In News:

The recent exclusion of the Paika Rebellion of 1817 from NCERT’s Class VIII history textbook triggered political backlash in Odisha. Former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik termed the omission a “huge dishonour” to the Paika warriors, prompting NCERT to clarify that the topic would be included in the second volume of the textbook to be released later in 2025.

Who were the Paikas?

• The Paikas (literally "foot soldiers") were military retainers traditionally employed by the Gajapati kings of Odisha since the 16th century.
• In exchange for military service, they were granted hereditary rent-free lands (nish-kar jagirs), which they cultivated during peacetime.
• Under British rule, their privileges eroded, and they faced land dispossession, economic hardship, and social marginalisation.

Background to the Revolt

• In 1803, the British East India Company annexed Odisha. Colonel Harcourt marched from Madras to Cuttack, defeating feeble Maratha opposition.
• A deal with King Mukunda Deva II of Khurda promised ?1 lakh and four parganas (Lembai, Rahanga, Surai, Chabiskud) for safe passage, but the British defaulted.
• Jayee Rajguru, the king’s adviser, mobilised 2,000 Paikas to confront the British. Though part payment was made, the parganas were not returned.
• Rajguru was arrested and executed on 6 December 1806 for waging war against the British. The king was dethroned and exiled, and the Barunei Fort was demolished.

Causes of the Paika Rebellion

• Loss of Traditional Privileges:
  • Confiscation of rent-free lands after British land settlements.
  • End of royal patronage.
• Land Alienation & Tax Burden:
  • Local Odia landowners were forced to sell land to Bengali absentee landlords.
  • Revenue demands shifted to rupee payments, affecting marginal farmers and tribal communities.
• Salt Monopoly & Trade Restrictions: British control over salt trade, particularly after 1814, increased hardship for inland hill populations.
• Cultural and Political Suppression: The decline of local leadership and traditions under colonial authority contributed to growing dissent.

Course of the Rebellion (1817)

• In March 1817, approximately 400 Kondh tribal fighters from Ghumusar marched toward Khurda.
• They were joined by Bakshi Jagabandhu Bidyadhar, the former commander-in-chief of Khurda and ex-holder of the Rodanga estate.
• The rebels:
  • Attacked the police station at Banpur
  • Burned colonial buildings
  • Looted the treasury
  • Killed several British officials
• The rebellion spread across southern and central Odisha. Despite initial successes, the British suppressed the revolt.
• Jagabandhu evaded capture for years and surrendered in 1825 under negotiated terms.

Contemporary Significance and Political Debate

• The Paika Rebellion is widely regarded in Odisha as an early expression of anti-colonial resistance.
• In 2017, the Odisha government demanded that the uprising be recognised as the “First War of Independence”, predating the 1857 revolt.
• The Union Government, while not granting this status, acknowledged it as one of the early popular uprisings against colonial rule.
• National Recognition Efforts:
  • In 2017, PM Narendra Modi felicitated over 200 descendants of Paika rebels.
  • In 2019, President Ram Nath Kovind laid the foundation for a Paika Memorial at Barunei foothills, the rebellion’s epicentre.
  • In 2024–25, the new BJP-led government in Odisha announced fast-tracked development of the Paika Academy and Memorial.