Sepoy

Equivalent ranks of Indian military
	Commissioned ranks
	Junior commissioned ranks
	Non-commissioned ranks
	Footnotes
	^ Risaldar major in cavalry and armoured regiments ; ^ Risaldar in cavalry and armoured regiments ; ^ Naib risaldar in cavalry and armoured regiments.; Called jemadar until 1965. ;

Sepoy
Sepoy
	Hyder Ali as a sepoy
Active	16th to 21st centuries
Country	Mughal Empire; Maratha Empire; India ; Pakistan ; Nepal
Branch	infantry and artillery
Equipment	Musket

Sepoy (/ˈsiːpɔɪ/), related to sipahi, is a term denoting professional Indian infantryman, traditionally armed with a musket, in the armies of the Mughal Empire and the Maratha Army.

In the 18th century, the French East India Company and its other European counterparts employed locally recruited soldiers within India, mainly consisting of infantry designated as "sepoys". The largest sepoy force, trained along European lines, served the British East India Company.^[1]^[2]

The term "sipahi" (or sometimes "sepoy") continues in use in the modern Indian, Pakistan and Nepalese armies, where it denotes the rank of private.

^ Gerald Bryant (1978). "Officers of the East India Company's army in the days of Clive and Hastings". The Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History. 6 (3): 203–227. doi:10.1080/03086537808582508. S2CID 159458449.
^ Presidency armies

[submaj-1] Risaldar major in cavalry and armoured regiments

[sub-2] Risaldar in cavalry and armoured regiments

[nbsub-3] Naib risaldar in cavalry and armoured regiments.
Called jemadar until 1965.

[4] Gerald Bryant (1978). "Officers of the East India Company's army in the days of Clive and Hastings". The Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History. 6 (3): 203–227. doi:10.1080/03086537808582508. S2CID 159458449.

[5] Presidency armies

[Alt 1]

[Alt 2]

[Alt 3]

[1]

[2]

Equivalent ranks of Indian military
Indian Navy	Indian Army	Indian Air Force
Commissioned ranks
Admiral of the fleet	Field marshal	Marshal of the Indian Air Force
Admiral	General	Air chief marshal
Vice admiral	Lieutenant general	Air marshal
Rear admiral	Major general	Air vice marshal
Commodore	Brigadier	Air commodore
Captain	Colonel	Group captain
Commander	Lieutenant colonel	Wing commander
Lieutenant commander	Major	Squadron leader
Lieutenant	Captain	Flight lieutenant
Sub lieutenant	Lieutenant	Flying officer
Junior commissioned ranks
Master chief petty officer 1st class	Subedar major^{[Alt 1]}	Master warrant officer
Master chief petty officer 2nd class	Subedar^{[Alt 2]}	Warrant officer
Chief petty officer	Naib subedar^{[Alt 3]}	Junior warrant officer
Non-commissioned ranks
Petty officer	Havildar/Daffadar	Sergeant
Leading seaman	Naik/Lance-Daffadar	Corporal
Seaman 1	Lance naik/Acting Lance-Daffadar	Leading aircraftsman
Seaman 2	Sepoy/Sowar	Aircraftsman
Footnotes
^ Risaldar major in cavalry and armoured regiments ^ Risaldar in cavalry and armoured regiments ^ Naib risaldar in cavalry and armoured regiments. Called jemadar until 1965.