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'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [180r] (364/502)
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.
3
purge and vomit. After a while the deceased's sister, Lakshmibae, complain
ant No. 1, came to the palace and asked him, while yet conscious, what was
the matter with him. The deceased latiaba told her that the accused No. 2,
Daji bin Hari Powar, had induced him to eat of the " shrikhand, " and had
treacherously mixed with it some poisonous drug. Upon this information
the medical men No. 10, Narayenrao Venayekrao and Adarjee Jamsedji, were
sent for. They saw him and prescribed many remedies; but his case became
hopeless, and he at last expired on Monday morning (Falgun Vadya 3rd).
The accused No. 2, Daji bin Hari Powar, makes a confession to the above
effect. In the same way the accused No. 3, Ganu bin Dhondi Devre, con
fesses to having gone in company with the accused No. 2 and brought
the arsenic alluded to from accused No. 8, and of its having been mixed with
the "shrikhand." Similarly the accused No. 4, Vithoba bin Babaji Nikam,
admits in his statement that the accused Nos. 2 and 3, after having brought
the poison, informed him of the fact and showed it to him. He further states
that the reason of administering poison to Tatiaba was that accused No.
5, Raghu, was to succeed him in his situation, and that Raghu had given him
and the others assurance that they would all be provided with situations
from Government. The accused No. 5, Raghu, denies this story But
from the statements of accused Nos. 2, 3, and 4, as well as from the circum
stance that he did not eat the "shrikhand" which was served him by the
accused No. 2, Daji, when he sat in company with the deceased Tatiaba to
take his meal, pleading the false excuse that he was suffering from pain in
his stomach, it appears clear that he was implicated in the perpetration of
the foul deed. The accused No. 6, Narayen bin Shivba Vanjara, and No. 7,
Lakshman bin Pandoba More, plead total ignorance of the above affair in
their respective statements. They admit having accompained Tatiaba to the
place where the ceremony of the sprinkling of coloured powder took place,
but deny any knowledge of the poisoning. This latter statement is false, as
the accused Nos. 2, or 3 and4 show that they were their accomplices. As all
these persons used to live together, it shows that they (accused Nos. 6 and
7) were concerned in the perpetration of this murder. The accused No. 8,
Fatteh Ali Aminudin, allows in his statement that when the accused Nos. 2
and 3 came to his shop and asked for arsenic, telling him that it was required
for killing mice, he gave them that drug about a tola in weight, on the
morning of Sunday, the 2nd of Falgun vadya. As regards the accused
No. 9, Ghanchi Ranchod, the accused No. 2, Dajiba bin Hari Powar, has
stated that he brought the arsenic from his (Ranchod's) shop, but the said
Ranchod Devji denies this in his statement. On a search being made at
his house, a quantity of arsenic was found in his shop. And Drs. Narayenrao
and Adarji certify in their report that the deceased Tatiaba Powar's death
was brought about by the effects of poison which had been swallowed by
him.
As it has been proved from this evidence, as also from the confessions of
accused, that the Sarkari Jamdar Tatiaba Powar was deprived of his life by
the abovementioned prisoners administering to him poison in the dish called
" shrikhand," and the papers in this case having been explained to His
Highness the Maharaja, the following sentence has been passed in accordance
with his orders, viz., that the accused Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 shall, in
consequence of their conviction of this offence, be whipped with twelve stripes
each at each of the following stations, viz., the four gates, the mandvi, the
house of the deceased Tatiaba, and near the Raopur platform, and that they
shall each suffer rigorous imprisonment for life. It was further proclaimed
throughout the city of Baroda that any one in future committing or being
implicated in similar misdeeds, would be similarly punished.
(Signed) BALVANTRAO ESHVANT.
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