Ressaidar facts for kids

Ressaidar was a special military rank in the British Indian Army. It was given to a type of officer called a Viceroy's commissioned officer (VCO). The word "Ressaidar" comes from Persian and means a junior leader of a risala. A risala was a group of horse soldiers, like a troop or a regiment.

What Was a Ressaidar's Job?

The Ressaidar rank was only for soldiers in the cavalry, which are troops who fight on horseback. There were no Ressaidars in other parts of the army. A Ressaidar was like a junior commander of a small group of soldiers called a troop. You could think of them as a 'junior Captain'.

They usually led the second troop within a larger group called a squadron. The first troop in a squadron was led by a Risaldar, who was a more senior officer, like a 'senior Captain'.

How Ressaidars Ranked

During the British Raj, which was when Britain ruled India, a Ressaidar was an important rank. They were above a Jemadar or a Naib-Risaldar. The Naib-Risaldar rank was removed in 1865.

Ressaidars were below a Risaldar. Sometimes, people even mixed up Ressaidars and Risaldars because their names were similar. A Ressaidar was generally seen as being similar to a 'Captain, 2nd Class' or a 'Captain lieutenant' in other armies.

However, during World War I, Ressaidars were officially called native 'Lieutenants'. It's important to remember that even the lowest British officer with a full commission always outranked all Viceroy's commissioned officers, including Ressaidars.

When Did the Rank End?

The rank of Ressaidar was officially stopped on April 1, 1921. Any Indian officers who held the rank of Ressaidar at that time were then promoted to the rank of Risaldar.