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'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [177v] (359/502)
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.
alleged debt with interest, making up a total sum of twenty
lakhs
One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees
or £200,000
of English money. In order to secure her signature on this bond, the
petitioner's mother was kept in confinement in her own house for one
month, three other confidental clerks were imprisoned, and no one was allow
ed to have access to her until she had complied with 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).
s wishes and
had signed the bond which was the signal for commencing the plunder. The
lady was finally compelled to sign the bond on Kartag Sud 4th, Svt. 1920, and
an aoreement was taken from her to pay the whole amount of 20
lakhs
One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees
in
instalments of three
lakhs
One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees
per annum. Two instalments were actually paid for
the years Svt. 1920 and 1921, amounting to six
lakhs
One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees
. In the year Svt. 1922, for
some reason or other which is not apparent, the payment of the instalments
was discontinued. The bond however was not cancelled, and the amount of six
lakhs
One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees
which had been paid on the strength of this fraudulent bond^,
been repaid to the firm. Vide detailed explanation Schedule II., Case 37.
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).
's explanation of the petitioner's 3rd head of complaint is
characteristic. It is asserted that the jewels appropriated by the present
Maharaja were given by the petitioner as nazarana on the cancellation of the
bond for the twenty
lakhs
One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees
above referred to; and it is represented that the
cancellation of the bond was an act of grace on the part of Malharrao Gaekwai.
Considering the fact that the bond had remained in abeyance since the yeai
Svt. 1921 when the last instalment was paid, and considering the circumstances
under which the bond had been originally extorted, the surrender of it by the
present Gaekwar was a somewhat ambiguous act of grace. Khanderao Gaekwar
first employed the bond to plunder Hari Bhagti's firm of six
lakhs
One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees
of
Rupees
Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf.
,
and Malharrao Gaekwar has employed the same bond to plunder the petitioner
of jewels amounting to five
lakhs
One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees
of
Rupees
Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf.
in value, under the shallow dis
guise of performing an act of generosity.
No explanation whatever has been given 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).
regarding the
circumstances under which the Maharaja possess-
* This necklace is a well- ed himself of the .petitioner's emerald necklace*
known and celi-brateJ one for valued at upwards of five
lakhs
One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees
of
Rupees
Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf.
, and the
the costliness ot :ts lewels. . . , 4 ^ t . i i / v ir
petitioner s being uncontradicted speaks for itself.
The explanation 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).
regarding the petitioner's 5th head of
complaint, viz., that the release for the
Rupees
Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf.
75,000 was given volun
tarily, is under the circumstances simply incredible. To say nothing of
the fact that the petitioner was a minor, and under the protection 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).
at the time, it is simply incredible that a business firm would have,
without any reason whatever, waived their claim to three-quarters of a
lakh
One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees
.
The petitioner moreover distinctly states that he was forcibly compelled to
give a deed of release.
The causes assigned 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).
for the resumption of the petitioner's
villages and allowances are simply unintelligible. The petitioner is only one
of numerous complainants who have been despoiled ina similar manner without
any valid reason whatever except that 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).
wished to possess them
selves of property belonging to Baroda subjects in the easiest and most direct
fashion.
No explanation has been afforded regarding the petitioner's 7th head
of complaint . The facts speak for themselves.
Regarding the 8th and 9th subjects of complaint, the explanation 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).
can hardly be accepted. Girdhar Trikam was the individual ap
pointed 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).
who had wrought such ruinous loss on the firm that
the petitioner was readily induced to pay a nazarana for his removal; but
considering that Girdhar Trikam was 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).
's own nominee, the exaction
of a nazarana for his removal was utterly preposterous. The statement that
the petitioner subsequently applied for his services is, under the circum
stances, simply incredible, besides being distinctly denied by the petitioner.
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