The 200th anniversary of the First Gorkha Rifles

Friday, 24 April, marks the 200th anniversary of the first armed organised unit of Gorkha soldiers in the Indian and British Army. Members of the Gorkha community, indigenous to Nepal, were first recruited in 1815 to fight for the British crown.

Warriors from the community were first noticed by the British East India Company in 1814 during the Anglo-Nepalese war against the Kingdom of Nepal. Impressed by their fighting skills, as the war reached a stalemate, the Company recruited many of them and formed what is today known as The First Gorkha Rifles of the Indian Army. Over the years, they took an active part in several of the major battles fought by the British, including the two World Wars. After India’s Independence, a tripartite agreement led six of a total of 10 regiments of the Gorkha Rifles to join the Indian Army.

In Nepal, those interested in joining the armed forces have a choice of serving the armies of three countries. While most of them go on to join the Indian and Nepal Army, around 300 of them are recruited every year by the British. Gorkhas still make up around 3 per cent of the total armed strength of Britain. On the other hand, there are roughly 45,000 in the Indian Army and paramilitary forces.

The hallmarks of the regiments include the back-up weapon khukri and their battle-cry, ‘Ayo Gorkhali!’ It is a much decorated force, with 317 Gallantry and Distinguished Service Awards won by the regiments over the past two centuries. Events around the occasion include regimental celebrations at Pathankot, where the First Gorkha Rifles are presently stationed. The British army is also expected to kick off a series of celebrations on 24 April.

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