History Usefulnotes / NepaliWithNastyKnives

* In ''Film/TheManWhoWouldBeKing'' the interpreter that the two protagonists engage when they reach Kafiristan is a Gurkha. True to form, at the end he [[spoiler: dies charging into a lynching mob wielding his kukri, instead of taking the chance to flee unscathed]].
* ''VideoGame/{{Commandos}} 2: Men of Courage'' has a mission set in Burma, where the protagonists (a unit of British Commandos) have to find the hideout of a squad of Ghurkas, then bring them weapon, and eventually use them to ambush the local Japanese-oriented ruler and his Imperial Japanese Army escort.

->''"[[BattleCry Ayo Gorkhali!]]" [[labelnote:translation]]"Here come the Gurkhas!"[[/labelnote]] ''

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 UsefulNotes/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) [[TypeCaste 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.

They built their reputation as infantry soldiers, though Gurkhas also serve in support arms as engineers, logistics specialists, communications specialists. Like many a local ethnic group, their loyalty has been reinforced by the British regimental system in which each regiment is effectively a [[TrueCompanions warrior-fraternity]] and the parochial eccentricities of each allow local traditions to be made an asset to the service of TheGovernment. The Gurkhas are among the world's most highly regarded military forces. And ever since the Victoria Cross became open to non-British they have had a disproportionate representation. Indeed, there is a saying from Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw [[note]]Chief of the Army Staff of the Indian Army during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971[[/note]], "When a soldier says they are not afraid to die; they are either lying, or is a Gurkha."

They built their reputation as infantry soldiers, though Gurkhas also serve in support arms as engineers, logistics specialists, communications specialists. Like many a local ethnic group, their loyalty has been reinforced by the British regimental system in which each regiment is effectively a [[TrueCompanions warrior-fraternity]] and the parochial eccentricities of each allow local traditions to be made an asset to the service of TheGovernment. The Gurkhas are among the worlds most highly regarded military forces. And ever since the Victoria Cross became open to non-British they have had a disproportionate representation. Indeed, there is a saying from Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw [[note]]Chief of the Army Staff of the Indian Army during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971[[/note]], "When a soldier says they are not afraid to die; they are either lying, or is a Gurkha."

* Second Lieutenant Tarisa Manandal from ''LightNovel/MuvLuvAlternativeTotalEclipse'' is a Gurkha (or rather was before the BETA attacked). She is known for her bravery and fighting spirit, manifesting in a preference to melee combat.

Gurkhas until the 2000s have seldom been officers and usually served in units with white officers. This was partly because of prejudice held by the British that Gurkhas were fine soldiers, but too ineducable to make good officers. Another reason was that the original Indian army was at least partly, and often in a very large part, a constabulary to prevent revolt and therefore the upper caste had to pull the strings. Despite that, relations have usually been fairly good between the British and the Gurkhas, arguably better than the British deserved. Perhaps it's simply that all soldiers live in a caste system while they serve and for the Gurkhas, it more or less ended when they went home as far as the British were concerned. And maybe British were nicer than their FeudalOverlord back home. Also the quality of leadership may have been better; British officers in Gurkha regiments were specially picked. In any case that has changed of late and there have been a number of Gurkha officers, with several rising up through the ranks to command battalions although none have yet achieved regimental command.

* Appear in Far Cry 4. They are the main enemies.

Gurkhas until the 2000s have seldom been officers and usually served in units with white officers. This was partly because of prejudice held by the British that Gurkhas were fine soldiers, but too ineducable to make good officers. Another reason was that the original Indian army was at least partly, and often in a very large part, a constabulary to prevent revolt and therefore the upper caste had to pull the strings. Despite that, relations have usually been fairly good between British and Gurkhas, arguably better than the British deserved. Perhaps it's simply that all soldiers live in a caste system while they serve and for the Gurkhas it more or less ended when they went home as far as British were concerned. And maybe British were nicer than their FeudalOverlord back home. Also the quality of leadership may have been better; British officers in Gurkha regiments were specially picked. In any case that has changed of late and there have been a number of Gurkha officers, with several rising up through the ranks to command battalions although none have yet achieved regimental command.

After independence the Gurkha regiments were [[DontSplitUsUp divided]] between the British and the new Indian army (really the army of UsefulNotes/TheRaj changing employers), by election of the soldiers as agreed in the treaty. Some continued in British service and others served the Indian government (where they use the "Gorkha" spelling). 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).

Singapore also uses Gurkhas as [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gurkha_Contingent police.]] Go on, tell [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gurkha_IOC_1.jpg him]] you won’t pay your parking ticket. I dare you. And yes, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gurkha_IOC_3.jpg he is wearing a kukri on his belt]].

They built their reputation as infantry soldiers, though Gurkhas also serve in support arms as engineers, logistics specialists, communications specialists. Like many a local ethnic group, their loyalty has been reinforced by the British regimental system in which each regiment is effectively a [[TrueCompanions warrior-fraternity]] and the parochial eccentricities of each allow local traditions to be made an asset to the service of TheGovernment. The Gurkhas are among the worlds most highly regarded military forces. And ever since the Victoria Cross became open to non-British they have had a disproportionate representation. Indeed, there is a saying, "When a soldier says they are not afraid to die; they are either lying, or is a Gurkha."

The Gurkhas are from UsefulNotes/{{Nepal}}, a country in the [[TheShangriLa 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 Creator/JohnWayne, the Company had liked the Gurkhas so much as [[WorthyOpponent enemies]] that they couldn't wait to have them as allies[[note]]The Gurkhas were so well-regarded as warriors that the British gave them the honor of being addressed as "rifleman" rather than the local rank of "sepoy", indicating that the British considered the Gurkhas peers on the battlefield[[/note]].

Gurkhas are famous for their curious boomerang shaped [[KukrisAreKool Kukri]] knives, which serves as a sort of machete. Much of their prowess comes from the poverty and hardship of their homes, which is so tough that it provides its own [[TheSpartanWay Spartan Way]]. Military service for a richer country not only brings [[GlorySeeker reputation]] but is also very attractive for material reasons, what with pay, as well as the inoculation and technical training that necessarily comes with the service. As a result, employers can afford to be extremely selective about whom they pick. Gurkhas serve mostly as infantry and though experiments have been made using them in other specialties, that is where their chief fame has been won. Like many a local ethnic group, their loyalty has been reinforced by the British regimental system in which each regiment is effectively a [[TrueCompanions warrior-fraternity]] and the parochial eccentricities of each allow local traditions to be made an asset to the service of TheGovernment. The Gurkhas are among the worlds most highly regarded military forces. And ever since the Victoria Cross became open to non-British they have had a disproportionate representation. Indeed, there is a saying, "When a soldier says they are not afraid to die; they are either lying, or is a Ghurka."

After independence the Gurkha regiments were [[DontSplitUsUp divided]] between the British and the new Indian army (really the army of UsefulNotes/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).

The Gurkhas are from UsefulNotes/{{Nepal}}, a country in the [[TheShangriLa 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 Creator/JohnWayne, the Company had liked the Gurkhas so much as [[WorthyOpponent enemies]] that they couldn't wait to have them as allies[[note]]The Gurkhas were so well-regarded as warriors that the British gave them the honor of being addressed as "rifleman" rather than the local rank of "sepoy", indicating that the British considered the Gurkhas peers on the battlefield[[/note]]. 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 UsefulNotes/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) [[TypeCaste 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.

Gurkhas are famous for their curious boomerang shaped [[KukrisAreKool Kukri]] knives, which serves as a sort of machete. Much of their prowess comes from the poverty and hardship of their homes, which is so tough that it provides its own [[TheSpartanWay Spartan Way]]. Military service for a richer country not only brings [[GlorySeeker reputation]] but is also very attractive for material reasons, what with pay, as well as the inoculation and technical training that necessarily comes with the service. As a result, employers can afford to be extremely selective about whom they pick. Gurkhas serve mostly as infantry and though experiments have been made using them in other specialties, that is where their chief fame has been won. Like many a local ethnic group, their loyalty has been reinforced by the British regimental system in which each regiment is effectively a [[TrueCompanions warrior-fraternity]] and the parochial eccentricities of each allow local traditions to be made an asset to the service of TheGovernment. The Gurkhas are among the worlds most highly regarded military forces. And ever since the Victoria Cross became open to non-British they have had a disproportionate representation.