History UsefulNotes / NepaliWithNastyKnives

* IndiansWithIglas
** KiplingsFinest

* NightmareFuel: A tactic of the Gurkhas during WorldWarII was to sneak into German encampments, kill all the men in their sleep except for one, and then leave him alive to tell his superiors about it (one writer credited that to the Goums, a similar group in French service. Another account holds that the Maoris, in New Zealand service, did something similar.).

* WorkingForABodyUpgrade: One of the incentives for Gurkhas to join the British army is the vaccinations against lethal diseases we in the West take for granted; smallpox, mumps, measles, diphteria, tetanus, polio, etc. Most grow several inches in height during the early phases of training because of the improved nutrition provided by the British.

After independence the Gurkha regiments were [[DontSplitUsUp divided]] between the British and the new Indian army (really the army of TheRaj changing employers), by election of the soldiers as agreed in the treaty. Some continued in British service and others served the Indian government. They proved valuable in the little wars of [[VestigialEmpire colonial devolution]] and the UsefulNotes/ColdWar, as well as the wars on the Indian border with Pakistan and China. They continue to serve to the present day. Following the dissolution of the Nepalese monarchy in 2008, however, Nepalese government announced that continued service of Nepalese citizens in other countries' military will be curtailed in the future, putting in doubt the prospects for continued existence of British and, to a lesser extent, Indian Gurkha troops (some Indian Gurkha troops are recruited from India's own Nepalese minority).

* TheRaj

* WorkingForABodyUpgrade: One of the incentives for Gurkhas to join the British army is the vaccinations against lethal diseases we in the West take for granted; smallpox, mumps, measles, diphteria, tetanus, polio, etc.

After independence the Gurkha regiments were [[DontSplitUsUp divided]] between the British and the new Indian army (really the army of TheRaj changing employers), by election of the soldiers as agreed in the treaty. Some continued in British service and others served the Indian government. They proved valuable in the little wars of [[VestigialEmpire colonial devolution]] and the ColdWar, as well as the wars on the Indian border with Pakistan and China. They continue to serve to the present day. Following the dissolution of the Nepalese monarchy in 2008, however, Nepalese government announced that continued service of Nepalese citizens in other countries' military will be curtailed in the future, putting in doubt the prospects for continued existence of British and, to a lesser extent, Indian Gurkha troops (some Indian Gurkha troops are recruited from India's own Nepalese minority).

** [[http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110602/wl_uk_afp/britainmilitaryafghanistannepalaward With good reason]].

* BewareTheNiceOnes: Gurkhas are famous for their friendliness.
** Those who had the honour to serve with them can vouch for that.

* BritsWithBattleships

* ShroudedInMyth: The Gurkhas frightened away the Argentines during the Falklands War by sheer reputation. Some in the Taliban believe that they are demons who eat their victims. The Gurkhas do nothing to dissuade these myths.

* NightmareFuel: A tactic of the Gurkhas during WorldWarII was to sneak into German encampments, kill all the men in their sleep except for one, and then leave him alive to tell his superiors about it (one writer credited that to the Goums, a similar group in French service).

After independence the Gurkha regiments were [[DontSplitUsUp divided]] between the British and the new Indian army (really the army of TheRaj changing employers), by election of the soldiers as agreed in the treaty. Some continued in British service and others served the Indian government. They proved valuable in the little wars of [[VestigialEmpire colonial devolution]] and the ColdWar, as well as the wars on the Indian border with Pakistan and China. They continue to serve to the present day.

The Gurkhas are from Nepal, a country in the [[ShamgriLa Himalayas]] with [[HadToBeSharp one of the toughest climates in the world.]] They are unique in that their chief fame comes from their service as HiredGuns rather than for their own country. They came to English attention in a war between the [[MegaCorp East India Company]] and the King of Nepal. As part of the peace treaty the Company demanded permission to recruit from Nepali for, in a fashion reminiscent of JohnWayne, the Company had liked the Gurkhas so much as [[WorthyOpponent enemies]] that they couldn't wait to have them as allies. The Gurkhas were recruited mostly from the Mager, Gurang, Limbu, and Rai tribes. Other tribes have occasionally joined, especially when manpower is desperately needed like in WorldWarII. Curiously, the Sherpas, which are the most famous tribe in the area, have not been well represented: perhaps it's enough work getting rich [[GloryHound glory hounds]] up Mount Everest. Another interesting curiosity is that only one regiment (9th Gurkha rifles) of Gurkhas is made up of the Kshatriya (warrior) caste. Most are Vaisha's (peasants), though such things were apparently not taken as seriously in the mountains as they have sometimes been in the valley.

* ShamgriLa

** The Japanese during the Second World War also had a tendency for their "implacable warrior" image to crack when there were rumors of Gurkhas about--largely because Japanese sentries would be discovered in the morning outside their camps missing their heads...

-> "My inclination to run for cover, not lessened by a salvo of mortar bombs that came down behind me, was only restrained by the thought of what a figure the Corps Commander would cut, sprinting for safety, in front of all these little men. So, not liking it a bit, I continued to walk forward. Then, from behind a bush that offered scant cover to his bulky figure, rose my old friend, the Subadar Major of the 7th Gurkhas, his face creased in a huge grin which almost hid his twinkling almond eyes. He stood there and shook with laughter at me. I asked him coldly what he was laughing at, and he replied that it was very funny to see the General Sahib wandering along there by himself not knowing what to do! And, by Jove, he was right; I did not!
-> [[NationalStereotypes It is a funny thing how differently the various races react to such a situation]]. A British soldier would have called out to me to take shelter and would have made room for me beside him. The average Indian sepoy would have watched anxiously, but said nothing unless I was hit, when he would have leapt forward and risked his life to get me under cover. A Sikh would have sprung up, and with the utmost gallantry dramatically covered me with his own body, thrilled at the chance of an audience. Only a Gurkha would stand up and laugh."

* ImprovisedWeaponUser: Dipprasad Pun, the Gurkha corporal famed for singlehandedly killing thirty Taliban, actually ''ran out of ammunition'' for his gun, but instead of giving up he just started cracking heads with the other end of it.

* TheRaj

* GrinOfAudacity: Gurkhas are known for their senses of humor, and for laughing in the face of danger
** During the retreat from Burma, Lt. Gen. Bill Slim found himself under Japanese fire within sight of a Gurkha unit (the same one he had commanded a few years before). He writes:

-> It is a funny thing how differently the various races react to such a situation. A British soldier would have called out to me to take shelter and would have made room for me beside him. The average Indian sepoy would have watched anxiously, but said nothing unless I was hit, when he would have leapt forward and risked his life to get me under cover. A Sikh would have sprung up, and with the utmost gallantry dramatically covered me with his own body, thrilled at the chance of an audience. Only a Gurkha would stand up and laugh."

* HeterosexualLifePartners: Gurkhas and Scottish Highland regiments have had a traditional friendship. Once when there was an earthquake in Nepal it was the Scots who raised the money for the relief. It's also worth noting that the Royal Gurkha Rifles are the only non-Scottish regiment in the British Army to have regimental pipes and drums.

[[BattleCry Aayo Gurkhali!]][[hottip:*:Here come the Gurkhas!]]

** The 9th Border Regiment, GeorgeMacDonaldFraser's battalion during WWII, was nicknamed "The White Gurkhas".

** During the retreat from Burma, Lt. Gen. Bill Slim found himself under Japanese fire within sight of a Gurkha unit. He writes:

* GrinOfAudacity: Gurkhas are known for laughing in the face of danger.

** Not the only time they did that. Some of the best units in the British armies history have been those that actually beat them in battles. The Scots are an early example.

* ImprovisedWeaponUser: It may have been an [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome awesome one off]] but the man that killed 30 Taliban actually ''ran out of ammunition'' for his gun, but instead of giving up he just started cracking heads with the other end of it.

* PantheraAwesome : One Gurkha coming home from the wars was crossing a RopeBridge. When he reached the end a Snow Leopard attacked him. The Gurkha slew it with his Kukri, skinned it, and carried its skin home on his back.
** Which was a great confrontation between two of the most awesome killer beasts on earth. [[CoolVersusAwesome Leopard versus Gurkha]].

* PraetorianGuard: When he was serving in Afghanistan, Prince Harry of Wales was fighting alongside the Gurkhas. Allegedly, he was deliberately placed with the Gurkhas because the Taliban were absolutely terrified of them.

** Taliban and Pashtuns generally absolutely HATE Gurka who did very well out of the Raj, while the Pashtuns did not. To this day Gurkas have a very short life expectancy if captured by troops of the Frontier Force, Pakistan's Pashtun regiment.
*** Not ''entirely'' without precedent among Pashtuns:

-->Creator/RudyardKipling

*** Their enemies tend to respond with--in their respective tongues, and adjusted for culture--"OhCrap!" After all, Kali ''is'' the Hindu goddess of ''death''...
* ShroudedInMyth: The Gurkhas frightened away the Argentines during the Falklands war by sheer reputation. Some in the Taliban believe that they are demons who eat their victims. The Gurkhas do nothing to dissuade these myths.

** The Japanese during the Second World War also had a tendency for their normally 'implacable warrior' image to crack when there were rumors of Gurkhas about--largely because Japanese sentries would be discovered in the morning outside their camps missing their heads...

* ScreamingWarrior: ''Aiyo Gurkali''
** The full translation of their BattleCry is ''Jai Mahakali, Ayo Gurkhali'' which means, "Blood for Kali, the Gurkhas are coming!"
*** To which their enemies say - in their respective tongues, and adjusted for culture: OhCrap.
*** This is a myth, though. The "Jai Mahakali" part doesn't even ''mention'' any blood, it means simply "Glory to Great Kali".[[hottip:*:The modern Indian Anthem (in Bengali, though, not in Nepali, but there's enough overlap) last line is "Jaya hei", which translates as "Glory to thee".]] Doesn't make any less of an ''OhCrap'' moment, OTOH. It does still tell you the Gurkhas are coming, and Kali ''is'' the Hindu goddess of ''death''.
* ShroudedInMyth: The Gurkhas frightened away the Argentines during the Falklands war by sheer reputation.
** Some in the Taliban believe that they are demons who eat their victims. The Gurkhas do nothing to dissuade these myths.
*** Given that ''one'' of them fought off ''thirty'' Taliban fighters [[Administrivia/ExamplesAreNotRecent recently]], it can be said that they do even less than nothing to dissuade said myths...
** The Japanese during the Second World War also had a tendency for their normally 'implacable warrior' image to crack when there were rumours of Gurkhas about. Largely because Japanese sentries would be discovered in the morning outside their camps missing their heads...
** Countries that actual detailed and accurate information on the Gurkhas feel a tingle of dread when facing them. Imgaine then what you feel if all you know about them IS the myth.

* WorkingForABodyUpgrade: One of the incentives for Gurkhas to join the British army is the vaccinations against lethal diseases we in the West take for granted; smallpox, mumps, measles, diphteria, tetanus, polio...

* TheWomenAreSafeWithUs : One British officer led the storming of a stronghold held by dacoits (roughly, India's ThievesGuild) and was proud to note that not one woman had been harmed.