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'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [206v] (417/502)
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.
these is therefore suggested. The widows must have been instigated by evil
advisers now, to come forward and complain as they have done.
The sum above named does not include the house of Bhao Sindia.
Final Statement by the Resident.
The widows of the late Bhao Sindia, ex-Minister of the Baroda State, have
complained to the Resident of gross personal ill-treatment at the hands of the
present Maharaja, and of the confiscation of all their private property in addition
to that of their deceased husband. The widows were kept in confinement in
Baroda for no less than 21 months, and were only eventually released under the
direct orders of Government. Colonel Shortt, the Acting Resident, was directed
by Government letter No. 4365 of 23rd July 1872, to see the widows in person
without the intervention of any
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).
Agent, and to ascertain from them what
their condition actually was, and what their wishes were. The widows have
stated that thev were accompanied to the
Residency
An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India.
by a
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).
Karkun and by
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).
peons,' and that before being admitted to see Colonel Shortt they were
tutored by Balvantrao Eshwant, the Sir Foujdar, (who appears to be chiefly
responsible for the shameful treatment to which they have been subjected;
regarding the answers that they were to give to Colonel Shortt, and were
threatened with future ill-treatment in case of their disclosing what had
happened.
Under the pressure thus put upon them the widows were compelled to
conceal from Colonel Shortt, the gross ill-treatment to which they had been
subjected, and to give a totally false account of their condition ; and Colonel
Shortt was induced in consequence of this misrepiesentation, to write to Go-
vernment a most misleading report regarding the real ciicumstances of these
ladies.
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).
give no explanation whatever of the attachment and confis
cation of the private property of the petitioners, which, considering the
position of their deceased husband and the intimate relation that he occupied
with the late Maharaja must have been very considerable.*
The case of these unfortunate ladies is one that the Resident would
earnestly commend to the favourable notice of the Commission, suspi
cious nature of the circumstances attending the death of the ex-minister in
prison are already well known'.
The late Bhao Sindia was possessed of very large property, considerably
exceeding the amount stated 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 have been seized in satisfaction
of the State claims, viz.,
Rupees
Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf.
3,61,200. This property has been variously
estimated at from 30 to 50
lakhs
One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees
. The whole of the property was seized 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).
on the pretence of dividing it amongst Bhao Sindia s cieditois.
This, however, has not been done, and the whole of this enormous property,
together with that of the present petitioners , has been simply confiscated
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).
, while the widows have been reduced to destitution.
The Resident trusts that the Commission will be able to make' such re
presentations to Government on behalf ofthese unfortunate ladies as will place
them, at all events in circumstances befitting their condition in life. It should
be brought to the notice of the Commission that attempts have been made
by the present Maharaja to deprive the petitioners of their Inam village of
Devargam by repudiating the grant of the late Maharaja Khanderao.
These attempts having proved unsuccessful, a suit has now been filed
against the petitioners in""the Nasik Civil Court by Hari Bhagti, who is a
ward of the Maharaja, and one of the chief of the late Bhao Sindia s creditors,
which, if successful, will have the effect of depriving the petitioners of their
sole remaining means of subsistence.
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