sepoy

A sepoy was a native of India employed as a soldier by a European power, primarily the British East India Company. The term originated from Persian and Hindustani words for cavalryman.12

Sepoys played a significant role in the Rebellion of 1857, also known as the Sepoy Mutiny. This widespread uprising against British rule began when sepoys in Meerut rebelled against their officers and marched to Delhi. The rebellion spread across northern and central India, involving leaders like Nana Sahib, Tantia Tope, and Lakshmi Bai. Although suppressed by late 1858, the rebellion led to the end of the Mughal dynasty and the transfer of power from the East India Company to the British crown, marking the beginning of the British raj.32