Sowar

This article is about the Indian military title. For the magazine, see Sowar (magazine).

A Deccani courtier, c.1600.

A sowar of the 6th Madras Light Cavalry, serving the British East India Company, circa 1845.

Sowar (Hindi: सवार, Punjabi: ਸਵਾਰ, Bengali: সওয়ার, also siwar meaning "the one who rides" or "rider", from Persian sawār) was originally a rank during the Mughal, Maratha period. Later during the British Raj it was the name in Anglo-Indian usage for a horse-soldier belonging to the cavalry troops of the native armies of British India and 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 to sepoy in the infantry — this rank has been inherited by the modern armies of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.

The Sowar name has been used as the moniker for a line of wrist-watches by the Swiss West End Watch Co.

See also

• Suvari

References

• This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Sowar". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.