we will then see about your grievances.
2. Harisingh Dhiraji (on behalf of minor aged 6) Thakor of Gassaeta, states:—
The extent of my village is about 3,000 bighas, revenue Rs. 0,000, 500 houses, and
a population of some 1,500. In , the amount of my ghas dana tribute was
about Rs. 1,000, but it has been gradually increased, for no other reason than
that it was the Sarkar's will, to Rs. 1,500, or thereabouts.
2nd. My Sirpao allowance of Rs. 32, and Meshvani of Rs. 4, have been stop-
T • Svt. 1924
ped since .
3ni My " giras " haks formerly extended over 10 or 12 villages, 8 or 9 being
in Bijapur, 3 in Kadi. In ^ . they were cut down from Rs. 433-8-0 to
Rs. 194-12-0, exclusive of my 3 Kadi villages, the amount of haks in which is
still unsettled. I accepted the reduced rate till tSttsvo > when the Vahivatdar took
a receipt for 2 years' payment from me, but only gave me the allowance for one
year, saying that the Inam Committee tax at 2 annas in the rupee for the
previous 7 or 8 years had swallowed up one year's revenue. I therefore refused
to take anything, and have received nothing since.
4th. The Government collects the full amount of our giras haks, but we
only get the reduced sum, and the arrears which we had left uncollected at the
time of the settlement we have not yet received.
5tJi. In one or two villages I was entitled to two donkey loads of pottery
from each Potter, 3 seers of cotton from each Dher, and the frame-work of a
grinding mill from each Sutar at the Divali, but these haks were all stopped
6th. In 4 villages I had the right of receiving the fourth of the produce, but
this right too the Government has stopped since ^ . At the time of the
Survey, the measurer entered 15 bighas of land at Ranasan and 15 at Vigar as
Sarkari, which was really my land. The ryots falsely said the land was Sarkari,
instead of mine.
7th. My giras haks in Kadi pargana, amounting to Rs. 112-8-0, have re
mained unsettled for the last ten years.
8th. In my grain haks amounted to 120 maunds, when the
Gaekwar's Agent commuted my allowance to cash Rs. 30. In iHr the Agent
further wished to reduce this by cutting 2 annas in the rupee, and since then I
have refused to take the allowance.
9th. There is a tax of 2 annas (Inam Commission tax) in the rupee upon
our Wanta or Inam land which the Government takes from the actual holder.
u
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
Use and share this item
- Share this item
'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [160r] (324/502), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F126/78, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023442807.0x00007d> [accessed 4 July 2026]
https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100023442807.0x00007d
Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.
<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100023442807.0x00007d">'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [‎160r] (324/502)</a> <a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100023442807.0x00007d"> <img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000001524.0x000381/Mss Eur F126_78_0324.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000001524.0x000381/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images
Copyright: How to use this content
- 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