Sowar

Sowars are Indian lance cavalrymen, equipped and organised in a manner not unlike European knights of centuries past. Unlike Pindari or Silladar warbands, these units are crack troops, meant to carry the main thrust of any melee force in combat. Yet, unlike Gendarmes or Lobsters whose main task is resisting early firearms, the main task of the Indian Sowar isn't to launch full on charges into fusillades of musket balls, but to resist and interdict enemy heavy cavalry. 
So for India, Sowars are a must, along with their descendents, being Sipahis and Jat Lancers, especially since the only heavy infantry India can access at any one given time are Spearmen and Halberdiers, and these cannot be upgraded at all for the whole game. While their anti-heavy cav bonus grants them some versatility in use, the unit choices available to India however favour the researching of Green governments to obtain light infantry upgrades for infantry mercenaries: Liberalism and/or Consensual Government grants access some fragile but fast light infantry who can then be used on an enemy's heavy infantry to clear a path for your Sowars.
==History==