Subedar is a historical rank in the Indian Army, ranking below British commissioned officers and above non-commissioned officers. The rank was otherwise equivalent to a British lieutenant and was introduced in the East India Company's presidency armies (the Bengal Army, the Madras Army and the Bombay Army) to make it easier for British officers to communicate with native troops. It was thus essential for subedars to be fluent in English.

Until 1866, the rank was the highest a non-European Indian could achieve in the armies of British India.

A subedar's authority was confined to other Indian troops, and he could not command British troops.

Before the 1947 Partition of India and the independence of India and Pakistan, Subedars were known as Viceroy's Commissioned Officers, and after 1947 this term was changed to 'Junior Commissioned Officers'.

Insignia

Until 1858, Subedars wore two epaulettes with small bullion fringes on each shoulder. After 1858, they wore two crossed golden swords, or, in the Gurkha Regiments, two crossed golden Kukris, on each collar of a tunic or else on the right breast of their kurtas. After 1900, Subedars wore two pips on each shoulder, and a red-yellow-red ribbon was introduced under each pip. After the Second World War, this ribbon was moved to lie between the shoulder title and the rank insignia.

After independence, which came in 1947 with the Partition of India, the former Indian Army was divided between India and Pakistan. In the Pakistan Army, the rank has been retained, but the ribbon is now red-green-red. After Bangladesh separated from Pakistan, the Bangladesh Army also retained the rank, changing the ribbon colours to red-purple-red, but in Bangladesh the title of Subedar was changed to Senior Warrant Officer in 1999.

External links

• www.Bharat-Rakshak.com/Army/Ranks.html- Illustration of various military insignias including three Subedar insignias

References