Background: Paikas of Odisha
- Paikas were traditional foot soldiers recruited by Gajapati rulers since the 16th century.
- They held rent-free land (nish-kar jagirs) in return for military service.
- By the 19th century, discontent grew across rural India due to East India Company’s expansion, affecting agrarian and tribal communities.
Relevance : GS 1(Modern History )
British Annexation of Odisha (1803)
- Colonel Harcourt led the East India Company’s forces into Odisha.
- Mukunda Deva II, the last Khurda king, was defeated.
- In return for surrendering forts and parganas, the king was promised Rs. 1 lakh but later betrayed.
- Four key parganas were withheld; King Rajguru and Jayee Rajaguru resisted.
- Rajaguru was captured and executed in 1806; the king was exiled to Puri.
Economic and Social Discontent
- Loss of political patronage and jagir lands post-British annexation disempowered Paikas.
- Revenue and land reforms displaced Paikas; Odia landlords were replaced by Bengali ones.
- Shift from cowrie-based to rupee-based taxation hurt tribal economies.
- Salt monopoly and coastal raids by British added to rural distress.
The 1817 Paika Rebellion
- Led by Bakshi Jagabandhu, over 400 Kondh tribals joined Paikas in revolt.
- Attacked police station at Banpur, killed British officers, looted treasury, and marched to Khurda.
- Over months, several clashes occurred, but the rebellion was suppressed.
- Jagabandhu went underground and remained at large till 1825.
Legacy and Historical Debate
- Seen in Odisha as a symbol of early resistance to colonialism.
- In 2017, Odisha government demanded it be called the “first war of independence”—predating 1857.
- Cultural Minister in 2021 announced NCERT inclusion, calling it a major uprising.
- Paika Memorial and Paika Academy initiatives launched to commemorate the event.
Key Takeaways
- Not merely a military revolt—rooted in agrarian distress, displacement, and cultural alienation.
- Demonstrated early signs of organized anti-colonial resistance.
- Its omission from early NCERT history textbooks triggered backlash in Odisha.
