Sowar(Urdu:سوار,alsosiwarmeaning "the one who rides" or "rider", fromPersiansawār)[1]was originally a rank during theMughal Empire.Later during theBritish Rajit was the name inAnglo-Indianusage for a horse-soldier belonging to thecavalrytroops of the native armies ofBritish Indiaand the feudal states. It is also used more specifically of a mounted orderly, escort or guard. It was also the rank held by ordinary cavalry troopers, equivalent tosepoyin theinfantry— this rank has been inherited by the modern armies ofIndiaandPakistan.
| Sowar | |
|---|---|
| Sowar | |
| Country | Delhi Sultanate Deccan Sultanates Mughal Empire Maratha Empire British Raj India Pakistan |
| Branch | Cavalry |
| Equipment | Composite bow, Talwar,Spear,andMusket |
History
editAn image from theCarnatic Warsfeatures a Sowar armed with a Musket.
Sowarhas been used as the name of a line of wrist-watches by the SwissWest End Watch Co.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^Ostler, Nicholas (2010).The Last Lingua Franca: English Until the Return of Babel.Penguin UK. pp. 1–352.ISBN978-0141922218.
- This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Chisholm, Hugh,ed. (1911). "Sowar".Encyclopædia Britannica(11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
