Pre-modern Warfare:India And Elsewhere

[Hauma Hamiddha]

Daffadar
Havildar
Jemadar
Risaldar
Sowar

All these are terms of Islamic provenance with chiefly Persian and Arabic roots. They were used in a different sense during the Islamic period to denote appointments in the army of Islam in India. All except the last term are typical of infantry while the last is cavalry.

Naik

Is from a saMskrit term nAyaka or leader of army -- the only Hindu term in the list.

Lance Daffadar
Lance Naik

Are composite British inventions


In the late medieval period the Hindu rulers of Rajasthan, Nepal and Maharashtra started adopting many Islamic military and administrative terms. Shivaji partially tried to reverse this by appointments following the old sanskrit pattern.