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'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [169v] (343/502)
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.
mm
ill
* The original claim of
Bhanabhai Lalbhai, the Boun
dary Pillar Contractor, No. 7
of Schedule III., was rejected
in connection with this Survey.
12
The details of this, as also the persecution of several persons who had
come to Baroda to complain, and had fled into the Surat Collectorate, as re
ported by Mr. Hope, will be found under Case 65 of Schedule II.
I have reason to know that the officials of Naosari and their relatives at
Court particularly dread the consequences of an enquiry into its revenue
administration, because the entire system, including
the Revenue Survey* itself, is said to be as fraudu
lent in respect to the Gaekwar State, as it is tyranni
cal with regard to the people ; and the real question
is, whether this state of affairs is confined to Naosari ?
I believe not.
Although the main cause of discontent amongst the landholders and
agricultural classes of the whole State has not been directly inquired into, yet
it is submitted that the evidence recorded by the Commission of the forcible
means which have been systematically used everywhere by 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).
to
collect its revenue, affords undoubted proof of over-taxation to an oppressive
extent, because it is not rea-
f 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).
, in speaking slightingly of the position of sonable to suppose, that ifj"
these people, condemn themselves. Every man examined was respectable persons like those
a Matadar or a Patel, the heads, in fact, of agricultural classes. lin J pr pvam ; nflt ; OT1 had it in
Moreover, all these persons have incurred extreme risk by U i n( ! er examination, naci It in
coming forward. their power to pay the Crovern-
ment demands, they would
year after year, for the last 8 or 9 years, have incurred torture, imprisonment,
and every kind of annoyance by obstinately refusing to meet them.
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).
, indeed, in their reply of the 18th December, instead pf fac
ing the difficulty and promising reform, attempt to show that if there is any
thing wrong they are not responsible for it. They state—-
That they are not prepared to the evidence recorded,
because they do not know the names of the persons^
subjected to oppressive treatment, and that such was
not systematic.
2. They then contradict themselves by saying that the description of
torture given is at least considerably exaggerated, if
3. That such tyranny is contrary to a general Circular § issued by them
, m. • • , n- i i n February 1873.
§ This is merely a Circular J ^
addressed to the' Vahivatdar 4. That the gadi nazarana was levied with the
Petiad Mahal, and is not a knowledge of the late Resident, Colonel Barr,
general one. , , , „ -r-» , -n i i
5. That the Bhats of Patan were not killed by
Government
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.
, but immolated themselves.
6. That the Sojitra Bhats and Brahmans, against whom a Military force
was sent, refused to pay the Inam Committee tax, and were turning people
against the Government, and that only three or four of them died, but from
natural causes, not from their wounds.
7. That with respect to the Naosari business, to
prevent persons from coming to complain, and they evade altogether the
circumstances reported by Mr. Hope.
In these and other replies given to the Commission of late, 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).
would make it appear that there is little or no room for reform in the matters
investigated. The briefest possible glance, however, at the evidence itself
will, it is submitted, show the contrary. For instance—
Witness No. 1 describes the circumstances under which an old widow
died from ill-treatment by Government
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.
, simply because her three sons
had deserted the village through inability to pay the taxes demanded of them.
1.
X Not?, —Every witness gives
specific instances.
r
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