Subedar - History

History

These native Subedar's have the knack of tramping upon us and extorting what they please of our estate from us...they will never forbid doing so till we have made them sensible of our power.

In the Mughal Empire and the Maratha Empire, the Subahdar was the governor of a province. During the British Government it was named as the second highest rank of enlisted Indian soldiers with commanding powers over the Indian troops.

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. A red-yellow-red ribbon was introduced under each pip after the Great War. After the Second World War, this ribbon was moved to lie between the shoulder title and the rank insignia (two brass stars on both shoulders). As per seniority Subedar is after Naib Subedar and before the rank of Subedar Major.

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. Now the general trend is to grab all the commanding powers of JCOs. One new term 'PBORs' (Personnel Below Officer Rank) is being circulated/enforced within the services to defame the status. Somany debates, restrictions from the Army Chief were also circulated on banning the term 'PBOR' however still it is used purposely to tarnish the image of JCOs. It is a matter of great concern that how a Junior Commissioned Officer can be termed as Personnel Below Officer Rank even after commissioned by the President of India and notified in the Gazette about the appointment.

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