This is an epoch making saga of patience, perseverance, extreme courage and supreme sacrifice. Prior to the first independence movement, there were sporadic cases of resistance and stray battles fought against the British East India Company which had spread and firmed up the tentacles of oppressive colonial rule in India. But the armed struggle at Sambalpur commenced in 1827 three decades before the great 'sipoy mutiny' and lasted till 1840 which resumed again with vigour in 1857 in tandem with the First War of Independence. Even though the rebellion was quelled in 1858 by the British forces, the banner of revolt raised by Surendra Sai in Sambalpur lasted till 1862. It could have continued for a longer period, had the reconciliatory initiatives and peace agreement not started by the British. But soon a conspiracy was hatched and all the leaders of this great struggle were apprehended while they were sleeping in their respective houses having no knowledge about the nefarious design of the British administration in cahoots with the traitors. The revolutionaries who took immense pain during the long period of struggle were pushed into extreme hardship and misery. While many of them were hanged, many died in prison. Surendra Sai, the supreme leader was jailed for 37 years (from 1840 to 1857 at Hazaribagh and from 1864 to 1884 till his death at Raipur, Nagpur and Asirgarh in different spells). His brother who was imprisoned with him died all along. He is the person who served maximum jail term as a political prisoner in the whole world. Other than Surendra and his siblings, many families who joined the rebellion, also perished in the struggle against the colonial oppressive rulers. This is a saga of immense courage and supreme sacrifices. Initially Sambalpur was with South West Frontier till 850, and then it was amalgamated with Odisha division of Bengal in 1860. It was soon transferred to the territory of Central Province in 1862. Once again it was transferred to Odisha division of Bengal in 1904. It remained with Bihar-Odisha province when Bengal was divided in 1912. It became a part of new state of Odisha in 1936. So in the shadow of these transfers, the Saga of Veer Surendra Sai could not be propagated throughout the country and outside.
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