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Gurkha

Updated: Wikipedia source

Gurkha

The Gurkhas or Gorkhas (), with the endonym Gorkhali (Nepali: गोर्खाली [ɡoɾkʰaːliː]), are soldiers native to the Indian subcontinent, chiefly residing within Nepal and some parts of North India. The Gurkha units consist of Nepali and (in India) Indian Gorkha, Nepali-speaking Indian people. They are recruited for the Nepali Army (96,000), the Indian Army (42,000), the British Army (4,010), the Gurkha Contingent in Singapore, the Gurkha Reserve Unit in Brunei, and for UN peacekeeping forces and in war zones around the world. Ordinary citizens of the two demographic groups become a Gurkha by applying for, and passing, the selection and training process.

Gurkhas are closely associated with the khukuri, a forward-curving knife, and have a reputation for fearless military prowess. Former Indian Army Chief of Staff Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw once stated that: "If a man says he is not afraid of dying, he is either lying or he is a Gurkha."

Tables

· British Indian Army (c. 1857–1947) › Gurkha military rank system in the British Indian Army › Rank equivalents in modern Indian and British Armies
Viceroy Commissioned Officers (VCOs, –1947) and Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs, 1947–)
Viceroy Commissioned Officers (VCOs, –1947) and Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs, 1947–)
British Indian Army
Viceroy Commissioned Officers (VCOs, –1947) and Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs, 1947–)
Subedar Major
Subedar Major
British Indian Army
Subedar Major
Modern Indian Army
Subedar Major
British Army
no equivalent
NATO code
—
Subedar
Subedar
British Indian Army
Subedar
Modern Indian Army
Subedar
British Army
no equivalent
NATO code
—
Jemadar
Jemadar
British Indian Army
Jemadar
Modern Indian Army
Naib Subedar
British Army
no equivalent
NATO code
—
Warrant officers
Warrant officers
British Indian Army
Warrant officers
Regimental Havildar Major
Regimental Havildar Major
British Indian Army
Regimental Havildar Major
Modern Indian Army
Regimental Havildar Major
British Army
Warrant Officer Class 1
NATO code
OR-9
Company Havildar Major
Company Havildar Major
British Indian Army
Company Havildar Major
Modern Indian Army
Company Havildar Major
British Army
Warrant Officer Class 2
NATO code
OR-8
Non-commissioned officers
Non-commissioned officers
British Indian Army
Non-commissioned officers
Company Quartermaster Havildar
Company Quartermaster Havildar
British Indian Army
Company Quartermaster Havildar
Modern Indian Army
Company Quartermaster Havildar
British Army
Colour Sergeant
NATO code
OR-7
Havildar
Havildar
British Indian Army
Havildar
Modern Indian Army
Havildar
British Army
Sergeant
NATO code
OR-6, OR-5
Naik
Naik
British Indian Army
Naik
Modern Indian Army
Naik
British Army
Corporal
NATO code
OR-4
Lance Naik
Lance Naik
British Indian Army
Lance Naik
Modern Indian Army
Lance Naik
British Army
Lance Corporal
NATO code
OR-3
Enlisted
Enlisted
British Indian Army
Enlisted
(no rank)
(no rank)
British Indian Army
(no rank)
Modern Indian Army
(no rank)
British Army
Private
NATO code
OR-2, OR-1
British Indian Army
Modern Indian Army
British Army
NATO code
Viceroy Commissioned Officers (VCOs, –1947) and Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs, 1947–)
Subedar Major
Subedar Major
no equivalent
—
Subedar
Subedar
no equivalent
—
Jemadar
Naib Subedar
no equivalent
—
Warrant officers
Regimental Havildar Major
Regimental Havildar Major
Warrant Officer Class 1
OR-9
Company Havildar Major
Company Havildar Major
Warrant Officer Class 2
OR-8
Non-commissioned officers
Company Quartermaster Havildar
Company Quartermaster Havildar
Colour Sergeant
OR-7
Havildar
Havildar
Sergeant
OR-6, OR-5
Naik
Naik
Corporal
OR-4
Lance Naik
Lance Naik
Lance Corporal
OR-3
Enlisted
(no rank)
(no rank)
Private
OR-2, OR-1

References

  1. Encyclopedia of the Stateless Nations: Ethnic and National Groups Around the World A-Z [4 Volumes]
  2. www.gwt.org.uk
    https://www.gwt.org.uk/about-the-gurkhas/gurkhas/
  3. The Himalayan Times
    https://thehimalayantimes.com/kathmandu/lieutenant-general-purna-chandra-thapa-to-take-charge-of-nepali-army-as-acting-chief-of-army-staff
  4. "Number of Gurkha"
    https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/990125/SPS_1_Apr_2021.pdf
  5. www.gwt.org.uk
    https://www.gwt.org.uk/about-the-gurkhas/
  6. Gurkha Brigade Association
    https://www.gurkhabde.com/becoming-a-gurkha/
  7. Gurkha Welfare Trust
    https://www.gwt.org.uk/about-the-gurkhas/gurkhas/
  8. BBC News
    https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-10782099
  9. Land of the Gurkhas; or, the Himalayan Kingdom of Nepal, p. 44, by W.B. Northy (London, 1937)
  10. Rose, Leo E. Nepal: Strategy for Survival. 1st ed. University of California Press, 1971.
  11. asianhistory.about.com Archived 17 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine Who are the Gorkha?
    http://asianhistory.about.com/od/glossaryfj/g/GlosGurkha.htm
  12. Cultures & Conflits
    http://journals.openedition.org/conflits/11502
  13. Conflict Studies Research Centre
    https://web.archive.org/web/20071021003627/http://da.mod.uk/defac/colleges/csrc/document-listings/special/05%2804%29-JW.doc
  14. "Nepal Origins of the Legendary Gurkha – Flags, Maps, Economy, History, Climate, Natural Resources, Current Issues, International Agreements, Population, Social Statistics, Political System"
    http://www.photius.com/countries/nepal/national_security/nepal_national_security_origins_of_the_legen~10146.html
  15. Parker 2005, p. 58.
  16. Parker 2005, p. 57.
  17. Brigade of Gurkhas
    http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20120403165108/http://www.army.mod.uk/gurkhas/history.aspx
  18. Martial races: the military, race and masculinity in British imperial culture, 1857–1914
    https://books.google.com/books?id=BscnZT_1po8C&pg=PA79
  19. Parker 2005, pp. 62–63.
  20. Chappell 1993, p. 13.
    https://books.google.com/books?id=rZ9HeuRZvTMC&pg=PA13
  21. Discovering London Statues and Monuments
    https://books.google.com/books?id=pVJLa5jgzQ4C&pg=PA18
  22. Singh 1997, p. 221.
  23. Singh 1997, pp. 220–221.
  24. Parker 2005, p. 79.
  25. Parker 2005, p. xvii.
  26. Chappell 1993, p. 9.
  27. Parker 2005, p. 99.
  28. Sengupta 2007.
  29. Parker 2005, pp. 117–118.
  30. Parker 2005, p. 121.
  31. Parker 2005, p. 150.
  32. For more detail see Barthorp 2002.[page needed]
  33. Cross & Gurung 2002, p. 31.
  34. Parker 2005, pp. 157–158.
  35. Cross & Gurung 2002, p. 32.
  36. Osprey Military Elite Series #49 The Gurkhas by Mike Chappell 1993 ISBN 1-85532-357-5
  37. "Participants from the Indian subcontinent in the Second World War"
    http://www.mgtrust.org/ind2.htm
  38. See Parker 2005, p. xvii. Gurkha casualties in the Second World War were 8,985 killed or missing and 23,655 wounded.
  39. Cross & Gurung 2002, p. 33.
  40. Cross & Gurung 2002, p. 34.
  41. Source: Cross & Gurung 2002, pp. 33–34
  42. "115 Infantry Brigade Subordanates"
    https://archive.today/20120225212041/http://www.ordersofbattle.com/UnitData.aspx?UniX=63267&Tab=Sub
  43. BBC News
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/special_report/1997/gurkhas/36397.stm
  44. Parker 2005, p. 224.
  45. Parker 2005, p. 226.
  46. Parker 2005, p. 229.
  47. Parker 2005, pp. 322–323.
  48. Parker 2005, p. 323.
  49. Parker 2005, p. 344.
  50. Parker 2005, p. 360.
  51. British Army, August 2021 Soldier Magazine Archived 2 August 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
    https://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/html5/reader/production/default.aspx?pubname=&edid=0377652b-c123-4bff-8806-61b9af842025
  52. BBC
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13619825
  53. The Weekly Standard
    https://web.archive.org/web/20120603083305/http://www.weeklystandard.com/keyword/Gurkhas
  54. The Daily Telegraph
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/9646824/British-Gurkhas-shot-dead-in-Afghanistan-attack-named.html
  55. Chappell 1993, p. 12.
  56. Parker 2005, p. 230.
  57. Parker 2005, p. 203.
  58. Parker 2005, p. 390.
  59. "Special Frontier Force: Invaluable yet Inconspicuous"
    https://web.archive.org/web/20210924004349/https://www.thedefencearchive.com/post/special-frontier-force
  60. Parker 2005, pp. 391–393.
  61. British Army
    https://web.archive.org/web/20090205193507/http://army.mod.uk/gurkhas/7561.aspx
  62. Pride of India.net
    https://web.archive.org/web/20110525075456/http://prideofindia.net/param.html
  63. UK Government
    https://www.gov.uk/guidance/medals-campaigns-descriptions-and-eligibility
  64. Parker 2005, p. 334.
  65. Lumley, Joanna
    http://gurkhajustice.org.uk/
  66. Paragraph 72, Limbu & Ors, R (on the application of) v Secretary of State for the Home Department & Ors 2008 EWHC 2261 A
    http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Admin/2008/2261.html
  67. BBC News
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7644441.stm
  68. BBC News
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/8023882.stm
  69. BBC News
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/8060607.stm
  70. Parker 2005, pp. 379–383.
  71. Gurkha 200
    http://www.gurkha200.co.uk/
  72. www.fleethants.com
    http://www.fleethants.com/allhistory/gurkhas/main1.htm
  73. BBC News
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7644441.stm
  74. In August 2021, the battalion added the subtitle 'Gurkha'. Though the battalion has had Gurkhas for many years, it is no
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