The correct option is (c).
Explanation
The Khurda Uprising, widely known as the Paika Rebellion of 1817, was an armed rebellion against the British East India Company's rule in Odisha. It was triggered by the company's exploitative land revenue policies and the dispossession of the traditional military class.
Statement 1 is Correct: The uprising was led by the Paiks, the traditional landed militia of the Gajapati rulers of Odisha. They rose in rebellion primarily due to the extortionate land revenue administration and the resumption of their rent-free service tenures by the British.
Statement 2 is Incorrect: Buxi Jagabandhu Bidyadhar, the military chief (Bhramarbara Ray) of the King of Khurda, did not support the British. On the contrary, he was the leader of the insurgents. Dispossessed of his ancestral estate by British intrigues, he organized the Paiks and led the armed struggle against the colonial administration.
Statement 3 is Correct: Mukunda Dev II was the King of Khurda during this period. The rebels proclaimed him as their ruler and fought the uprising in his name. In the context of the rebellion and the preceding administrative takeover by the British, he is often cited as being a minor or under tutelage during the critical phases of the conflict's origin.
Key Takeaway: The Paika Rebellion (1817) was a major pre-1857 uprising in Odisha led by Buxi Jagabandhu, involving the Paik militia fighting against British revenue policies and administrative oppression.