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'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [168r] (340/502)
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.
9
and left there until they promised to pay. I made a petition on the subject to
the Gaekwar,. but he did not give any attention, and said we must all pay our
assessments, or it would be worse for us.
The Gaekwar's Agents reserve cross-examination.
23. Ambaidas Morar, Patidar of Gowesar, Khangi Mahal, states: —
About two years ago, one Mehta Jamadas Bhaiji came, by order of the Vahi-
vatdar, to my village to collect the nazarana cess. All who refused to pay, or
were unable to pay, were tortured in different manners to compel them to
do so. I was myself so treated, being compelled to stand in the sun, holding
my toes, and stones were also placed on my back, and at last I preferred
paying to enduring more ill treatment. I orally petitioned the Maharaj,
but he did not afford us any redress.
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 reserve Cross-examination.
24. Ambaidas Harjivun, Ugratdar of Mandala, Dabhoe Pargana,
states as follows;—In January or February 1873, the Vahivatdar Tatya
Mahadev came to my village to realize the gadi nazarana> The people had
great difficulty in finding means to pay this, so stones were placed on their
backs, and they were made to stand in the sun holding their toes. I was
also so treated.
In November or December 1872, the Vahivatdar beforementioned sent
for me and told me that a " Sadhnukri" tax of Rs. 4,000 was to be levied from
my village. I asked him what this new imposition was. To this he replied,
that he had to pay a nazarana of lis. 35,000 to the Sarkar to obtain his appoint
ment, and that he wanted to reimburse himself. I refused to pay this large
sura, on which the Vahivatdar had me seized and taken to the upper story of
the house where he was lodging. I was there tortured in various ways until
I gave a promise in writing on behalf of the village, to pay Rs. 1,900. Of this
sum, about Rs. 1,000 have been paid and Mohsals are sent to levy the
remnant. The other villagers were ill-treated to the same extent.
In the same year, the same Vahivatdar ordered a cess, amounting to Rs.
225, to be levied from the Patels on account of " Sadi choli," that is to say, a
tax levied for providing clothes to the Vahivatdar's newly married wife. This
we refused to pay, until we were tortured as we had been previously. In
consequence of these acts of oppression upwards of 50 families have left the
village lately, and gone to reside in the Panch Mahals. To obtain some
redress, we got Shankar Gela of Dhabhoe to petition the Maharaj, but we got no
redress. On the contrary, Shankar himself was imprisoned by the Vahivatdar.
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).
reserve cross-examination.
25. Shankar Ghelabhai, Patidar of Dabhoe, states as follows •
In March last, I was deputed by all the villages of the Dabhoe Pargana
to proceed to Baroda to complain of the tyranny which was practised in
realizing the different illegal cesses imposed by the Vahivatdar, Tatya Maha
dev. The forms in which he practises tyranny in the realization of the cesses
are numerous, and are all within my personal knowledge, I having seen them
myself. The people are made to stand in the sun with their hands touching
their toes. They are bound and stones placed on their backs and they are
severely beaten. I am a Desai of Dabhoe, and all the people who were
oppressed have confidence in me, knowing that I am acquainted with all
their hardships. This was the reason I was selected to lay their hard case
before the Maharaj. On presenting my petition in the Gaekwar s
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).
to
His Highness, he paid no attention to me, and the
sepoys
Term used in English to refer to an Indian infantryman. Carries some derogatory connotations as sometimes used as a means of othering and emphasising race, colour, origins, or rank.
drew me away from
the kacheri. Afterwards, as a punishment to me for having presented the
petition, the Vahivatdar confined me for three days in his house, from which
however I contrived to escape.
n—3 c
J Aj
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