paikas

Paikas were a military peasant class in the historical region of Odisha (formerly known as the Odia kingdom and later under regional polities). The term derives from the Odia word paika, meaning foot soldier, and it denotes a hereditary martial status in which individuals or families provided armed service to local rulers. Paikas formed the standing infantry and light cavalry in several Odishan polities and were organized into local units under hereditary chieftains and military officers.

In the medieval and early modern period, paikas served as the core military backbone of regional rulers, including the Gajapati dynasty and later Odishan polities under various overlords. They typically held land or rent-free rights in exchange for military service, and they maintained martial drill, weapons, and armor as part of their obligations. The office of a bakshi, a military commander, was a common rank among paika units and helped coordinate defense and campaigns.

The most prominent episode associated with the paikas is the Paika Rebellion of 1817 in Khurdha (present-day Khordha district). Led by Bakshi Jagabandhu Bidyadhar Mohapatra Narayana, the rebellion opposed British East India Company revenue policies and attempts to reorganize land tenure, challenging colonial authority and demanding restoration of traditional prerogatives. The uprising gained initial traction but was eventually suppressed by British forces by 1819. In its aftermath, colonial administration restructured governance and curtailed the formal military privileges of the paikas.

Historians view the Paika Rebellion as an early, organized challenge to British rule in India and as a precursor to later anti-colonial movements, though assessments of its scope and organization vary. Today, the paikas are remembered in Odisha as part of regional martial heritage and as symbols of resistance in the pre-colonial and early colonial era.