Sowar is a military rank that originated during the Mughal Empire in India. During the period of the British Raj, the term was adopted into Anglo-Indian usage to describe a horse-soldier belonging to the cavalry troops of the native armies and feudal states. It specifically refers to mounted orderlies, escorts, or guards.
The rank is equivalent to that of a sepoy in the infantry and has been inherited by the modern armed forces of both India and Pakistan. In these contemporary military structures, the rank immediately higher than Sowar is Acting Lance Daffadar.