HAVILDAR, the Hindustani name of the sepoy non-commis sioned officer in the British native army of India, who ranks below a jemadar but above a naik, and which corresponds to the rank of sergeant in the British Service. The havildar wears 3 chevrons as his badge of rank. The name is a corruption of the Persian hawaladar or hawdldar, i.e., one holding a position of trust, such as a steward, agent or subordinate revenue officer, and in this sense it has many applications in India and Persia. As a military rank it was introduced into the native army of India in the i8th century.