Sepoy

Basic Information

Derived from the Persian word sipah (meaning "army") a sepoy was an Indian soldier (technically an infantryman - a cavalryman would be a sowar) in the service of a colonial power.

Given the history of colonisation of India this, practically, meant an Indian Soldier in Britsh service, whether in the forces of the Honourable East India Company or, later, in the British Army of India.

In theory the term only applied to privates, but was generally used as a shorthand for all locally entered non-comissioned men.

The term remains in use by the armies of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Sources

Bibliography

1. full source reference

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