Nationalist Movement in Odisha

The second half of the 19th century witnessed the growth of organized nationalist movement in India. It arose to meet the challenge of foreign domination. The direct and indirect consequences of British rule provided the material, moral and intellectual conditions for the development of nationalist movement in India. In this connection, Odisha (previously Orissa) as a part of the nation also witnessed the reflections of it. In Odisha, nationalism developed in two different ways. First, the merger of all Odia-speaking regions and secondly, in the later phase with the growth of national awakening, the people of Odisha involved themselves with the mainstream of the national movement along with the rest of the country. However, the aim of the paper is to highlight the nationalist movement in Odisha. In fact, the history of nationalist movement in Odisha, despite the local differences and issues, was an expression of forces that represent an integral part of the all-India freedom struggle against British Raj.