Sepoy A sepoy ( ; Persian : سپاهی " sipâhi " meaning " soldier " ) was formerly the designation given to an Indian soldier in the service of a European power . In the modern Indian Army , Pakistan Army and Bangladesh Army it remains in use for the rank of private soldier . Etymology and historical usage . The term " sepoy " or " sipāhi " is derived from the Persian word " sipāh " meaning " infantry soldier " in the Mughal Empire . In the Ottoman Empire the term " Sipahi " was used to refer to elite cavalry troopers . In its most common application sepoy was the term used in the British Indian Army , and earlier in that of the British East India Company , for an infantry private ( a cavalry trooper was a " sowar " ) . The term " sepoy " came into use in the forces of the British East India Company in the eighteenth century , where it was one of many , such as " peons " , " gentoos " , " mestees " and " topasses " used for various categories of native soldiers . Initially it referred to Hindu or Muslim soldiers without regular uniform or discipline . It later generically referred to all native soldiers in the service of the European powers in India . Close to ninety - six percent of the British East India Company ' s army of 300 , 000 men were native to India and these sepoys played a crucial role in securing the subcontinent for the company . Sepoys in the Mughal Empire . A " Sipahi " or a sepoy was an infantryman in both the Mughal Empire and the Kingdom of Mysore . The Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb ( reigned 1658 - 1707 ) raised battalions of sepoys variously armed with matchlock s , rocket s , and grenade s . These troops were successfully employed in siege warfare , particularly during the Siege of Bidar , the Siege of Bijapur and the Siege of Golconda . Sepoys in British service . Initially the British recruited sepoys from the local communities in the Madras and Bombay Presidencies , the emphasis being on recruits having adequate physique and being of sufficient caste . In the Bengal Army however , recruitment was only amongst high caste Brahman and Rajput communities , mainly of the Uttar Pradesh and Bihar regions . Recruitment was undertaken locally by battalions or regiments often from the same community , village and even family . The commanding officer of a battalion became a form of substitute for the village chief or " gaon bura " . He was the " mai - baap " or the " father and mother " of the sepoys making up the " paltan " ( " unit " ) . There were many family and community ties amongst the troops and numerous instances where family members enlisted in the same battalion or regiment . The " izzat " ( " honour " ) of the unit was represented by the regimental colours ; the new sepoy having to swear an oath in front of them on enlistment . These colours were stored in honour in the quarter guard and frequently paraded before the men . They formed a rallying point in battle . The oath of fealty by the sepoy was given to the East India Company and included a pledge of faithfulness to the salt that one has eaten . The salary of the sepoys employed by the East India Company , while not substantially greater than that paid by the rulers of Indian states , was usually paid regularly . Advances could be given and family allotments from pay due were permitted when the troops served abroad . There was a commisariat and regular rations were provided . Weapons , clothing and ammunition were provided centrally , in contrast to the soldiers of local kings whose pay was often in arrears . In addition local rulers usually expected their sepoys to arm themselves and to sustain themselves through plunder . This combination of factors led to the development of a sense of shared honour and ethos amongst the well drilled and disciplined Indian soldiery who formed the key to the success of European feats of arms in India and abroad . Following the Indian Rebellion of 1857 the surviving East India Company regiments were merged into a new Indian Army under the direct control of the British Crown . The designation of " sepoy " was retained for Indian soldiers below the rank of lance - naik , except in cavalry where the equivalent ranks were " sowar " or " trooper " . Sepoys in French service . Following the formation of the French East India Company ( " Compagnie des Indes " ) in 1719 , companies of Indian sepoys ( " cipayes " ) were raised to augment the French regulars and Swiss mercenary troops available . By 1720 the sepoys in French service numbered about 10 , 000 . Although much reduced in numbers after their decisive defeat in India at the Battle of Wandewash in 1760 , France continued to maintain a Military Corps of Indian Sepoys ( " corps militaire des cipayes de l ' Inde " ) in Pondicherry until it was disbanded and replaced by a locally recruited gendarmerie in 1898 . Sepoys in Portuguese service . Sepoys were also recruited in Portuguese India . Some Portuguese sepoys were later sent to serve in other territories of the Portuguese Empire , especially those in Africa . The term " " cipaio " " ( sepoy ) was also applied by the Portuguese to African soldiers and African rural police officers . Other usages . The same Persian word reached English via another route in the form of " spahi " . " Zipaio " , the Basque version of the word , is used by leftist Basque nationalists as an insult for members of the Basque Police , implying that they are not a national police but servants of a foreign occupier .