Gurkha

The Gurkhas or Gorkhas (/ˈɡɜːrkə, ˈɡʊər-/), with the endonym Gorkhali (Nepali: गोर्खाली [ɡorkʰali]), are soldiers native to the Indian subcontinent, chiefly residing within Nepal and some parts of North India.

"Gorkha" and "Gorkhali" redirect here. For the early modern state, see Gorkha Kingdom. For other uses, see Gurkha (disambiguation).

The Gurkha units are composed of Nepali and Indian Gorkha, Nepali-speaking Indian people, and are recruited for the Nepali Army (96,000), the Indian Army (42,000), the British Army (4,010), the Gurkha Contingent in Singapore, the Gurkha Reserve Unit in Brunei, for UN peacekeeping forces and in war zones around the world. Gurkhas are closely associated with the khukuri, a forward-curving knife, and have a reputation for military prowess. Former Indian Army Chief of Staff Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw once stated that: "If a man says he is not afraid of dying, he is either lying or he is a Gurkha."

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