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The Legendary Gurkha Soldiers

© Maria Christensen

When thinking of the “best of the best” in military terms, a handful of global names come to mind, and among those are the Gurkha soldiers of Nepal. Brought to world attention in the nineteenth century, the Gurkhas gained respect and admiration as skilled and tough soldiers, though their origins go a bit further back.

During the eighteenth century, the mountain kingdom of Gorkha, west of Kathmandu, grew in strength and size, conquering nearby areas and invading Tibet. The Gorkha soldiers gained a reputation as fierce warriors, and stories and legends began to grow around the soldiers.

Recruits were drawn from many ethnic groups in the area, some of which already had warlike reputations, including the Magar. Gurung and Limbu. In 1763, the first Gurkha regiments were created and between the years of 1804 to 1837, under the leadership of Prime Minister Bhimsen Thapa, the army was increased and the military strengthened. A parade ground built at this time is still in use today.

Military expeditions in Tibet and China in the late 1700’s proved the merit of the Gurkha soldiers, but missions sent south toward India generally failed when met by the British East India Company forces. Skirmishes escalated into the Anglo-Nepalese War (1814–1816), which the British won. The British may have felt the superiority of their military might, however, they also gained at this time an admiration for the abilities of the Gurkha soldiers. In Dehra Don, where the British held prisoners of war, the captives so impressed their captors that a Lt. Frederick Young formed the first volunteer Corps of Gurkha soldiers in 1815, even before the war ended. The respect was mutual. With the Treaty of Sagauli at the end of the war, the Nepalese gained official recognition from Great Britain, and the British gained the right to recruit Nepalese into their army. Thus began the international fame of the Gurkha soldiers.

Though initially hampered by the fact that British military recruiters were not actually allowed to enter Nepal, the ranks of the Gurkha regiments began to swell and in time became vitally important to the British military presence in India. The Gurkhas proved their worth to the British with their loyalty and skill during the Sepoy Rebellion (1857-1858), after which the grateful British bestowed several honors upon the Gurkhas. They also proved themselves to be flexible and adaptable fighters and over time fought in wars all over the world.

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