I thought I would share an interesting facet of Nepal with you all today: Gurkha soldiers. They are Nepali soldiers who are recruited into the British army. They are not well known in the States, but in this part of the world they are well known, especially for their fighting prowess and loyalty. The British East India Company fought against them in the early 19th century and found that they could not defeat them. Instead, they decided to recruit them into their army. If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. They have been fighting for the British for nearly 200 years now and have been in every major war since 1856. Thirteen of them have received Britain’s Victoria Cross (equivalent of the US Medal of Honor).

The word Gurkha means “defenders of cows” as cows are a sacred animal in Hinduism. They are recruited out of their villages and generally spend their entire career in the British army. They are regarded as heroes throughout Nepal. Young boys dream of becoming a Gurkha soldier.

Lately there has been a battle in the British courts over allowing retired Gurkhas to live in England. They previously were not allowed to settle in England. This was thought by many as an atrocity. These men fought and gave their lives for England and were not allowed to live in England. Today, however, they finally overturned past decisions and are allowing them to live in England.

For us Americans its kind of a new concept to recruit soldiers from other countries. And we won’t get into Blackwater. But its amazing that such a small country can provide such loyal soldiers for nearly 200 years. England has depended on them for many years, and their loyalty is a characteristic shared by the rest of Nepal.