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'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [163v] (331/502)
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.
10
5. Were tlie case of these Tliakors an isolated one, the mode of settling it
would not, under ordinary circumstances, affect British interests in any way.
The Resident, however, would respectfully submit that we have at the present-
moment a large number of Rewa Kanta Guaranteed Girasias, and others also who
hold wanta lands and giras haks in Gaekwar territory, whose interests would be
affected one way or the other by the orders issued in the present case; and as
the question has already been referred to Government in the last year's Rewa
Kanta Administration Report, the following extract from that report is made for
the purpose of reference.
6. After alluding to the "unrestrained oppression and tyranny practised
towards Rewa Kanta subjects by the Baroda local officials," para. 277 of the
report runs as follows :—
"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).
never lose an opportunity of snubbing one of the more power
ful Rewa Kanta Chiefs, or of oppressing and encroaching on the rights of the weaker
ones; and in this term all Girasias andB hay ads
far as the recorde eheio, have any attempts
advisers in th is course of policy.
" Para. 289. The Gaekwar's Inam Commission is a constant source of
irritation and annoyance to all Girasias and Wanta holders, who have the mis
fortune to own lands or wantas in His Highness's territory, and as if this was
not enough, a most iniquitous practice prevails of measuring the lands admitted
to be the property of Girasias by a shorter measure than the one formerly in
use in that pargana.
" 290. Thus supposing a Girasia is allowed by the Gaekwar authorities
to be the possessor of say 26 kumbhas of land, calculated according to a measure
13 cubits in length which has been used from time immemorial in that district,
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).
officials at once measured off the land with the measure only 12
cubits long, assigned the much reduced parcel of land to the wretched Girasia
as his batch of 26 kumbhas, and appropriated the excess, called Vadhare, to the
State.
" 29]. This reduction of a single cubit in 26 kumbhas of land represents a
loss to the Girasia of 65,000 square cubits. A kumbha at the former rate of
13 cubits equals 16,900 square cubits, while at the latter rate only 14,400 square
cubits.
" 292. In certain villages the old standard measure was 16 cubits long,
but this too has been reduced to one of 12 cubits in length, so that from the
above figures Government can easily imagine how the Girasias are fleeced right
and left; for there are no other words to express what goes on under that De
partment of the Gaekwar's Government."
?•_ The Resident would, in conclusion, submit, for the consideration of the
Commission, that the quotations above submitted give a fair description of the
system now in vogue, for the reform of which he and the
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.
of the
Rewa Kanta trust they may receive full support in disposing of the giras cases
under reference.
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