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'Baroda Enquiry Commission Report, 1874' [243v] (491/502)
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.
10. These facts have been wellknown in 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.
since the days of
Mr. Sutherland, who was at great pains to enquire into the whole subject and
to record the result of his investigations.
11. Nor is the pay of the Sowars regularly disbursed to them—the
instances reported m paras. 233, 234, and 235 of my last Annual Report (copy
with the Resident); as also see Colonel Barton's last report to the Resident on
subject of the Contingent, No. 631, dated 19th June 1872.
12. The enclosed extract from a report on the Police arrangements in the
Rewa Kanta districts, which I recently submitted to Government, contains my
views on the reorganization of the Contingent serving under this
Agency
An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent.
and the
Appendix (E), is a distribution return of the Force. ° '
13. I regret that I am unable to furnish the Commission with a printed
copy of this long report, but I would respectfully suggest a requisition being made
to Government for one, as I have asked the Political Secretary to print it for the
information and guidance of the Officers belonging to this
Agency
An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent.
, as well as for
transmission f to the various Collectors and Political Officers whose districts ioin
mine. J
14. The general idea, however, set forth in the report is that the different
Native States and groups of estates should organize and maintain their own
1 ohce forces ; in the case of the semi-independent and larger States, both mounted
and foot Police ; but in the case of the latter, called in this
Agency
An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent.
Mehwassi
estates, only foot Police.
15. That 200 Sowars of the Contingent, (including officers), should be re-
orgamzed and thoroughly drilled and disciplined, that a portion of this detachment
should be posted in the different Thanas, as mounted constabulary to keep the
peace in the surrounding districts, and that, with the exception of a few employed
as escorts 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.
, his Special Assistant, and the Superintendent of
ederal 1 ohce, so long as the appointment lasts, the rest should be kept together
at the Head Quarters ready for any emergency.
16. That the remainder of the Contingent, i .e., 114 men, should be employed
as at present on a number of miscellaneous duties, but that the whole body should
be under the Superintendence of an European officer.
17. I am decidedly of opinion that in this
Agency
An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent.
no reduction in the num-
;) . ei I . ^ ® oowars is feasible, and that, on the contrary, an increase of 100 undis
ciplined Sowars is very desirable, if His Highness the Ga^kwar could be persuad
ed to give his consent thereto.
18. The Kattywar
Agency
An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent.
, which comprises 20,000 square miles of districts
m a compact form, has 1,000 Sowars at its disposal, besides a body of
Agency
An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent.
Mohsah Sowars.
19 While this
Agency
An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent.
, consisting of 12,000 square miles of most scattered
districts, has only 314 feowars wherewith to carry on all its multifarious duties.
,. , , 20 ' Tbe Pahlanpur and Mahikanta Agencies, which are smaller and have
^hter work than the Rewa Kanta
Agency
An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent.
, have 1,000 horse attached to each
ot them. Ihese facts speak for themselves.
I have, &c.,
(Signed) H. N. 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.
.
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