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'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [185r] (374/502)
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.
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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).
St
2. Statement of accused No. 1,
Dajiba bin Had Powar, taken before
Balvantrao Eshvant, but does not
bear that officer's signature, is dated
Falgun vud 4th, Monday, Samvat
1929, in which he deposes that the
deceased Tatiaba Powar had direct-
ed him yesterday to prepare " shrik-
hand " for him, which he prepared
that day at about "3 p.m . and put it
in a vessel, the mouth of which was
closed by him, the room in which it
was kept being closed. When he
returned that evening to the place,
Tatiaba informed him that he was
hungry, and that he therefore placed
the " shrikhand " before him, mean
while his food was brought in a plate
by one Eshvantrao Kamati, and Ta
tiaba sat down to eat. That he
placed before him the " shrikhand"
about three-quarters of a seer in
weight, the whole of which was eaten
byhim. At about midnight, Tatia
ba began to purge and vomit, and
about 5 next morning he was
taken to his house by his sister
Lakshmibai. Meantime news were
received that Tatiaba had died. He
is ignorant of the cause of his death.
He did not put any poison in the
"shrikhand," nor was he instigated
by others to do so. He saw Tatiaba
sometime after his meal, and he was
purging and vomiting. He com
plained of a burning sensation in his
body. The " shrikhand" was pre
pared by him alone and nobody was
present at the time. Tatiaba was all
right before he took his meal.
Further statement of the accused
No. 1, Dajiba, taken before Balvant
rao Eshvant, but does not bear that
officer's signature. It bears the
same date, but instead of Monday,
Tuesday is written there. The
accused states as follows: — On the
night of Sunday last, the " shrik
hand" which he had given Tatiaba
to eat was mixed by him with
white powder of arsenic. This arse-
ni c was brought to him by the
accused Lakshman More and Ganu
Devre from the shop of accused
atteh Ali, and was about half a
n—39 d
Remarks by
It will be observed that this depo
sition purports to have been taken on
Falgun vad 4th M and that
the deponent speaks of having pre
pared the poisoned
the day previously, Sunday.
Whea~is stated that Falgun vad 4th,
Tuesday, and not Monday, the in
correct statement regarding the day
on which the poisoned food was pre
pared becomes very material. It
is inconceivable that so important a
discrepancy could possibly have oc
curred by accident. It will be
noticed that this accused appears to
have made two statements bearing
the same date, but the day of the
week being differently given. In
the first statement made by the
accused person, he denies all know
ledge of the alleged crime. In the
further statement,/or
is apparent on the
ceedings, he gives what purports to
be a detailed confession of the alleged
crime. It is respectfully submitted
that it is a point of extreme import
ance to ascertain what actually
occurredm the interval between these
two examinations, because it is con
trary to reason to suppose that with
out some cause or other, which does
not appear on the face of the pro
ceedings, any accused person will
suddenly repudiate his previous
denial and voluntarily criminate him
self in a matter of life and death,
and it was to supply information on
such points as this that a statement
of the Sir Foujdar was absolutely
necessary. The Commission were
" indeed assured in general terms that
" these proceedings contain full par-
" ticulars of the trial, and
" matron as to what took place at the
" trial which was held before him,"
(the Sir Foujdar), yet it will be seen
that in this and every other instance
quoted below, in which alleged con
fession is made, the proceedings fail
to explain the sudden transition from
positive denial of all knowledge of
the crime to the most complete cri
mination of themselves, and of all
whom 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).
thought fit to
arraign in connection with the case.
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