Paika rebellion

Recently, the Centre has said that the Paika rebellion cannot be called the first War of Independence. It has also been suggested that it would be included as a case study in the Class 8 National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) history textbook. Paika Rebellion was fought by the Paikas of Khudra in Odisha. It was led by Buxi Jagabandhu Bidyadhara. The rebellion was fought against the British in 1820s.For the first time in 2017, the Odisha state cabinet had passed a proposal to formally urge the centre to declare the Paika rebellion as the first war of Independence. In 2018 the Government released the commemorative coin and postage stamp in memory of Paika Rebellion.

How did the rebellion begin?

• When armies of the East India Company overran most of Odisha in 1803, the Raja of Khurda lost his primacy and the power and prestige of the Paikas went on a decline. So, they rebelled back.
• The British were not comfortable with these aggressive, warlike new subjects and set up a commission under Walter Ewer to look into the issue.
• The commission recommended that the hereditary rent-free lands granted to the Paikas be taken over by the British administration and this recommendation was zealously adhered to. They revolted against the British.
• Bakshi Jagabandhu Bidyadhar Mohapatra Bharamarbar Rai, the highest-ranking military general of King Khorda Mukund Dev II, led the Paikas to join the uprising.
• However, the rebellion also had several other underlying causes – like the rise in the price of salt, abolition of the cowrie currency for payment of taxes and an overtly extortionist land revenue policy.

What is Paika Rebellion?

• Paika rebellion took place in 1817, which is 40 years before the first sepoy mutiny. The Paikas were the peasant militias.
• They offered military services to Gajapti rulers in Odisha. In 1803, the British East India Company dethroned King of Khurda, Raja Mukunda Deva.
• In 1804, the king planned a rebellion against the Britishers and involved the Paikas in to it.
• However, the Britishers learnt about the plan and confiscated the entire territory.
• The Britishers suppressed the Paika farmers through their revenue systems. This triggered the rebellion under Bakshi Jagabandhu Bidyadhar in 1817.
• During the rebellion, the government buildings were set on fire and policemen were killed and British treasury was looted. Bakshi died in 1825 in prison.

What is the Centre’s stand?

• The Central Government consulted the Indian Council of Historical Research.
• The ICHR is not operating under Ministry of Education. According to ICHR, the rebellion cannot be called as the first war of independence.
• However, considering its significance the GoI has decided to include it in the curriculum of Class VIII history textbook of NCERT.