Letter from the undersigned Sirdars, etc. of the Baroda Sate to Philip Sandys Melvill, Agent to the Governor-General of India, Baroda [‎18v] (4/18)

the State. It is necessary to state here that the financial condition of the State
is at present as good as, if not better than, at any previous time. As far as we
know, the State revenue amounted, some years ago, to Rs. 6,500,000; lately it
amounted to Rs. 14,000,000 {vide letter of the late Resident to the Secretary of
the Bombay Government, dated the 28th June 1873, and published at page 9 of
the Report of Sir R. Meade's Commission). And His Excellency the Dewan, in
his Administration Report for the year 1875-76, estimates it at Rs. 11,000,000.
It is clear from these figures that no ground of a financial character can be put
forth for diminishing our rights and allowances.
10. The following are the common grounds of our dissatisfaction with the
administrative policy of His Excellency the Dewan :—
1. Several of the time-honoured customs and usages of this State have
been abolished ; and the principles according to which Native States
are generally governed have been abandoned here.
2. The cash allowances of several of us have been reduced.
3. The horse and foot establishments held by us, and the allowance
granted to us for their maintenance, have been reduced.
4. Several of our Inam villages have been attached, and are still lying in
the same state ; and several others have been resumed.
5. We have been deprived of the possession of the Dumala mahals and
villages.
6. It is proposed to change the principles according to which complaints
made against ourselves and our followers have been hitherto disposed
of—a step the effect of which is highly dangerous to the security
of our dignity and privileges.
7. Our jurisdiction in the Inam villages has been greatly limited.
8. The treatment corresponding to our rank and dignity is not observed,
as if we were persons of no consequence.
9. Some of the hereditary servants of the State have been dismissed, and
diminutions have been made in their rights, the full security of which
was vouchsafed to them by each successive Maharaja on proper
occasions.
10. The rules according to which the State and other public records were
kept in charge of hereditary Darakdars have been set aside.
11. The old system of maintaining peace and order in the State has been
changed; and the new one is, in our opinion, highly expensive, at
the same time that it is calculated to disturb the original constitution
of the State,
12. Some of the allowances granted for dharmadas (charitable
institutions) have been reduced, and others have been wholly
discontinued.