Ballantine House

Ballantine House, known as Old Kothi, was located in front of the government press and was a notable colonial-era residence in Baroda. In 1802, during the period when Arab soldiers occupied the Baroda fort, the administration under Anand Rao Gaekwad was unable to pay their wages. Consequently, Diwan Ravaji Apaji sought assistance from the British East India Company. After the war in 1802, the building was established as an administrative office in 1803.

Colonel Tod, in his book, mentioned that the Belentine House and William’s Residency House were situated with Navalakhi Vav. At that time, Baroda was confined within just four gates, with no existing structures like the Kothi Court or the Lakshmi Vilas Palace, which was constructed in 1878. The government press and the Kothi Court were built between 1917 and 1923. The Kothi served as a government office from 1803 to 1830 before the British Residency was moved to Ahmedabad. It was reestablished in Baroda in Fatehganj in 1835, which marked the expansion of the Fatehganj Camp.

Ballantine House was a grand, two-story building situated on a high elevation, resembling a museum with its weaponry and cricket equipment. It was a popular site, attracting visitors including Nawabs, landlords, and politicians until 1969. During communal riots in 1969 and subsequent riots from 1980 to 1985, the building suffered significant damage. The descendants of Captain Baba Ballantine, from the Mughal lineage, sold the property in 1994-95. Today, the site has been transformed into a shopping complex with a blood bank on the upper floor.

The Ballantine family had connections with royal families such as the Nawabs of Sachin and the Raja of Chhota Udepur. They also owned a haveli (mansion) in Ahmedabad’s Teen Darwaja area. The Ballantines were British by maternal lineage and Mughal by paternal lineage.

This post is written in collaboration with Mirza Akram Ali Baig Ballantine, Rehan Kuwa Wala, Aiyub Khan Pathan & Baroda Muslim Official team. The information is provided by Mirza Saif Ali Baig Chote Baba Ballantine Shb.