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<div>{{About|the Indian military title|the magazine|Sowar (magazine)}}<br />
{{Short description|Military rank of India and Pakistan}}<br />
{{Infobox military unit<br />
| unit_name = Sowar<br />
| native_name = ''Sowar''<br />
| image = <br />
| image_size = <br />
| caption =<br />
| date = <br />
| country = [[Delhi Sultanate]] <br> [[Deccan Sultanates]] <br> [[Mughal Empire]] <br/>[[Maratha Empire]]<br/> [[British Raj]] <br> [[India]] <br> [[Pakistan]]<br />
| branch = [[Cavalry]]<br />
| size = <br />
| garrison = <br />
| colors = <br />
| equipment = [[Composite bow]], <br />
[[Scimitar]], [[Spear]], and [[Musket]]<br />
| battles = <br />
}}<br />
<br />
[[File:A Deccani courtier who may or may not be the king himself, c.1600.jpg|thumb|A Deccani courtier, c.1600.]]<br />
[[File:Madras cavalry.jpg|thumb|A sowar of the [[6th Madras Light Cavalry]], serving the [[British East India Company]], c. 1845.]]<br />
'''Sowar''' ({{lang-ur|سوار}}, also ''siwar'' meaning "the one who rides" or "rider", from [[Persian language|Persian]] {{lang|fa-Latn|sawār}})<ref>{{cite book|last1=Ostler|first1=Nicholas|title=The Last Lingua Franca: English Until the Return of Babel|date=2010|publisher=Penguin UK|pages=1–352|isbn=978-0141922218}}</ref> was originally a rank during the [[Mughal Empire]] and [[Maratha Empire]]. 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]] and [[Pakistan]].<br />
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==History==<br />
An image from the [[Carnatic Wars]] features a Sowar armed with a Musket.<br />
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''Sowar'' has been used as the name of a line of wrist-watches by the Swiss [[West End Watch Co]].<br />
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==See also==<br />
* [[Shah Mustafa]], nicknamed Sher-e-Sowar<br />
* [[Suvari]]<br />
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==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
* {{EB1911|wstitle=Sowar}}<br />
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[[Category:Urdu-language words and phrases]]<br />
[[Category:Military of the Mughal Empire]]<br />
[[Category:Military ranks of British India]]<br />
[[Category:Military ranks of Pakistan]]<br />
[[Category:Military ranks of the Indian Army]]<br />
<br />
[[fr:Sepoy]]</div>2A02:C7C:ACA7:4600:540:9E4A:F3A7:21D3