Gurkhas have been fighting as part of the British Army for almost 200 years, but who are these fearsome Nepalese fighters?

gamle, bahun ???/ Who ???

Birbhadra, are you trying to instigate me ?

Oh now you didnt write this comment.......dude get a life......

"Well i haven't seen any chettris being recruited by the britons in nepal. my chettri friend changed his last name to a magar to try out. if they have changed their policy recently then it is a different story. "

i am not tallking about nepali soldiers who fought for nepal against britons i am talking about GURKHAS who are in the bristish army

i don't have to read history. are you implying that american or indian or others are less brave than gurkhas. i strongly disagree

ok baba ok Gurkha nai brave bhayo. baki ta sabai time pass garira chan.

Birbhadra....ha ha ha ha ha ha !!!!

ok i am going to stop here before this goes nowhere but hatred

Gurkhas claim descent from the Hindu Rajputs and Brahmins of Northern India, who entered modern Nepal from the west. Guru Gorkhanath had a Rajput Prince-disciple, the legendary Bappa Rawal, born Prince Kalbhoj, founder of the house of Mewar, who became the first Gurkha and is said to be the ancestor of the present Royal family of Nepal as well as the Rana dynasty of Nepal.


Sri Panch (5) Maharaja Dhiraj Prthivi Narayan ShahdevThe legend states that Bappa Rawal was a teenager in hiding, when he came upon the warrior saint while on a hunting expedition with friends in the jungles of Rajasthan. Bappa Rawal chose to stay behind, and care for the warrior saint, who was in deep meditation. When Guru Gorkhanath awoke, he was pleased with the devotion of Bappa Rawal. The Guru gave him the Khukri sword, the famous curved dagger of the present day Gurkhas. The legend continues that he told Bappa that he and his people would henceforth be called Gurkhas, the disciples of the Guru Gorkhanath, and their bravery would become world famous. He then instructed Bappa Rawal, and his Gorkhas to stop the advance of the Muslims, who were invading Afghanistan (which at that time was a Hindu/Buddhist nation), and converting the masses at the edge of the sword to their religion, slaughtering those who refused to convert and destroying many Hindu/Buddhist temples and shrines. Bappa Rawal took his Gurkhas and liberated Afghanistan - originally named Ghandhar, from which the present day Kandahar derives its name. He and his Gorkhas stopped the initial Islamic advance of the 8th century in the Indian subcontinent for the time being.

There are legends that Bappa Rawal (Kalbhoj) went further conquering Iran and Iraq before he retired as an ascetic at the feet of Mt. Meru, having conquered all invaders and enemies of his faith.

It is a misconception that the Gurkhas took their name from the Gorkha region of Nepal. The region was given its name after the Gurkhas had established their control of these areas. In the early 1500s some of Bappa Rawal's descendants went further east, and conquered a small state in present-day Nepal, which they named Gorkha in honour of their patron saint.

By 1769, through the leadership of Sri Panch (5) Maharaj Dhiraj Prithvi Narayan Shahdev (1769-1775), the Gorkha dynasty had taken over the area of modern Nepal. They made Hinduism the state religion, although with distinct Rajput warrior and Gorkhanath influences.

In 1788 and 1791, Nepal Gurkha invaded Tibet and robbed Tashilhunpo Monastery in Shigatse. In 1792, Tibet requested the help from China who finally defeated Nepal.

In the Gurkha War (1814–1816) they waged war against the British East India Company army. The British were impressed by the Gurkha soldiers and after defeating the ghurkas and making Nepal a protectorate they were granted the right to hire them as mercenaries organised in Gurkha regiments in the East India Company army with the permission of then prime minister, Shree Teen (3) Maharaja (Maharana) Jung Bahadur Rana, the first Rana Prime-minister and "Father" of modern Nepal.


Sri Teen (3) Maharaja Jung Bahadur RanaThe "original" Gurkhas who were descended from the Rajputs refused to enter as mere soldiers and were instead given positions as officers in the British-Indian armed forces. The Indo-Tibeto-Mongolian Gurkhas entered as soldiers. The Thakur/Rajput Gurkhas were entered as officers, one of whom, (retired) General Narendra Bir Singh, Gurkha Rifles, rose to become aide-de-camp (A.D.C.) to Lord Mountbatten, the last Viceroy of India. After the British left India Gorkhalis continued seeking employment in British and Indian forces, as officers and soldiers. Under international law present-day British Gurkhas are not treated as mercenaries but are fully integrated soldiers of the British Army, operate in formed units of the Brigade of Gurkhas, and abide by the rules and regulations under which all British soldiers serve. Similar rules apply for Gurkhas serving in the Indian Army.

Birbhadra, thats what I meant ...

The real gurkhas are the bir newaris!!!

man you seem to miss the point dude i wrote...

I do agree that all soldiers of other countries are brave men ready for battle........in a do or die situation. its the KAYAR BANNU BHANDA MARNU BES moto and the intense of the fighting skills shown by the compact short yet intense gurkha force Makes Gurkhas the bravest. ....you see the difference between comparing brave men willing to fight and those who defy death are completly different........................Think about it"
I do believe every countries soldiers are brave.....Im just proud of our Gurkhas and if some one dissagrees...........I try to reason when that fails I laugh at the ignorance and stop.

Great point 7seapar...............BINGO!!!!

CAPTAIN BHANDARI RAM VC - 10th Baluchi Regiment, Indian Army
The death has been announced of Bhandari Ram
24 May 2002

I mean in indian gurkhas there is plenty of bramin and chettry.

Birbhadra ko boli bandh bhayo...........lol

Source: www.nepalikavita.com

This is my conclusions about Gurkhas. I am proud of them. I want more ppl to join foriegn armies to get more employment. .I just wish that out anchestors who died in world war II had know what the war was all about. They were sold by Ranas dime a dozen and bought by brits dime a dozen. Thats something that im not proud of. Any one who dares to join army is either brave or just a nut case. There is no doubt about it. Modern gurkhas are just ppl looking for jobs and there is nothing wrong with that.

Now the situation is changed,they earn the money not 4 nepal ,they r staying foreever in the UK.

Nepal guverment sale the gurkhas touk as like animals.am i right?

I support Birbhadra. Neither Gurkhali is brave nor Bahun is timid.Every soldier is brave. Winning victoria cross by some gurkha doesnot mean that they are brave. If you see in Maobadi most of the commanders are bahun, still they are ready to die. In nepal army also there are so many bahun. Are not they fighting with Maoist?If similar medal had been offered for bravery not only in British army but also in Maobadi there would have been thousands of bahun winning it.It is the british policy to term Gurkha soldier brave to exploit them.It is the society that makes you clever or stupid, not a tribe.Unlike snake, for example, which may differ from species to species in characteristics for example cobra is venomous other may not be . Man all over the world are considered to be of the same species. The reason why rai limbu are preferred in Gurkha army and why bahun not preferred, newar or marwari not preferred is they were uneducated and LIDE type people at that period.

There is nothing to be proud of being Bir Gorkhali or Bir Nepali which is baseless thing. Be proud of being intelligent, not bir. As said by pawan Chamling of sikkim nepali ishould make their identity in intelligency not in bravery .

Question: "Who are the GURKHAS?"

Answer: They are the loyal servants of british. They fight for country they do not represent. They fight for causes that do not affect their country but britain. They value their lives so low that they are willing to fight and sacrifice their lives for someone else all in the same of some dough.

Bringing money into the Nepalese economy is another thing. Even a nepali worker in middle east does that. But objectively what do you really think are gurkhas besides disposable human beings for british government?