The Paika Rebellion of 1817

Published on 11 Nov 2025

• Recently, omission of the Paika Rebellion from the latest Class VIII history textbook of the NCERT sparked controversy.

• The Paikas were traditional peasant militias of the Gajapati rulers of Odisha. 

• They were granted hereditary, rent-free land (nish-kar jagirs) in exchange for military service to the king. 

• Reasons of Rebellion:

• Loss of Land: The British in 1803 confiscated the Paikas' traditional rent-free land, replacing it with a new revenue system that stripped them of their livelihood.

• Economic Exploitation: The British introduced a salt monopoly and a new currency (silver rupee), making essentials more expensive and taxes harder to pay.

• Political Disruption: The British dethroned the local Gajapati king of Khurda, which deeply offended the political and cultural identity of the Odia people.

• The Paika Rebellion was led by Bakshi Jagabandhu, the former commander-in-chief of the Khurda king. 

• Starting in March 1817, the rebels, including Paikas and Kondh tribals of Odisha, attacked British outposts and briefly forced a British retreat from Khurda. 

• The British military soon suppressed the revolt, but Bakshi Jagabandhu continued a guerrilla campaign for several years before surrendering in 1825. 

• He remained a prisoner until his death in 1829..

          

Keywords:

The Paika Rebellion Gajapati rulers Odisha nish-kar jagirs Khurda Bakshi Jagabandhu Kondh tribals Anti- British revolts