The Paika Rebellion's Courageous Stand Against Colonial

Oppression.

Introduction
The British East India Company ruled over India in the 18th
and 19th centuries. The country was under the influence of
this large, powerful company. Both power and wealth were
priorities for the British. Many Indians objected to being
dominated by foreigners, which led to problems. During this
time, the Paika Rebellion took place. The story of the locals
fighting the brutal British authority is crucial. Like a symbol of
the struggle for respect and independence.
In Odisha, eastern India, the Paiks were a traditional warrior
and landowner group renowned for their combat ability and
devotion to the ruling class. The word "Paika" derives from
the word "Padatika," which refers to foot warriors. In both
peace and war, they defended the land, maintained law and
order, and assisted kings. They were organized into teams led
by "Bakshi" commanders who were adept at fighting and also
managed administration and agriculture. They became
leaders opposing British oppression during the 1817 Paika
Rebellion, demonstrating their bond of unity and resilience as
they moved from being devoted defenders.
Their adaptability as proficient farmers and fighters
highlighted their crucial socioeconomic function. They
evolved became protectors of the collective will, rising up
against foreign hegemony, as demonstrated by the Paika
Rebellion of 1817. They battled oppressive British authority
under the leadership of individuals like Bakshi Jagabandhu
Bidyadhar Mohapatra, leaving a legacy of resistance and
resilience that still exists today. In the revolt of 1817 of paiks
was generally led by Bakshi jagbandhu bidyadhar was the
general of king Mukund dev, he played a crucial role in the
revolt of 1817.The paiks also functioned as a farmers and also
“Police” during the peace time. The Paikas, a group of
warriors from the area, led the uprising in 1817 and 1818,
due to several factors. The main causes were the British
continuous imposition of taxes on those commodities which
are essential in day to day life as well as confiscation of lands
of paiks which they used for cultivation. All this factors
creates the situation for the outset of the sudden revolt
against British, which is commonly known as “Paika
Rebellion” or “Paika Bidroha”.
Paiks Revolt of 1817
A very powerful dynasty known as the Gajapati dynasty
existed in Odisha in the 15th and 16th centuries, but as a
result of conflicts with the Vijaynagar kingdom and the
Afghans from the north, they eventually fell out of favor. The
Bhoi dynasty was founded in the 16th century as a result of
one among the fidutaries of the Gajaptai dynasty, who are
the zamindars of Khurda.
The Bhoi dynasty seized complete authority over the Khurda
and Puri region, and ever since, they have ruled there. Due to
the topography and dense forest, the lands of Odisha were
actually under the sovereignty of the Bhoi dynasty, making
them incredibly difficult to conquer by any other group or
kings, including the East India Company. Local kings in these
areas used to collect money and send it to the Mughals, the
Nawab of Bengal, and then the Marathas because Aliwardi
Khan had ceded these areas to the Marathas, and after 1751
there was a tight hold on this region by Maratha and they
usually collect Chauth in the region. The East India Company
was conducting exploration in other significant areas of the
nation when the British beat the Marathas in the second
Anglo-Maratha War. King Mukund Deva II, who ruled from
1795 to 1817, was the current monarch at the time. Because
of his youth, Jayakrushna Mahapatra, also known as the Jayi
Rajguru, who served as King Mukund Deva II's diwan (chief
advisor), handled the majority of the important matters in
the region.
Jagabandhu Bidyadhar Mahapatra Bhramarbar Rai, also
known as the Bakshi Jagabandhu, was the chief of the army
was another significant individual serving under this ruler.
The reason for this was that in Khurda, there was a tradition
in which the chief of the army was called Bakshi; it was
essentially a title given to the army chief.
During the second Anglo-Maratha War, the Britishers went to
King Mukund Deva II to ask for assistance so that they could
send their troops into a few regions of Odisha and aid them
in fighting against the Marathas. However, the advisors of
the King advised him not to assist them because they might
later turn cruel and oppress them, but the king reasoned that
by doing so, he would be able to fully control Odisha.
The Gajapati monarchs and the Bhoi dynasty protected Puri
from the attacks by various rulers. Puri was attacked by
numerous rulers since there was a temple dedicated to Lord
Jagannath there, and any king who was in charge there was
considered to be the highest of all kings. The British promised
the King a large sum of money in exchange for his assistance.
They all joined forces to fight the Marathas, and they
prevailed everywhere, but the Britishers' promises to
the Mukund Dev (Monarch) were not kept since they did not
provide the money they had promised. However, they
captured the areas where the Marathas had previously been
deposed.
This angered the Rajguru, or the king's counselors, who then
formulated plans to assault the East India Company and seize
full control over Puri as well as several other adjacent areas.
For this, he organized the paika militias. The paikas were the
region's traditional soldiers; they attacked the adversaries
and were very strong because they fought well against their
foes, though they had suffered greatly due to the Britishers'
ruthless retaliation. As a result, the region's king and Rajguru
was detained, losing his actual power and authority; he was
now only the king by title. King was released by the British,
but Rajguru got severe punishment and he got hanged very
brutally by British. The British tried to instill some terror in
the people of Odisha, which is why Jayi Rajguru was brutally
murdered in front of the public, but the consequence was
that it infuriated people and raised the amount of hostility
toward them. Therefore, it can be stated that the Paika
Rebellion of 1817 was based on this 1804 uprising.
Now, from this instance the beginning of the paiks revolt got
started. As we move forward let know something about the
paiks in detail, so Paiks were the traditional soldiers of the
Khurda Kingdom. Generally they are the foot soldiers and
apart from soldiers they are the land holding farmers, when
assistance was needed, they teamed up with their members
and helped the neighborhood zamindars and local officials.
They received land that was free of rent in exchange for
these services. As a result, they are distinct from other forms
of life since they are both farmers and soldiers, respected in
society, and uphold law and order.
They rose up in revolt in 1804 and 1817 because the British
began taking their land and possessions. The British
introduced various reforms, drastically altering their policies
as they took away all of the traditional Paika land holdings
and raised a variety of levies. The local economy was
destroyed because they were quite severe when the crops
failed, so they had to collect taxes to make ends meet. A
sunset legislation was in place, which meant that if the tax
wasn't paid before the day's sunset, the land would be
confiscated. Overall, it can be claimed that the
socioeconomic existence of the residents of Odisha was
completely destroyed. The most significant causes of this
revolt was the imposition of salt taxes on the people of Khurd
region, as they are living near the coastal region and they are
self-sufficient in the production of salt. But the British
compelled them to buy the salt by them and the price of salt
was not affordable for the paiks. Another main causes were
the British were so harsh in terms of collection of the taxes.
They imposed very heavy taxes on land and the farmers were
not able to pay the taxes when there are some natural
calamities, but the inhuman British were so unsympathetic
that they never understand the farmer’s condition and they
used to seized land of the farmers and making them
penniless. Apart from that they always interfere in the
culture or traditions of the paiks, which make paiks frustrated
from British. This policies or administrative steps taken by the
British make the life of the Paiks miserable.
Another cause was the public hanging of Jayi Rajguru, which
encouraged the people to revolt and force the British out of
the nation due to the brutality of the method used to carry
out his death. The people of Odisha respected their kings, but
when they learned that their king had been detained in 1804
they grew even angrier. The zamindars and locals living in
coastal areas were prevented from making salt even by the
British. So these were the reasons why not only the Paikas
but also other social classes joined together to fight the
British, sparking the Paika Rebellion.
The Khurda uprising had its start in March 1817 when
residents of several regions collectively raided the Banapur
district and destroyed anything that represented the
existence of the British enterprise. Following this, all of the
British-built buildings were pillaged, and all of the police
stations and treasuries were burned. The British were
severely hurt when Lieutenant Faris and other British
commandos were killed.
When residents of several regions collaborated to raid the
Banapur district in March 1817, the Khurda revolt got
underway by destroying anything that represented the
founding of the British enterprise. The British-built buildings
were then all pillaged, and the treasury and police stations
were all burned. Lieutenant Faris was murdered which
greatly harmed the British. The British commandos and
infantry were also killed. After destroying these areas, the
rebel group traveled to Puri in April 1817, where it severely
damaged government property and drove away officers and
soldiers. The successful people and their positive attitude
encouraged confidence in the dissatisfied elements in other
parts of Odisha. The people of Odisha was so incensed that
just nine of the suspects, who were suspected of working for
the British government, were allowed to go free.
But in order to retake the lost territories and impose order,
the British also used rebellious military tactics. By the end of
October 1817, the uprising was put down. As a result, the
British government was shaken, and once it had been
restored, they were unable to apprehend the leaders who
had decided to revolt or fight the British. These leaders
entered the jungle, and it was ordered that they be captured
either dead or alive. For eight to nine years, they trained in
the Guirrella war technique. But once Buxi Jagabandhu was
persuaded to submit in 1925, he was imprisoned in Cuttack,
where he passed away in 1829. It wasn't just a military
rebellion based on any dead troops; rather, it was a civil
uprising as a number of landowners and manufacturers who
had been denied employment took part in the fight for their
rights. Thus, this demonstrates that the fight for each
person's rights was not fought solely by armed forces or
trained army forces. The general public's involvement
demonstrates their great pride in and respect for the
community, religion, social practices, and traditions that
were crucial to the participation in the revolts. The Paika
Rebellion had both short-term and long-term effects.
Although the British put an end to the uprising, its effects had
a profound impact on how India came to gain freedom. After
receiving heavy retaliation, the British tightened their grip on
Odisha. The uprising contributed to the greater Indian
freedom struggle by igniting a sense of collective resistance
against colonial rule. It emphasized the significance of
indigenous rights and brought to light the complaints of
disadvantaged groups. The rebellion's memory is still revered
in Odisha as a mark of resistance to oppression, and it
contributed to a greater understanding of the necessity of
national self-determination in the face of foreign domination.
The revolt of 1817 was motivated by a desire for freedom
and independence from the British because they had ruined
the socioeconomic situation of the area and its inhabitants.
For the same reason, people revolted against British policies
and destroyed all East India Company buildings in the revolt
of 1857. Therefore, the justification for referring to it as the
first War of Independence is that it offered a glimmer of hope
that, with enough unity, the British may one day be
vanquished as well. To ensure that good law and order could
be upheld in the area, the Paikas and the people of Odisha
took the initiative to battle and remove the East India
Company from their land. The Paika Rebellion kept the base
at a short platform and paved the way for the larger platform
since it only connected to the Odisha region, but it
demonstrated that if there is unity, we can rebel against the
invaders in any part of the nation. This was the same need in
1857, so logically speaking, it can be concluded that Paika
Rebellion kept the base at a short platform and paved the
way for the larger platform.

Conclusion
The end of the Paika Rebellion marked a turning point in
colonial India's history as well as the Odia people's fight for
freedom from British rule. This widely ignored insurrection,
which took place between 1817 and 1825 in the state of
Odisha and other eastern coastal parts of India, is extremely
important for illuminating indigenous resistance to colonial
control. The Paika Rebellion was more than just a
spontaneous uprising; it was a complex movement motivated
by a number of complaints, including economic exploitation,
rural misery, cultural oppression, and the British East India
Company's execution of unfair taxes and policies. The
rebellion, led by the Paikas, a warrior race that had
previously served the regional kings, showed how resilient
indigenous populations might be when facing foreign rule.
The combination of socioeconomic worries and patriotic
excitement that characterized this opposition gave the
movement a distinct identity and goal.
The birth of a sense of nationalism among the Odia people
was one of the key effects of the Paika Rebellion. As all facets
of society banded together to oppose the colonial powers,
the revolt produced a communal consciousness that
transcended regional, caste, and religious boundaries. This
solidarity emphasized the ability of indigenous movements to
mobilize popular support against imperial powers, a lesson
that would be useful in later Indian independence campaigns
throughout the country.

Although the uprising may not have immediately brought

about radical change or rapid independence, it did lay the
foundation for later anti-colonial movements. The Paikas'
tenacity in the face of overwhelming odds proved that the
colonial authorities were not invincible, motivating later
generations to oppose British control. Because of its
significance to the overall stories of India's war for
independence, the Paika Rebellion is a historical event that
deserves further attention. Its historical significance is
furthered by its influence on local people's consciousness, its
representation of resistance against colonial exploitation,
and its inspiration for subsequent movements. We learn
more about the complexity of colonial rule, the tenacity of
indigenous communities, and the strength of togetherness in
confronting oppression as we think back on the Paika
Rebellion.
 References
Books & Articles

 Rajiv Ahir, A BRIEF HISTORY OF MODERN

INDIA
, Spectrum Books Pvt, New delhi, (1 January 2016).
 G Toynbee, A SKETCH OF THE HISTORY OF ORISSA FROM
1803 TO 1828, Calcutta, Bengal Secretariat Press,
1873.
 Prof. N.R. Mohanty, THE ORIYA PAIKA REBELLION OF
1817, Orissa Review, August 2008.
 Dr. Narayan Rao, Paika Rebellion of 1817: An Organised
Armed Revolt against British Authority, Khordha-
752055.
 G. S. Das, THE PAIKS AND THE MILITIA
REBELLION OF 1817 IN ORISSA, Vol. 5, pp.
489-494, 1941.
 Mrs. Usha Roy, PAIK REBELLION, Proceedings of the
Indian History Congress, Vol.20, pp. 312-314.