'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [172v] (349/502)
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.
0
In order, liowever, that the Commission may have an opportunity of forming
a fair opinion (1) regarding the gravity of the crime committed and (2) regarcl-
ino- the actions of 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 with reference to this crime, the Resident
would respectfully invite the attention of the Commission to the petitions ot
relatives of two of the sufferers, which were forwarded to Government with
Endorsements Nos. 197-933 and 198-934 of October 14th, 1873.
The Resident respectfully submits that these petitions contain a substantially
true account of this very serious case. It will be seen from these petitions that
the torture inflicted was of a brutal and revolting kind, and that two unfortunate
w om.en> named Amba and Gulab, were also subjected to cruel and unmerciful flog
ging in public kacheri. The following is a list of the sufferers m the case .
1. Velia Uma Koli Matadar.
2. Chhagan Dulechand,
Bania
Merchant of Indian extraction.
.
3. Balvant Meru, Bhat.
4. Bhaiji Meru, Bbat.
5. Parbhudas Parsotam, Bhat.
6. Tribhovan Bhathi, Bhat.
1'! Women of the Bhat caste.
8. Gulab j
The character of the injuries inflicted on these persons is fully described in
the petitions referred to, and have been substantiated orally before me.
Commission will not fail to observe that at the time of their investigation, De
cember 5th, four of the chief sufferers, viz., Chhagan Dulechand, Bhaiji Meru,_ and
the tivo women, were never produced 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).
, although on two occasions,
viz., November Stli and November tlie
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).
liad been advised by the Re-
side'nt to produce all these persons for examination before the Commission. It
was stated, however, that one of these witnesses, named Chhagan Dulechand,
was still so ill from the injuries which he had received, that he was unable to
attend.
The main points in the case to which the attention of the Commission is
respectfully invited, are as follows:—
] st. The flogging of women and men in public kacheri without any legal
sentence or order of a competent Court.
•2nd. The motive for which the flogging was inflicted, viz., to extort
confession.
3rd.The position of the Officer by whom the flogging was inflicted, viz.,
the chief criminal authority of the district.
4th. The indiscriminate nature of the torture inflicted ; eight persons being
similarly treated.
Uh. The infliction of torture on a British subject named Parbhudas Par
sotam.
In forming an opinion on the gravity of the case, the Commission will not
fail to bear in mind, that the case is not an ordinary case of Police torture,
which might occur in any district even under the best regulations. In the
present case the petitioners represent not only that no crime had been committed,
but that no person had even come forward to complain. The torture is stated to
have been merely a device for squeezing money out of persons who were supposed
to possess money. The case, moreover, must not be considered as an isolated case
of torture. In the case of the goldsmith Kasiram Ambaram, ISTo. 44 of this
Schedule, precisely similar violence was inflicted, and in that case also is
alleged to have been one of the victims, and to have died from the injuries which
About this item
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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.
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- 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