Sepoys were indian troops. A Sepoy was an Indian army soldier during the British Colonial period. The origin of Sepoy came from the Hindi word "Sepahi" which means a soldier/a cop (an Indian soldier serving under British command). As European powers like the East India Company conquered India, they would pay the resident soldiers and their families as Sepoys. Their organization eventually became key members of the colonial regime’s army. The bad treatment given to them by the India Company officials resulted in the infamous "Sepoy Mutiny" (or First War of Independence).