A non-commissioned military officer or sergeant in the Indian or Pakistani army; a soldier of intermediate rank.
From Urdu and Persian 'hāvil-dār' (hāvil = mandate, dār = holder). The term describes someone who 'holds authority' and was used throughout the British Indian Army.
The havildar was the backbone of the British Indian Army—more trusted than British sergeants by Indian soldiers because he understood their languages and cultures, making him simultaneously a translator, teacher, and disciplinarian.
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