Sirdar

Sirdar – a variant of Sardar, a long-standing Indo-Aryan rank – was assigned to the British Commander-in-Chief of the British-controlled Egyptian Army in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Sirdar resided at the Sirdaria, a three-block-long property in Zamalek which was also the home of British military intelligence in Egypt.

The first use of the word sardar or sirdar in English language is dated back to 1595. The original form of the word in Persian (Farsi) is sardār and this version is used in Hindi and Urdu languages as well, (Merriam Webster entry for the word sirdar.)