SepoyA sepoy () is a South Asian soldier. Originating from the Persian word sepāhī (), the term was anglicised to "sepoy" by the British. In the army of the Mughal Empiresepāhī referred to a type of infantryman, while in colonial India it was used as a term for native troops in European service.
British Indian ArmyThe Indian Army during British rule, also referred to as the British Indian Army, was the main military force of India until national independence in 1947. Formed in 1895 by uniting the three Presidency armies, it was responsible for the defence of both the British Raj and the princely states, which could also have their own armies.
East India CompanyBritish joint-stock company (1600–1874)The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed for Indian Ocean trade, initially with the East Indies (which included the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia), and later with East Asia. The company gained control of large parts of the Indian subcontinent and Hong Kong.
Indian Rebellion of 1857Uprising against British Company ruleBelligerentsMughal EmpireSepoymutineersOudh StateRampur StateForces of Rani Lakshmibai of JhansiForces of Nana Sahib Peshwa IIJagdishpurGwalior factionsJodhpur factionsBandaVarious other groupsUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and IrelandEast India CompanyRajputana AgencyPatialaKapurthalaRampurJodhpurNabhaKingdom of NepalCommanders and leadersBahadur Shah II (POW)Nana SahibRani Lakshmibai †Tatya Tope Bakht Khan †Begum Hazrat MahalKunwar Singh (DOW)The Earl CanningGeorge Anson †Sir Patrick GrantSir Colin CampbellSir Hugh RoseSir Henry Havelock †Sir James OutramSir Henry Lawrence (DOW)James Neill †John Nicholson †Surendra Bikram ShahDhir Shamsher RanaRandhir SinghSir Yusef Ali KhanCasualties and losses 6,000 British killed, including civiliansBased on a rough comparison of the dubious pre-1857 regional demographic data and the first 1871 Census of India, probably 800,000 Indians were killed, and very likely more, both in the rebellion itself and in the famines and epidemics that it caused.The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power, including military forces, on behalf of the British Crown.
Company rule in IndiaCompany rule in India (sometimes also Company Raj, from Hindi rāj, lit. 'rule') was the rule of the British East India Company on the Indian subcontinent.
Portuguese IndiaThe State of India, also known as the Portuguese State of India or Portuguese India, was a state of the Portuguese Empire founded seven years after the discovery of the sea route to the Indian subcontinent by Vasco da Gama, a subject of the Kingdom of Portugal. The capital of Portuguese India served as the governing centre of a string of military forts and maritime ports scattered along the coasts of the Indian Ocean.
AuxiliaThe auxilia (Classical Latin:, lit.'auxiliaries') were introduced as non-citizen troops attached to the citizen legions by Augustus after his reorganisation of the Imperial Roman army from 27 BC. By the 2nd century, the Auxilia contained the same number of infantry as the legions and, in addition, provided almost all of the Roman army's cavalry (especially light cavalry and archers) and more specialised troops.
AuxiliariesAuxiliaries are support personnel that assist the military or police but are organised differently from regular forces. Auxiliary may be military volunteers undertaking support functions or performing certain duties such as garrison troops, usually on a part-time basis. Unlike a military reserve force, an auxiliary force does not necessarily have the same degree of training or ranking structure as regular soldiers, and it may or may not be integrated into a fighting force.
Presidency armiesThe Presidency armies were the armies of the three presidencies of the East India Company's rule in India, later the forces of the British Crown in India, composed primarily of Indian sepoys. The presidency armies were named after the presidencies: the Bengal Army, the Madras Army and the Bombay Army. Initially, only Europeans served as commissioned or non-commissioned officers.
GarrisonA garrison is a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it and the facilities that constitute a military base or fortified military headquarters. A garrison is usually in a city, town, fort, castle, ship, or similar site. "Garrison town" is a common expression for any town that has a military base nearby. EtymologyThe term garrison comes from the Frenchgarnison from the verb garnir meaning 'to equip'.
Military organizationStructuring of armed forces of a state Organization chart of the Royal Danish Army, April 1940 Part of a series onWar Outline Index History Prehistoric Ancient Post-classical Early modern Industrial Modern Military Organization Command and control Defense ministry Reserves Ranks Branches: Army Navy Air force Marines Coast guard Border guard Special forces Cyber force Space force Specialties: Staff Engineers Intel Recon Medical Police Diving Pilot Land units: Infantry Armor Cavalry Artillery Special forces Signal corps Naval units: Warships Submarines Aircraft carriers Landing craft Auxiliary ships Air units: Fighters Bombers Command Close air support Electronic-warfare Reconnaissance Combat systems: Fire-control system Fire-control radar Director (military) Combat information center Sonar Radar Historical: Ship gun fire-control Gun data computer Torpedo data computer Development: Basic training Military maneuvers Combat training Battlespace Aerospace Aerial Airborne Space Land Cold-region Desert Fortification Jungle Mountain Urban Subterranean Tunnel Sea Amphibious Blue Brown Green Surface Underwater Seabed Cyber Information Night Technology Air defense Armor Artillery Barrage Biological Camouflage Cavalry Horses Air cavalry Chemical Combined arms Conventional Cyber Denial Disinformation Drone / Robot Electromagnetic Firearms Infantry Loitering Missile Music Nuclear Psychological Radiological Submarine Unconventional TacticsList of military tactics Aerial Airlift Air assault Airbridge Airdrop Anti-aircraft Anti-sub Anti-tank Battle Cavalry Charge CQC Counterattack Counterinsurgency Convoy Defeat in detail Foxhole Drone Envelopment Formation Guerrilla Naval Shock Rapid dominance Encirclement Investment Siege Swarm Screen Tactical objective Target saturation Trench Withdrawal Operational Military operation Special Operations research Blitzkrieg Expeditionary Deep operation Maneuver Operational maneuver group Raid Covert Stay-behind StrategyList of military strategies and concepts Military campaign Anti-access Attrition Commerce raiding Counter-offensive Culminating Defense in depth Fabian Empty fort Kinetic Mosaic Deception Defensive Depth Goal Nuclear Naval Offensive Scorched earth Grand strategy Asymmetric Blockade Broken-backed Class Cold war Colonial Conquest Containment Divide and conquer Economic Endemic Fleet in being Irregular Liberation Limited Network-centric New generation Perpetual Political Princely Proxy Religious Resource Strategic Succession Technology Theater Total war World war Administrative Branch Policy Staff Training Service Sociology Organization Area of responsibility Chain of command Command and control Doctrine Order of battle Principles of war Economy of force Medicine Engineers Intelligence Ranks Personnel Recruitment Conscription Draft evasion Mobilization Training Specialism Soldier Morale Volunteer Women Children Transgender Harassment Conscientious objector Conscription and sexism Counter-recruitment Logistics History War economy Arms industry Materiel Train Supply-chain management Defense industrial base Base MOB FOB Outpost Science Power projection Loss-of-strength gradient Lanchester's laws Force multiplication Morale Law Belligerent Occupation Armistice Ceasefire Court-martial Desertion Geneva Conventions Geneva Protocol Islamic rules Justice Lawful / Unlawful combatant Perfidy Regular / Irregular Jewish laws on war Right of conquest Right of self-defense Rules of engagement Self-determination Martial law War crime War and genocide War treason Warlord Theory Air supremacy Appeasement Command of the sea Deterrence theory Full-spectrum dominance Overmatch Just war theory Principles of war Philosophy of war Security dilemma Tripwire force Wargaming Simulation Exercises Combat effectiveness Center of gravity Non-warfare Arms control Counter-insurgency Deterrence Disaster response Gray-zone Gunboat diplomacy Humanitarian aid Law enforcement Low-intensity conflict Military engineering Peacekeeping Peacebuilding Peace through strength Show of force Culture Awards and decorations Battle cry Warrior War film Military science fiction War novel Anti-war movement Foot drill War song Psychology Uniform Wargame Militarization / Militarism Antimilitarism Camp follower Related Women in war War resister War studies Horses in warfare Wartime sexual violence Fifth column Mercenary Pacifism Privateer Private military company Soldiers are murderers Categoryvte Military organization (AE) or military organisation (BE) is the structuring of the armed forces of a state so as to offer such military capability as a national defense policy may require.
Military recruitmentMilitary recruitment is attracting people to, and selecting them for, military training and employment. DemographicsGenderAcross the world, a large majority of recruits to state armed forces and non-state armed groups are male. The proportion of female personnel varies internationally; for example, it is approximately 3% in India, 10% in the UK, 13% in Sweden, 16% in the US, and 27% in South Africa.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.