Paika Uprising as the First War of Independence: Acceptance and Challenges

Paika Rebellion, colloquially known as 'Paika Vidroha', which broke out in certain parts of Odisha from 1805 to 1836 making Khurdha as the epicentre, summoned the attention of the people as well as the scholars of different backgrounds in recent years, when, in 2018, this celebrated violent outbreak was officially declared as the 'First War of Indian Independence'. Both the State Government of Odisha as well as the Central Government of India has accepted the demand of a group of people who believed that the Odias of the early 19^th century fought this war as a 'War of Independence' in India against the colonial British. The Great Revolt of 1857 no longer remained the First War of Indian Independence as enunciated by B.D.Savarkar. This incidence pushed back the origin of nationalism into the very first decade of the 19^th century Odisha, creating many intellectual furores in the region and ¹outside. This revolt, which actually was the combination of a series of bloody skirmishes and pitched battles, is also known as 'Khurdha Rebellion', because the king of Khurdha took the leadership of it in its initial periods, making his capital Khurdhagarh the eye of the storm.