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Gurkha

From: The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition  |  Date: 2008

Gurkha , ethnic group of Nepal and neighboring areas. They claim descent from the Rajputs of N India and entered Nepal from the west after being driven from India. They conquered (early 16th cent.) the small Nepalese state of Gurkha and henceforth called themselves Gurkhas. They expanded eastward, and by the mid-18th cent. had established their authority over all of Nepal. Their invasion of Tibet in 1791 brought Chinese retaliation, and a war (1814-16) with the British in India resulted in bringing strong British influence to Nepal. The Gurkhas, predominantly Tibeto-Mongolians, speak Khas, a Rajasthani dialect of Sanskritic origin. Under the Gurkha dynasty, Hinduism became the state religion of Nepal. Gurkhas have served in the armies of India and of Great Britain; over 200,000 fought alongside the British in World War I, and 40 battalions served in World War II. Gurkha soldiers bear the famed kukri, a short curved sword.

Bibliography: See studies by H. James and D. Sheil-Small (1965) and D. L. Bolt (1967, repr. 1969).



Author not available, GURKHA., The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition 2008

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