Are they really so a Holly Army?

My idea about them is that they are from very poor families without much hope, therefore they offer them as Soldiers without fear for anything cuz they do not have anything with their lives.

A very poor man without any hope of life is can become very deadly, that's all.

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Gurkha (or Gorkha) are a people from Nepal who take their name from that of the ruling dynasty. They are most famous as foreign soldiers serving the British Army.

Gurkhas claim descent from the Rajputs of Northern India who entered modern-day Nepal from the west. In the early 1500s they conquered the small state of Gorkha and adopted its name. By the 1769 the Gorkha dynasty had taken over the area of modern Nepal. They made Hinduism the state religion.

In 1814-1816 they waged war with the British East India Company army. The British were impressed by the Gurkha soldiers and began to regularly hire them as mercenaries to the Gurkha Brigade. This continues to this day with Gurkhas serving in both the British and Indian armies.

Today the Gurkhas are not considered mercenaries by the British Army who point out that they are fully integrated into to the British armed forces, take the prescribed oaths in accordance with the Army Act of 1955, and are therefore subject to Military Law like British soldiers.

In the mid 1980s some Nepali speaking groups in West Bengal began to organize their own Gurkha state. In 1988 they were given broader autonomy.

Genetically Gurkhas are Tibeto-mongolians. They speak a Rajasthani dialect. They are also famous for their large knife called the kukri.

Old Photo with Gurkha Soldiers



Gurkha Soldiers (1896)
The "Gurkha Brigade" is a collective term for British army units that are composed of Nepalese soldiers. They are famous for their ever-present kukri blade.
The first Gurkhas volunteered as mercenaries in the service of the British East India Company after the war in Nepal of 1814-1816. During the war, the British were impressed by the tenacity of the Gurkha soldiers and encouraged them to volunteer for their armed forces.

Gurkhas served as British troops in the Pindaree War of 1817, in Bhurtbore in 1826 and the Sikh Wars in 1846 and 1848. During the Sepoy Mutiny in 1875, Gurkhas fought on the British side. The 2nd Gurkha Rifles defended Hindu Rao’s house for over three months, losing 327 out of 490 men. 12 Nepalese regiments also took part in the relief of Lucknow. The 2nd Gurkha Rifles served in Malta during the Russo-Turkish War, 1877-78.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the Gurkhas formed ten Gurkha Rifles regiments. 100,000 Gurkhas fought in the First World War. They served in the battlefields of France in the Battle of Loos, Givenchy, Neuve Chapelle and Ypres; in Mesopotamia, Persia, Suez Canal and Palestine against Turkish advance, Gallipoli, and Salonika. One detachment served with Lawrence of Arabia. 2nd battalion of 3rd Gurkha Rifles was involved in the conquest of Baghdad.

In the interwar years, Gurkhas fought in the Third Afghan War.

During World War Two, the Nepalese crown let the British recruit 20 extra battalions – 40 in total – and let them serve everywhere in the world. In addition to keeping peace in India, Gurkhas fought in Syria, North Africa, Italy, Greece and against the Japanese in Singapore and in the jungles of Burma. 10 Gurkha rifles became a nucleus for the Chindits. They fought in the Battle of Imphal.

After Indian independence – and partition – in 1947 and under the Tripartite agreement, six Gurkha regiments joined India's Army. Four Gurkha regiments joined British service on January 1 1948. They formed the Gurkha Brigade and were stationed in Malaya.


During the Malayan Emergency, Gurkhas worked as jungle soldiers as they had done in Burma. They also formed three new units – Gurkha Engineers, Signals and Transport. They were also used for convoy escort duties, security of the new villages and ambushing guerillas. In the year of Malayan independence, Gurkha Signals units monitored communications during the first free elections.
One Gurkha battalion – 2nd Gurkha Rifles - was stationed in Tidworth, UK in 1962. On December 7, the unit was deployed to Brunei on a day’s notice at the outbreak of the Brunei Revolt. The forthcoming Indonesian Confrontation saw the formation of the Gurkha Independent Parachute Company on April 1 1963. It ended up as a commando unit and worked with the Special Air Service. The unit was disbanded in 1972.

After that conflict ended, the Gurkhas were transferred to Hong Kong, where they had security duties during the upheavals of the Chinese Cultural Revolution.

The Gurkha brigade’s size was reduced to 8000 men when British government changed its defense policy. Hong Kong became their headquarters while other battalions were stationed in the UK and Brunei.

In 1971 the 7th Duke of Edinburgh’s Gurkha Rifles moved to Queen Elizabeth Barracks at Church Crookham, Hampshire. In 1974 Turkey invaded Cyprus and the 10th Gurkha Rifles was sent to defend the British sovereign base area of Dhekelia. Later they remained there on peacekeeping duties and sometimes had to literally place themselves between Greeks and Turks.

On July 1, 1997, the British government handed Hong Kong over to the People's Republic of China, which lead the reduction of the local garrison. The size of Gurkha Brigade was reduced to 3400. In July 1, 1994 four Rifle Regiments were merged into one, 1st Royal Gurkha Regiment and three Corps regiments to squadrons. Gurkha HQ and recruit training were moved to the UK.

Gurkhas have had a role in the Falklands War, Gulf War, NATO operations in Kosovo and UN peacekeeping operations in Bosnia and East Timor. Two Gurkha battalions are stationed in Sierra Leone as of this writing.

Currently all Gurkha recruits begin their service in Gurkha Training Wing in Church Crookham. Brigade HQ is based at Airfield Camp near Netheravon, Wiltshire. 2nd Gurkha Rifles Regiment is stationed in Brunei.

Gurkha regiments have British officers. Past officers have described their troops as silent, reliable and loyal. Their enemies describe them as silent, ruthless and dangerous.

The Gurkha Brigade - or to be precise, their salaries and pensions - is a significant source of income for Nepal. Gurkha recruiters select yearly 270 of ten of thousands of applicants. Usual tribes are Magar, Gurung, Rai and Limbu. There are about 3400 Gurkhas in the British army. They also have the Gurkha Welfare Scheme.

Gurkhas have one five-month leave in Nepal every three years. Some of them can take their families with them to the UK – this becomes a permanent right once they have reached the rank of Colour Sergeant. Most serve unaccompanied.

Gurkha soldiers of the Brigade have won 12 Victoria Crosses. They have affiliations with the Royal Scots, the King’s Royal Hussars and the Royal Green Jackets.

In addition to British Army, Gurkhas are recruited for the Gurkha Contingent of the Singapore Police Force. The Indian army also has Gurkha troops.

Chinese rule
In 1788 war broke out between the Tibetans and the Gurkha people of Nepal, who were encroaching on Tibetan lands. A Chinese-Tibetan army defeated the Gurkhas and invaded Nepal. This brought the attention of the British, who regarded Nepal as being within their sphere of influence. The Tibetans withdrew from Nepal, but they closed the Tibetan border and refused to allow any foreigners to enter the country. Tibet's reputation as "the hermit kingdom" dates from this time. During the whole of the 19th century no foreigner saw Lhasa, and a number were killed while making the attempt.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Tibet

Who are the Gurkhas?

Gurkhas are part of the British Army (picture copyright: MoD)
Gurkhas have been fighting as part of the British Army for almost 200 years, but who are these fearsome Nepalese fighters?

"Better to die than be a coward" is the motto of the world-famous Nepalese Gurkha soldiers who are an integral part of the British Army.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2786991.stm

The Gurkhas- Bravest of Brave

“As I write these last words, my thoughts return to you who were my comrades, the stubborn and indomitable peasants of Nepal. Once more I hear the laughter with which you greeted every hardship. Once more I see you in your bivouacs or about your fires, on forced march or in the trenches, now shivering with wet and cold, now scorched by a pitiless and burning sun. Uncomplaining you endure hunger and thirst and wounds; and at the last your unwavering lines disappear into the smoke and wrath of battle. Bravest of the brave, most generous of the generous, never had country more faithful friends than you".



The words of Professor Sir Ralph Turner, MC, who served with the 3rd Queen Alexandra's Own Gurkha Rifles in the First World War

Click here for the Gurkha VC holder »



Introduction of Gurkhas:


Beyond the borders of South Asia, Nepal is renowned for two things. One stands rock-solid and has barely moved in millennia. The mountains can’t come to them, so people come from all over the world to encounter the heart-stopping Himalaya.

The other moves around quite a bit. Most people around the world would prefer not to encounter them at any time, in any place under any circumstances- the equally heart-stopping Gurkha Soldiers. The Gurkhas rank at the top of the list of the world’s all-time most formidable fighting men. Ounce of ounce only nitroglycerine packs more devastating power. No berserkers they, but it is highly inadvisable to disagree seriously with them, individually or collectively. This, it is widely accepted, would be as fool-hardly as attempting to embrace a running chainsaw.

Rare is the person today who has not heard of the Gurkha soldiers, the brave troops from Nepal's isolated hills who bolster the forces of the British and Indian armies. Famed for their tenacity and loyalty in warfare since the late 18th Century, these Kukri-wielding soldiers underscored their fame by playing a key role in the 1982 Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) crisis.

Apart from “Big Boy” and “Fat Man,” the atomic superstars of the Second World War, three weapons shared top billing as the most famous: the Ju-87 “Stuka”, the U.S. armed force’s quarter-ton “Jeep” and the “Khukuri”, the knife of the Nepalese of the British Gurkha Brigade.

Gurkhas has equipped with modern SA80 Rifles and are renowned as natural marksman. But they still carry into battle their traditional weapon - a 16" long curved knife known as Khukuri. In time past, it was said that once a Khukri was drawn in battle, it had to taste blood' - if not, its owner had to cut himself before returning into its sheath.

The name, Gurkha, is a military touchstone, evoking deeds of bravery and daring-do. The image is of a solid chunk of mountain man wielding a razor-sharp Khukuri whose breadth is only matched by his grin. And the reality is only a little removed from the legend. For the Nepali, serving in a Gurkha Regiment is one of the greatest opportunities life can offer. For a Briton lucky enough to serve with such a regiment, there is no greater privilege; it is an experience that is never forgotten.


Apart from “Big Boy” and “Fat Man,” the atomic superstars of the Second World War, three weapons shared top billing as the most famous: the Ju-87 “Stuka”, the U.S. armed force’s quarter-ton “Jeep” and the “Khukuri”, the knife of the Nepalese of the British Gurkha Brigade.

Gurkhas has equipped with modern SA80 Rifles and are renowned as natural marksman. But they still carry into battle their traditional weapon - a 16" long curved knife known as Kukri. In time past, it was said that once a Khukuri was drawn in battle, it had to taste blood' - if not, its owner had to cut himself before returning into its sheath. The name is a military touchstone, evoking deeds of bravery and daring-do. The image is of a solid chunk of mountain man wielding a razor-sharp Khukuri whose breadth is only matched by his grin. And the reality is only a little removed from the legend. For the Nepali, serving in a Gurkha Regiment is one of the greatest opportunities life can offer. For a Briton lucky enough to serve with such a regiment, there is no greater privilege; it is an experience that is never forgotten.




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Origin of Gurkhas

Nepal is the homeland of world famous Gurkhas and the country of great Himalayas. The original definition of the Gurkhas or Gorkhali (Nepali Terms), literally meaning 'defender of cows', was a man of Mongolian stock from the ancient principality of Gorkha about fifty miles to the west of Kathmandu, whose ruler, Prithivi Narayan Shah, formed the Gorkhali army, for the first time By the help of the brave Gorkhalis from Gorkha, King Prithvi Narayan Shah succeeded in uniting modern Nepal into one Kingdom around 1768-69 AD.



The war against the British in 1814 and separate action against Tibet, early 18th century, the Gorkhalis Army was enveloped in a long-drawn battle with mercantile British East India Company. It was the Anglo-Nepal war that first thrust the myth and legend of Gurkha bravery into Western minds. In that conflict, British in India first experienced the effectiveness, stubbornness, loyalty valor and indomitable bravery of Gurkhas. Impressed by what they had seen, the British East India Company began recruiting Gurkhas into their service. The British did not formalize Gurkha recruitment until 1886, but by the time India already had eight Gurkha Rifles units. Most of the men were drawn from the Magars, Gurungs tribes, but others came from the Rais, Limbus and Sunuwars of the eastern hills and from the Khasas of the west. Over the next 50 years, the Gurkhas fought all over south Asia, From Afghanistan to Malaya, and even as far as African Somaliland in 1903.



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The First World War:

At the outbreak of the First World War in 1914 beckoned the Gurkhas to new destinations. With the advent of the First World War, Gurkhas were called on in even greater numbers. More than 114,000 Gurkhas were called into active service in Givenchy, Ypres, Gallipoli, Palestine, Mesopotamia, Suez, Persia and Afghanistan. Another 200,000 men were mobilized in the Indian Army. A battalion of the 8thGR (8th Gurkha Rifle, name of battalion) distinguished itself at Loos in Flanders, fighting nearly to the last man. The 6th Gurkhas won fame in the ill-fated Gallipoli campaign when they threw the Turks back in their sector. They were the only allied troops to reach and hold the hillcrest line, looking down on the straits, which were the force’s ultimate objective. Two Gurkhas - Kulbir Thapa (France 1915) and Karna Bahadur Rana (Palestine, 1918) were awarded the Victoria Cross for their Gallantry.


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The Second World War:

In the Second World War, Gurkha strength was expanded to 45 battalions. Soldiers saw action in Iraq, Persia, Cyprus, Tunisia, Italy, Greece, Burma, Malaya and Indonesia.

When the Second World War broke out in 1939, the Gurkhas again came to Britain’s aid. Some 112,000 men served in 45 battalions in battles in Italy, Greece, Tunisia, Persia, Iraq, Malaya, Singapore, and Burma (Myanmar). Ten Victoria Crosses were awarded to Gurkhas. In addition, the Nepalese government gave money to buy military equipment to help those made homeless in London by the Blitz. The strength of the relationship between the Nepalese and the British forces was illustrated in 1940 after the fall of France, when British requested permission to recruit a further 20 battalions, The Nepalese Prime Minister replied: “Does a friend desert a friend in time of need? If you win, we win with you. If you lose we lose with you.”


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Post-war action:

Two years after the Second World War ended, with the granting of independence to India, the Gurkhas regiments were divided. Six of the ten regiments became the Indian Gurkhas Rifles; the four (2ndGR, 6thGR, 7thGR and 10GR) remaining the British Brigade of Gurkhas. In India the troops plunged immediately into the India-Pakistan conflict over Kashmir; later came the Sino-Indian war (China-India) or 1962 and further battles between India and Pakistan in 1965 and 1971.

The British Brigade served in Malaya (Malaysia), Indonesia, Brunei and Cyprus. Another Victoria Cross, (the 13th) was awarded to Lance Corporal Ram Bahadur Limbu for heroism in the face of overwhelming odds in Sarawak in 1965.

The Gurkhas’ action in the Falkland Island added another chapter to their legend. Perhaps the Gurkhas was raised by the Argentine press, which belittled them as a cross between dwarfs and mountain goats. Argentine troops guarding Port Stanley may have heard rumor about Khukuri decapitations of troop opposing the Gurkhas in other campaigns. For as the Gurkhas advanced on Argentina positions, the South America troops "tuned and field." according to a British news paper report. The BBC reported that "The Argentines dropped theirs rifles and abandoned mortars and machine guns".

I've had the privilage of meeting Ghukha's on a few occasion's, the quietest people you'll ever meet untill they start laughing, great sense of humour

(GLAINE AR GCROI, NEART AR NGEAG AGUS BEART DE REIR ARM MBRIARTHAR)