SEPOY, or SIPOY, the name of the native soldier in the East Indies, probably from sipahi, the Persian word for soldier, though Bishop Ileber derives the word from " sip," the bow and arrow, which were originally in almost universal use by the native soldiers of India in offensive warfare. Those Bhiels and 'Choices who are employed in Cluzerat in the service of the police and in protecting gentlemen's houses and gardens are also called sepoys, and with more propriety, as they still use the bow and arrow. The native soldiers in the pay of the British government now form a largo army, well trained in European discipline. Though the men of some of the regiments com posed of men of the highest caste are said to have been of a greater average size than the Europeans, the generality are somewhat smaller than European soldiers, but brave, hardy, and active, capable of undergoing much fatigue and of sustaining great privations. To the attachment and bravery of this army, which was not doubted till rudely shaken by the mutiny of the Bengal army in 1857, Great Britain is chiefly indebted for the possession of her Indian empire, and the security of her sovereignty over a territory vastly more extensive than her own, and separated from her by the distance of nearly half the globe.
Bombay was the first possession which the English obtained in India, but the establishment on that island was for a long time on a very limited scale, and required nothing more than its own garrison and a few companies of native troops, who were peons, subject to little control, to no fixed military law, and who used their native weapons in preference to muskets. The French were the first to set the example of employing natives regularly instructed in European discipline. Labour donnais, in the siege of Madras in 174G, had 400 sepoys well armed and well trained, besides 400 disciplined negroes from Madagascar, in addition to his European soldiers. A corps of 100 sepoys from Bombay and 400 from Tellichery are mentioned as having joined the army of Madras in 1747, but these were probably only peons and bands of un disciplined natives hired for the occasion. In 1743 a small corps of natives was mired In the neighbourhood of Madras, cad trained and disciplined by )Ir. Haliburten, a lieutenant. From 1718 to 1766 the savoys were in separate companies of 100 each, commanded by alt imeters, or native captains, though under the superintendence of Euro peans. In 1766 the companies were formed Into battalions of 1000
men each, commanded by European officers, under whom the subadars still retained their rank and influence. lu 1796 two battalions were made to constitute a regiment, whioh continued to be the form till about 1820, since which time each regiment has been made to consist of two battalions of 500 men each. This description of force was adopted also in Bombay and Madras, and continued to increase. In 1856, just before the mutiny of the Bengal army, the native army was composed of 240,120 men, forming,— 5 Troopa of horse artillery. 18 Companies of artillery.
22 Regiments of regular cavalry.
155 Regiments of regular infantry.
23 Regiments of irregular cavalry. 30 Regiments of irregular infantry. 5 Contingent brigades of all arms. 1 Native legiou.
The native army, which, with the whole of the Company's troops, were in 1558 transferred with the government of India and placed under the crown, having been iu great part destroyed by the mutiny of the Bengal army, is now greatly reduced, and is being reorganised and placed on the footing of irregulars. In irregular regiments the number of European officers is very small, the men receive high pay, and provide their own horses, forage, fie.
SEPTEMBER, the ninth month, as the year is now divided by September, the ninth month, as the year is now divided by European nations. It consists of 30 days. Etymologically the name is improper, being a Latin term formed of septrm, seven, and the ter mination ber ; and the same impropriety belongs to October, November, and December. The Roman year originally commenced in March ; and the English names of the months, which are all Latin terms, appear to have been given to them by the lawyers, whose writings were formerly n Latin, and who supposed the year to commence in March, on which supposition the names are right, September being the seventh, October the eighth, &e., when March is the first. The legal year in England was not made to commence on the 1st of January till the alteration of the style in 1752.
Other appellations were given to this. month under some of the Roman emperors. The Saxons called it Gcrstmanalh, or barley-month, gerst being the original Saxon name for barley, which was the chief grain cultivated by the Saxons, and commonly harvested in this month.
SEPTUAGES13fA. [Sexeeesiats.]