The word
Gurkha derives from the village of
Gorkha, where the
British first recruited the
Nepalese in the 1800s for their
loyalty,
strength, and because they apparently even ate faster than Indian recruits. Gurkhas began fighting in the
Anglo-Nepal War of
1814-
1816. In
1974 Gurkhas were
deployed to reinforce the British
Sovereign base in
Cyprus when Turkey invaded the island. They were also brought in for the
Gulf War,
Bosnia, and more recently in
Kosovo, as well as the
Falklands campaign.
The British currently employ approximately 3800 Gurkhas, who are typically discharged after 15 years. Between 1901 and 1906 Gurkha Regiments were renumbered from the 1st to the 10th and redesignated as Gurkha Rifles. After 1947, the remainder of the Gurkha Rifles not remaining in the Indian Army reformed as the modern Brigade of Gurkhas under the British Army. The Royal Gurkha Rifles (RGR) were formed in 1994.
The Gurkha Army Ex-Servicemen's Organization, or GAESO, is a union-like group of Gurkhas headquarted in Pokhara. Gaeso has filed a case with the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, claiming that their pensions are lower than that of British army regulars. Rates are limited by a 1947 agreement signed by Britain, Nepal and India, which ruled that basic pay for British Gurkhas should be the same as that of those serving with the Indian Army.
Rival groups have formed, but the Gurkhas are the only ones that have formed a national network. The Gaeso has taken a leftist position since their publication of the 'Gurkha Soldier Voice' newsletter in the 1990s. One of the Gaeso's top advisors is a communist, and the deputy mayor of Pokhara.
There are three women's auxiliary branches; The Queen's Gurkha Engineers, The Queen's Gurkha Signals and The Queen's Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment.
Information from the WSJ, the BBC, and the British Army site.