President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the 200th anniversary celebrations of the Paika Rebellion of Odisha in New Delhi.

About the rebellion:

• The uprising of soldiers led by Buxi Jagabandhu (Bidyadhar Mohapatra) took place in Khurda of Odisha. The revolt came to be known as Paika rebellion.

• The traditional land-owning militia of Odisha and served as warriors.

• 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.

• 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.

• However, the rebellion 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.

Source:PIB