| THE BEGINNING - GURKHAS, NEPAL AND THE EAST | | | | in the Gurkha soldier ever been in doubt. Alongside his |
| INDIA COMPANY | | | | British comrade in arms he has fought in many parts |
| Robert Clive's decisive victory at the Battle of | | | | of the world and has proved himself to be of the |
| Plassey in 1757 firmly established British supremacy in | | | | closest of friends and bravest of allies that Britain has |
| India thereby opening the door for expansion of the | | | | known. |
| Honourable East India Company. Some 10 years after | | | | 'Keeping the Peace' in India under the British flag |
| Plassey the British started to come into contact with | | | | began for Gurkha soldiers with the Pindaree War in |
| a unique and vigorous power on the northern borders | | | | 1817, and the first battle honour gained by Gurkha |
| of its newly won territories in Bengal and Bihar. This | | | | troops was at Bhurtpore in 1826. The two senior |
| power was the city-state of Gorkha led by its | | | | regiments distinguished themselves in the hard fought |
| dynamic King Prithwi Narayan Shah. Gorkha was a | | | | battles of the 1st Sikh War in 1846, and six |
| feudal hill village in what is now western Nepal, the | | | | regiments of the Nepalese Army were offered to |
| village from which the Gurkha takes its name. Prithwi | | | | the East India Company for service in the 2nd Sikh |
| Narayan Shah and his successors grew so powerful | | | | War of 1848. In the Indian Mutiny of 1857-1858 the |
| that they overran the whole of the hill country from | | | | 2nd Goorkhas showed striking proof of their loyalty |
| the Kashmir border in the west to Bhutan in the east. | | | | at Delhi where, together with the 60th Rifles (now |
| Eventually, as a result of boundary disputes and | | | | part of the Royal Green Jackets), they held Hindu |
| repeated raids by Gurkha columns into British | | | | Rao's house, the key to the British position which |
| territory, the Governor General declared war on | | | | was under continuous fire from the mutineers for |
| Nepal in 1814. After two long and bloody campaigns a | | | | over three months. During this period the 2nd |
| Peace Treaty was signed at Sugauli in 1816. | | | | Goorkhas suffered 327 casualties (including 8 of their |
| During the war a deep feeling of mutual respect and | | | | 9 British Officers) out of a total strength of 490. Also |
| admiration had developed between the British and | | | | during the mutiny, 12 Nepalese Army Regiments, a |
| their adversaries, the British being much impressed by | | | | force of 8,000 men under the personal leadership of |
| the fighting and other qualities of the Gurkha soldier. | | | | the Prime Minister of Nepal, took part in the final |
| Under the terms of the Peace Treaty large numbers | | | | relief of Lucknow. |
| of Gurkhas were permitted to volunteer for service | | | | AFTER THE EAST INDIA COMPANY |
| in the East India Company's Army. From these | | | | Throughout the next 50 years there was much |
| volunteers were formed the first regiments of the | | | | active service in Burma, Afghanistan, the North-East |
| Gurkha Brigade, and from this time stems Britain's | | | | and the North-West Frontiers of India, Malta, Cyprus, |
| friendship with Nepal, a country which has proved a | | | | Malaya, China (the Boxer Rebellion of 1900) and Tibet |
| staunch ally ever since and has become our 'oldest | | | | (Younghusband's Expedition of 1903). |
| ally' in Asia. Never has the trust that was then placed | | | | |