Discover the Paika Rebellion of 1817, led by Bakshi Jagabandhu Bidyadhar in Odisha. Learn about the causes, including harsh British land policies and economic pressures, the rebellion’s initial success, and its eventual suppression. Explore the significant concessions that followed and the fate of Jagabandhu.
The Paiks of Odisha, traditional foot soldiers with hereditary land tenures, faced significant challenges after the British conquest of Odisha in 1803 and the dethronement of the Raja of Khurda.
The Company's extortionate land revenue policies and other economic pressures, such as increased salt prices and the abolition of cowrie currency, led to widespread resentment.
Bakshi Jagabandhu Bidyadhar, a former military chief, led the Paika rebellion in 1817 with support from Mukunda Deva, the last Raja of Khurda, and other zamindars.
The rebellion, known as the Paika Bidroh, initially succeeded in pushing back the British forces and stirred widespread unrest in Odisha.
Jagabandhu and other rebels were sheltered by the Raja of Nayagarh, and despite rewards for their capture, locals did not betray them.
The rebellion was ultimately repressed by mid-1818 with brutal measures, including the hanging of priests who had sheltered Jagabandhu.
In 1825, Jagabandhu surrendered under negotiated terms (some sources suggest he died in captivity in 1829).
The rebellion led to significant concessions, including large remissions of arrears, reductions in assessments, and a new settlement on fixed tenures.
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