Definition of
Sepoy
The etymology of sepoy it is not clear. According to the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE), the concept could come from the Portuguese word sipayitself derived from Persian sepāhi (which can be translated as “soldier”).
Simply put, a sepoy was part of the Army of the Ottoman Empire, specifically one of its elite cavalry troops that was in the group of the Six. divisions of the Cavalry.
The Army of the Ottoman Empire was one of the fundamental elements of the domination that the Ottoman Turkish Empire had over various parts of the European continent, specifically the Balkans, and the Middle East in a long period of history that extended from the fifteenth century to the xx. His organization was supported by a system of recruitment complex and feudal possessions that compensated for support at the military level.
Later, the term began to be used to refer to a native soldier of the India that, in the 18th centuries and XIXperformed functions for Britain, Portugal and France. These were people born in the cologne who were recruited by the European armies.
By extension to this meaning, the notion of sepoy began to be used to name an individual who, for ideological reasons or in exchange for money, defends foreign or alien interests. In this sense, a sepoy is a kind of mercenary or “henchman for hire.”
This last expression represents the use that is frequently given to the term in the Basque Country, where it has a clear derogatory connotation. In fact, some people in the Basque Autonomous Community call the autonomous police officers sepoys, the so-called ertzaintzato refer to the fact that they are officers of Basque origin, unlike the others (the national police and the civil guards), and that nevertheless they follow the orders of a government that does not represent them.
Returning to the origin of the word “sepoy”, it is known that it comes from the term “soldier” in the Persian language and that its status was similar to that of the gentlemen of Medieval Europe. This soldier possessed the title of a fief that was granted directly by the Ottoman Sultan, in addition to enjoying the right to any income that this produced as long as he fulfilled his obligations in the military field. The fief was called “timar” and the peasants who worked it originally continued to do so when it passed to the sepoy.
It is believed that the military corps of the first sepoys was founded in the reign of Mehmed II, who was also known as “the Conqueror”. He is about an Ottoman Sultan who lived in the mid-15th century; throughout his tenure he was responsible for the capture of Constantinople and the ultimate fall of the Empire Byzantine.
This ancient army was the largest within the aforementioned six cavalry divisions, and they complemented the janissaries: while they were fighting horse, the latter did it on foot. On the other hand, the sepoys were the ones who were in charge of collecting taxes in times of peace.
In Latin America is usually called a sepoy intellectual or to political leader that favors the interests of the powers instead of protecting local or national autonomy. In general, a sepoy is in favor of the ideas and the policies of USA.
Suppose the president of a country South American decides to invest thousands of pesos to celebrate the Independence Day of USA, organizing a reception for the ambassador and hundreds of other guests. On the other hand, for this same president, the Independence Day of his nation goes almost unnoticed, limiting himself to making a greeting known through the media. This decision to exalt what is American and reduce the importance of what is national makes many define the president in question as a sepoy.