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'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [‎225r] (454/502)

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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. .

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SCHEDULE III.
C ase N o. 10.
Vasudev Shivram, Parblm, 48 years, of Baroda, states:—In I agreed to
take the Valiivat of the Kural Mahal for 5 years. The Jamabandi thereof was about
Rs. 1,06,000 annually, and I agreed to pay the Sarkar Rs. 2,000 more as Jama
bandi than had previously been paid. I knew that in the survey formerly made
many ryots held lands unauthorizedly, from having bribed the Vahivatdar not to
enter them as holding land. I intended to revise this survey, and so to realize the
Rs. 2,000 extra. Nana Sahib Khanvelkar signed my appointment as Vahivatdar.
In addition to the agreement above stated, I promised to pay Nana Sahib Rs. 2,000
"Sukdi" for himself. This "Sukdi" was a private payment, and was made to
him to induce him to give me the place of Vahivatdar, and it was not till I had
paid my Rs. 2,000 " Sukdi" to him that he signed my appointment. I expected
to recover this money also, by my revision of survey and entry of ryots who
were unauthorizedly cultivating land. At the time of payment to Nana Sahib,
there were present Nana Saheb Khanvelkar, and on his behalf Govindrao Laksh-
man, Bhaskar Pant, and Balvantrao. On my part appeared Khanderao Esh-
vant and one Gopal. The money was paid in cash into the hands of Bhaskar
Pant, the Nana's Karkun. I saw no entry of this payment made in any account
book. I got no receipt for it. I had two or three other matters on hand, and I
therefore did not go to my Mahal for 4 or 5 months. I merely sent my agent to
conduct the business. I took from the Sarsubha, when I did go, surveying
chains, &c., and began to take portions of surveys in some, viz., 12 villages, but
the Patels came to me, and promising to pay me certain sums in excess, induced
me to stop my operations. I did not consider that I was accepting a bribe
from these Patels in doing this. I did not realize anything from my Vahivat
that year. I had not been in possession more than 10 months, when the Sarkar
sent a Karkun, Baburao Krishna, to dispossess me. I do not know why. This
Karkun forbade the ryots to pay me anything. They obeyed him, and my " chits "
which the Patels gave me to stop the survey are useless to me, as they won t
pay them. I came to Baroda and complained to the Nana Sahib, and requested
him to return my " Sukdi" or to help me to realize my chits. .A. month before
this Nana Sahib had taken Rs. 1,000 " Sukdi" more in advance from me, and
because I had not paid the second Rs. 1,000 in advance, he sent the Karkun to
relieve me. Nana Sahib promised to put this Karkun away, but he never did so,
and I cannot realize my money. I have two or three times made written petitions
to the Maharaj on this subject, but have had no answer from him.
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). Agents reserve cross-examination.
Reply 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). .
The " Sukdi" was received in the Jamdarkhana, and not by the Dewan.
The Karkun who was sent to take charge of the Mahal, was sent in conse
quence of complainant having embezzled Rs. 16,000 of public money.
We deny the second payment of Rs. 1,000 Sukdi altogether.
Final Statement by the Resident.
The Commission will not fail to observe that not a single question was put
to this witness in cross-examination, and that under these circumstances the meie
statements 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). are entitled to little or no weight. If the complainant
in—10

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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)

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
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'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [‎225r] (454/502), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F126/78, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023442808.0x000037> [accessed 11 July 2026]

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