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<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|Archers in medieval India}}<br />
{{other uses|Paik (disambiguation)}}<br />
'''Paik''' were [[foot soldier]]s during the [[Medieval India|medieval period in India]]. They were used in offensive and defensive combat specialised in [[archery]].<ref name="Indian History Congress">{{Cite journal|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/44143381|publisher=Indian History Congress|date=1994|jstor=44143381 |access-date=30 September 2022|title=The "Paik" in the Army of Delhi Sultans During the 13Th Century (Summary) |last1=Athar |first1=ALI |journal=Proceedings of the Indian History Congress |volume=55 |pages=404–406 }}</ref><br />
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==History==<br />
===Delhi sultanate===<br />
During the rule of the [[Delhi Sultanate]], Paik were foot soldiers used in offensive and defensive combat. They were specialised in archery.The skilled archers from [[Bengal]], known as the Paiks, were highly sought after and given priority during recruitment. Paiks salary was fixed.<ref name="Indian History Congress"/><br />
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===Assam===<br />
{{Main|Paik system}}<br />
The official record of [[Aurangzeb]] state that the king of [[Assam]], [[Rudra Singha]] collected around 4 lakh Paik to fight with Bengal in 1714. Out of 4 lakh paik, 2.6 lakh were Kanri paik or foot soldiers. Paik were engaged in building embarkment, clearing forest, construction of roads, houses, royal palace and employed as soldiers.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lTvmPLv5_V0C&pg=PA95|title=Agrarian System of Medieval Assam|author=Jahnabi Gogoi|publisher=Concept Publishing Company|date=2002|isbn=8170229677|access-date=30 September 2022}}</ref><br />
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===Odisha===<br />
In [[Odisha]], Paik were foot soldiers employed by kings until [[British Raj|British rule]].<ref name="telegraphindia">{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/odisha/soldiers-dance/cid/361980|title=Soldiers' dance|website=telegraphindia|date=29 August 2011|access-date=30 September 2022}}</ref> During [[Paika Rebellion]], Paika rebelled against [[Company rule in India]] in 1817 in [[Khurdha district|Khurdha]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Kalia|first=Ravi|title=Bhubaneswar: From a Temple Town to a Capital City|year=1994|publisher=Southern Illinois University Press|pages=31|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F2YSPiKbmHkC|isbn=9780809318766}}</ref><br />
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==See also==<br />
*[[Military history of India]]<br />
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== References ==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
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[[Category:Indian feudalism]]<br />
[[Category:Indian words and phrases]]</div>Shirttheory