Lashkars

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A group of fighters organized for particular military campaigns or purposes; a term often used in South Asian contexts to describe a local militia or armed squad; the term can also refer to a collective of individuals serving in a specific regional conflict or insurgency
2. An assembly of warriors recruited for various military operations, often indicative of regional guerrilla tactics; historically linked to the armed forces of particular communities in South Asia; can denote a company of armed personnel engaged in resistance against a common adversary
3. A formation of troops or soldiers mobilized for combat roles or specific military objectives; frequently associated with local homegrown forces within specific cultural or historical frameworks; also signifies a collaborative entity fighting against external forces in volatile regions

Etymology: "Lashkars" is the plural of "lashkar," which comes into English from Urdu and Hindi, where it means "army" or "camp," and before that from Persian "lashkar." Its ultimate source is the Arabic "ʿaskar," meaning "army," which entered Persian and then the languages of the Indian subcontinent during the Persianate period. English speakers used it mainly for the Mughal and Indian armies, and in modern usage it often refers to armed groups rather than national forces.