Gurkha and the East India Company

[akayar]

Dear All
Very nice bit of information. No doubt Gorkhas have been very devouted fighters. I would be interested to know what history says about the composition of the Army which the British commanded in India. How many natives / gorkhas as against british soldiers. Of course officers were British.

This army was used against Indians fighting for freedom. It was the indian soldiers sent to North Africa to fight the German Army. Sorry to be reminded that it was the Gorkhas that were used by the British to massacre the civilians in Jaliwalan Bagh. No offence meant, but this is also history.

akayar

[essdee1972]

Just reading the book called "The Gurkhas". Fantastic read!

Amazing how these brave little men (average height 5'4") have fought for two countries - Britain and India - which are not their native country! Some have defined Gurkhas as "mercenaries" (notably Orde Wingate, whose handling of Gurkhas during the Chindit campaigns was one of the most inept ever in the history of Gurkhas, with no disrespect meant for Wingate here), but no mercenary will ever fight like the Gurkhas. The first VC won by a Gurkha in WW1, was taken by a guy who, over three days, pulled back a badly-injured British soldier of Lancashire regiment, and two similarly injured Gurkhas, after his company was wiped out, and he himself carrying three bullets in him, broken arm, etc. Mercenary??? Not on your life!

The Brits have given the right to citizenship to the Gurkhas who have served in the Royal Army (rather belatedly, only in 1997, after a lot of lobbying by almost every British soldier / officer who has ever served with the Gurkhas). We Indians are cribbing about giving them a district to settle in and call their own!

@Akayar, sorry to join issue with you, but the Gurkhas were normally not used against freedom fighters, Jalianwalla Bagh being the prominent exception. Similarly, the army was rarely used to fight freedom fighters (after 1857), and if ever used, it was mostly white troops, and not Indians. The police and the excellent Indian Political Service were enough. The British did not want their native troops to revolt! One Mutiny was enough for them. Moreover, there were a LOT of native commissioned officers (unlike in the French / German colonial armies). Indian officers were even sent to Sandhurst for advanced training. Otherwise, who fought the 1948 Indo-Pak war? Only the C-in-Cs and some senior staff officers were British then. The proportion of Indian officers was of course smaller than the British officers, as expected in a colonial army.

In North Africa, there were British, ANZACs, Indians, Gurkhas, South Africans, contingents from Kenya, Tanzania, Canadians, and later even Americans under Ike. Not only Indians were used as cannon fodder in that campaign!

Moreover, if you see the casualty figures of the British Indian Army, the proportion of officer casualties is more than the proportion of OR casualties. Because it was easy for the enemy to pick out a white guy, and because the officers always led from the front.

Not to defend colonial rule here, just putting some facts right.

Cheers! and Aayo Gurkhali!

EssDee

[prashantsingh]

Dear All
Sorry to be reminded that it was the Gorkhas that were used by the British to massacre the civilians in Jaliwalan Bagh.

akayar

Very true . But that's what the Gurkha soldier is all about.
His job is to obey his Officer's commands no matter how ridiculous they are. That's what makes him different from the other soldiers.

Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw once said
"If a man says he is not afraid of death. He is either lying or he is a GURKHA".

There is an interesting story of how Manekshaw got his name -----Sam Bahadur.

[Nitro Express]

Other than the British and the India Army, Singapore has maintained a small Gurkha contingent attached to the Singapore Police since the early 1950s. Composed entirely of British Gurkha veterans and commanded by British officers, the contingent performed guard duties and assisted the local police in routine security chores. The Sultan of Brunei also maintained a 900-person Gurkha Reserve Unit equipped with light infantry weapons. As with the Singapore unit, the Brunei Gurkhas all were British Army veterans. The unit functioned primarily as a praetorian guard that protected the Sultan--reputedly the richest man in the world--against any internal or external threat that might arise.

As Professor Sir Ralph Turner has rightly penned down about The Gurkha Soldier -

Bravest of the brave,
most generous of the generous,
never had country
more faithful friends
than you

Nitro Express

[prashantsingh]

Laal Gate. Red, the colour of blood.
The Red Gate was built by the British in memory of all the Gurkha officers and soldiers who died fighting for the Empire (1815 to 1915).
Their names are engraved in black , on the marble plaques embeded within the red brick walls.

[huntergill]

General Balbaddra was killed in the battle at Naushera along with akali Phula singh.Most of the heavy weights from Lahore Darbar were in the battle field.Nalwa,Sher singh,Dewan Misr chand,Fateh Singh Ahluwalia,Desa Singh Majithia ,Attar Singh Sandhawalia,Allard ,Ventura and artillery under Mian Gausa.General Balbhadra excelled all in hand to hand fight leaving the likes of Hari singh Nalwa and Ni hangs in awe.Afghans ran away from the battle field after intense fighting and Peshawar valley was added to Lahore Darbar.

[prateekthapa13]

jai mahakali
aayo gorkhali

[prashantsingh]

Tha Kalanga ridge.
The winding road up the hill . A truly picturesque drive through thick Saal forests. Peaceful and tranquil. One would not imagine it to be the setting for the bloodiest battle of it's time.A battle which was fought almost two centuries ago.
They call it the "Khukri Point". The highest point where once stood the Kalanga fort. A fort which was raised to the ground during the campaign.
The place where the last Gurkha fell during the Anglo-Gurkha war in 1814.
Not just a memorial dedicated to Balbhadra and his men but one dedicated to the invincible spirit of the Gurkha soldier.
Four Khukris pointing in four directions. Signifying their fame across the world as the bravest of the brave. Fearless foot soldiers.

[timmy]

Prashantji: Thanks so much for your write-up about the Gurkhas. Truly, their fierceness and battle prowess was and is legendary. My Dad fought in North Africa and I was interested to see that Gurkhas fought in Tunisia. I wish he were with us so I could ask him about the Gurkhas -- I'm sure he would have a few of his own stories to tell.

Great history, thank you.

[captrakshitsharma]

Nice one Doc Saab, I spent many a childhood days at this spot imagining the battle scenes and trying to figure out the hill top , mentioned on the monument, where the actual battle took place . Khukri point stands there now a lil up ahead on the Tapovan road. You should drive up there nice desolate and peaceful spot. Again a fabulous write up.... Aaiyo Gurkhali...

[prashantsingh]

You should drive up there nice desolate and peaceful spot..

Those last two snaps are from the "Khukri Point" Rakshit. Yesterday afternoon I drove up the hill in my jeep and went there. In some places the road has been washed away by the rains but otherwise it is a beautiful drive through thick Saal forests. I saw some lovely birds including a Paradise flycather and a monitor lizard on the way.
You might recognise it in this snap.
It is indeed a peaceful spot. The only other mammals to give me company was this group of monkeys.
Reminds me of Darwin when he came out with his "Theory of Evolution". There was one gentleman who once asked him if he had inhereted his "monkey genes" from his mother's side or his father's. The answer Darwin gave was even more interesting.

[Katana]

Prashant,

I used to visit this site when I was in school(Welhams). It wasn't cared for properly in those days. I remember The Garhwali 'bearers' in school (now they are called something more politically correct, although I forget the exact term) telling us that this was the site of the old Gorkha fort and battlefield. They would tell us that this was sacred ground.

All I remember are the amrood (guava) plantations in the area. That was the reason for the visits! No habitation there then. In fact I could see the field from my window in the hostel, everyday.

As an aside, if you recall my visit in 2010 to Dehra Dun, I went to visit Brigadier Sa'ab in Clement Town. I was asked to meet his Secy. first which I did and was ushered into his chambers. There happened to be a Gurkha in full dress posted outside, standing in a posture that is hard to describe but can only be brought about by them. The regular army guys would stand at attention or 'at ease'. This guy stood with his feet planted far, fists in balls and arms spread. Work done, I went to the secretary's room to pass on some information. After everything, he mentions that the Gurkha passed a comment that the 'officer was well turned out'. Didn't have the heart to tell him that I wasn't one!

What I'm trying to imply, is that despite the general notion that Gurkhas are blind in the face difficulties and that their fame is a result of such a quality, they are also astute observers and men of immense patience.

[captrakshitsharma]

Nice write up and beautiful pics... Where have you been hiding this fabulous jeep?

[prashantsingh]

Where have you been hiding this fabulous jeep?

Ha ha ha. That's an old hag. Older than me. Stays in the garage most of the time and goes topless on my trips to the jungles.

[captrakshitsharma]

Jeeps like wine get mature and more desirable with age.... What vintage do we have here? We need to do some river bashing around purukul.. I'll bring my faithful steed n let em both go berserk in their natural habitat. It's always fun and better sense to take two in case of the "jeep" decides to be in it's own mood and wants to attend a class on automobile maintenance and repair 101.