In British Indian military history, a leader or commander of a cavalry troop or military unit in India.
From Hindi/Urdu 'daffādar,' derived from Persian 'daftar' (office/register) plus 'dār' (holder/keeper). The term originally referred to a record-keeper but evolved to mean a military officer or cavalry commander in the Indian subcontinent.
The duffadar was the Indian equivalent of a sergeant or cavalry officer in the British Indian Army—a rank that actually gave Indian soldiers real authority. Many duffadars became legendary warriors, which is why the term appears so often in colonial adventure literature and military histories.
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