The Gurkhas or Gorkhas (/ˈɡɜːrkə, ˈɡʊər-/), with the endonym Gorkhali (Nepali: गोर्खाली [ɡorkʰali]), are soldiers native to the Indian subcontinent, chiefly residing within Nepal and some parts of North India.[1][2]
The Gurkha units are composed of Nepali and Indian Gorkha, Nepali-speaking Indian people, and are recruited for the Nepali Army (96,000),[3] the Indian Army (42,000), the British Army (4,010),[4] the Gurkha Contingent in Singapore, the Gurkha Reserve Unit in Brunei, for UN peacekeeping forces and in war zones around the world.[5] 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."[6]
- ^ Minahan, James (30 May 2002). Encyclopedia of the Stateless Nations: Ethnic and National Groups Around the World A-Z [4 Volumes]. ABC-CLIO. p. 679. ISBN 978-0-313-07696-1.
British military pay and pensions became the primary source of income for the Gurkha peoples of Nepal and north-eastern India.
- ^ "Who are Gurkhas?". www.gwt.org.uk. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
- ^ Sureis (9 August 2018). "Thapa to take charge of Nepali Army as acting CoAS". The Himalayan Times. Archived from the original on 7 April 2022. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
- ^ "Number of Gurkha" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 May 2021. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
- ^ "» About the Gurkhas". www.gwt.org.uk. Archived from the original on 29 February 2020. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
- ^ "Who Are Gurkhas?". Gurkha Welfare Trust. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 23 June 2011.