Throw light on the role of Jayi Rajaguru and Buxi Jagabandhu in resisting British control and inspiring people during the National Movement.

📝Model Answer

Introduction

Jayi Rajaguru and Buxi Jagabandhu were among the earliest torchbearers of resistance against British colonialism in Odisha, decades before the 1857 Revolt. Jayi Rajaguru, the trusted advisor of King Mukunda Dev II of Khurda, opposed British betrayal of treaty terms, while Buxi Jagabandhu, the Khurda king’s military commander, led the Paika Rebellion of 1817 — together they laid the foundation of anti-colonial resistance in the region and inspired the wider national movement.

Body

Role in resisting British control:

1. Resistance to British betrayal of treaty terms: After the British defeated the Marathas and occupied Odisha in 1803 with the help of Khurda’s ruler, they failed to honour the agreed payment and territorial concessions, prompting Jayi Rajaguru to organise resistance.
2. Mobilisation of the Paikas: As chief advisor, Jayi Rajaguru mobilised around 2,000 Paikas (the traditional warrior-peasant militia of Odisha) to protest and resist British non-compliance with the treaty.
3. Arrest and martyrdom: Rajaguru’s defiance led to his arrest, and he was hanged by the British in 1804-06, becoming one of the earliest martyrs in India’s freedom struggle.
4. Buxi Jagabandhu’s leadership of the Paika Rebellion (1817): As hereditary military commander (Bakshi) of Khurda, Buxi Jagabandhu organised the Paikas against British land revenue policy, loss of rent-free (Niskar) jagir lands, and the British monopoly over salt production.
5. Armed uprising against British authority: In April 1817, Buxi Jagabandhu led the Paikas in an open armed rebellion, attacking British establishments in Khurda and temporarily forcing British forces to retreat toward Cuttack.
6. Building a broad coalition of resistance: He united not just Paikas but also zamindars, tribal Khonds of Ghumusar, and communities from Nayagarh, Daspalla, Boudh, and Ranpur, giving the revolt a wide social and regional base.
7. Sustained guerrilla resistance: Even after the initial suppression of the revolt, Buxi Jagabandhu continued underground resistance for nearly eight years, evading capture and keeping the British administration under constant pressure until his surrender in 1825.
8. Defence of religious and cultural sentiment: The rebellion was also tied to the defence of the Jagannath cult and local socio-religious order, which the British had disturbed through interference in temple management and administration.

How they inspired the people during the National Movement:

1. Precursors to 1857: The Paika Rebellion of 1817 is regarded by historians as one of the earliest organised armed uprisings against British rule, predating the Revolt of 1857 by four decades, and is often called the "first war of independence" in the Odisha context.
2. Symbol of regional pride and unity: The rebellion became a unifying symbol of Odia identity, later invoked during the national movement to instil pride and a sense of shared resistance among the people of Odisha.
3. Model of peasant-warrior mobilisation: Their success in rallying peasants, tribals, and the warrior community against colonial economic exploitation offered an early template of mass mobilisation later echoed in Gandhian mass movements.
4. Martyrdom as inspiration: Jayi Rajaguru’s execution and Buxi Jagabandhu’s prolonged defiance became stories of sacrifice that were remembered and celebrated to inspire subsequent generations of freedom fighters in Odisha.
5. Revival in nationalist memory: During the 20th-century freedom struggle, their legacy was revived in Odia literature, folklore, and political discourse to strengthen anti-colonial sentiment and regional participation in the national movement.
6. Influence on later Odisha uprisings: Their resistance inspired subsequent movements in Odisha, including the revolts led by Surendra Sai, keeping the spirit of defiance against British rule alive in the region.
7. Official recognition and continuing legacy: Their contribution has since been recognised in independent India (renaming of institutions, commemorations), reinforcing their place in the larger narrative of India’s freedom struggle.

Conclusion