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'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [&lrm;233v] (471/502)

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'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [‎233v] (471/502)

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'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874'

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Ref: Mss Eur F126/78

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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Each! troop to number (men and Officers) 120, or six hundred men in all.
The Special Officer of Police should have besides 20 men and 5 officers.
The Depot troop to be maintained for relief purposes, and be kept at special
drill. It will also furnish the 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. 's escort.
r , , The Prant troops to be at the orders of the
on r0 ' four Political Officers, each in his Prant.
The Assistant 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. will (subject to the 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. ) decide
where the men are to be posted and how employed in his Prant. He will also
closely supervise their pay, discipline, drill, cleanliness, arms, ammunition, clothing,
and communicate on these subjects with the Superintendent at Eajkot, who will
have everything claimable under the treaty, or rules in force, promptly supplied,
but duly consulting the Subah.
A code of rules to be issued to decide what minor offences the Political
m . , f r,. Officer of the Prant may punish summarily and what
na o o e ces. w ill be tried by the Subah. In any of the latter
( serious) cases, the Political Officer to be authorized to arrest the Sowar In the East India Company army and later Indian Army, an ordinary native cavalryman or mounted cavalryman. and send
him in custody to Rajkot. All non-military offences to be tried by the Criminal
Courts of the Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. .
The Prant Political Officer to have a right to object to any of the horses he
0 tine horses thinks unserviceable, which must be cast and
replaced if the Superintendent concurs with the
Prant Officer. If they differ, the 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. to decide.
No hereditary claims to serve as Sowars can be allowed, and the men
c , emust all be of military age, not old men or boys
Selection of men. m_ o •
as some ot the present Sowars are. i he Superin
tendent if supported by the 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. to have the right to insist on any
man being discharged as inefficient, and to refuse to pass any new man enlisted.
The pay of all ranks to be disbursed regularly through the Rajkot and Prant
Disbursement of pay. Treasuries. If funds are not otherwise provided,
the disbursements to be debited against the Gaek-
war's Tribute.
Each troop to consist of 100 privates and 20 Officers. The full complement
Constitntion of Troops. named in tlie may be somewhat modified,
P but a large number of Subordinate Officers is
4 Dafedars needed, because the troops will be split into many
8 Naiks. small parties on duty at the Thanas. The Officer
1 Farrier. of the Depot troop should have somewhat higher
1 Writer The lowest of the four classes into which East India Company civil servants were divided. A Writer’s duties originally consisted mostly of copying documents and book-keeping. ^ P a y as I^ asa ldar Major, &c. These officers or a
large part of them to be trained soldiers.
The whole force to be mounted on mares or geldings, (which do not scream
Horses. when strange horses are approached), and to be
one horse Silledars, finding their own horses.
Suitable horses can be obtained in Kattywar for from 150 to 200 rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. .
Uniform to be left for decision. But that of the Reformed Horse would do.
Uniform. One part of it should be a horseman's cloak for
night patrols.
The men to be trained to act either on horse or foot. To be armed with
^ rms carbines and good native swords. Officers to have
double-barrelled breach-loading pistols (Adam's).
The carbines to be of some pattern, (Enfibld's), used by British Cavalry, so
that supplies of them and of ammunition can always easily got. The double-
barrelled carbine of the Siad Horse is said to be a good wjapon, but is probably
difficult to get.
1 Rasaldar.
1 Rasaidar,
1 Naib Rasaldar.
1 Jemadar.
1 Kot Dafedar.

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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)

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

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'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [‎233v] (471/502), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F126/78, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023442808.0x000048> [accessed 24 July 2026]

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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