Editing Gurkha (section)

== Origins ==

Historically, the terms "Gurkha" and "Gorkhali" were synonymous with "Nepali", which originates from the hill principality [[Gorkha Kingdom]], from which the [[Kingdom of Nepal]] expanded under [[Prithvi Narayan Shah]], who was the last ruler of the [[Gorkha Kingdom]] and first monarch of the [[Kingdom of Nepal]] .<ref name="BBC-2010">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-10782099|title=Who are the Gurkhas?|work=[[BBC News]]|date=27 July 2010|access-date=27 January 2021|archive-date=6 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190506195218/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-10782099|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>Land of the Gurkhas; or, the Himalayan Kingdom of Nepal, p. 44, by W.B. Northy (London, 1937)</ref>  In fact, the Gorkhas’ impressive conquests of the Kathmandu Valley supplied the British with an exaggerated view of Nepal’s strength, ultimately helping lead to the [[Anglo-Nepalese War|Anglo-Nepalese War (1814-1816)]].<ref> Rose, Leo E. Nepal: Strategy for Survival. 1st ed. University of California Press, 1971.</ref> The name may be traced to the medieval [[Hindu]] warrior-saint Guru [[Gorakhnath]]<ref>[http://asianhistory.about.com/od/glossaryfj/g/GlosGurkha.htm asianhistory.about.com] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111017000403/http://asianhistory.about.com/od/glossaryfj/g/GlosGurkha.htm |date=17 October 2011 }} ''Who are the Gorkha?''</ref> who has a historic shrine in [[Gorkha District]]. The word itself derived from ''Go-Raksha'' ({{Langx|ne|गोरक्षा}} i.e., 'Protector (रक्षा) of cows (गो')), ''raksha'' becoming ''rakha'' (रखा). ''Rakhawala'' means 'protector' and is derived from ''raksha'' as well.

There are Gurkha military units in the [[Nepalese Army|Nepalese]], [[British army|British]] and [[Indian army|Indian]] armies enlisted in Nepal, United Kingdom, India and Singapore. Although they meet many of the criteria of Article 47<ref>{{cite journal |last=Kinsey |first=Christopher |url=http://journals.openedition.org/conflits/11502 |title=International Law and the Control of Mercenaries and Private Military Companies |journal=Cultures & Conflits |date=26 June 2008 |issue=52 |doi=10.4000/conflits.11502 |s2cid=152676827 |access-date=27 January 2021 |archive-date=9 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209201311/https://journals.openedition.org/conflits/11502 |url-status=live |doi-access=free }}</ref> of [[Protocol I]] of the [[Geneva Conventions]] regarding [[mercenary|mercenaries]], they are exempt under clauses [[s:Protocol I#Art 47. Mercenaries|47(e) and (f)]], similar to the [[French Foreign Legion]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Wither |first=James |url=http://da.mod.uk/defac/colleges/csrc/document-listings/special/05(04)-JW.doc |title=Expeditionary Forces for Post Modern Europe: Will European Military Weakness Provide an Opportunity for the New Condottieri? |website=Conflict Studies Research Centre |date=January 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071021003627/http://da.mod.uk/defac/colleges/csrc/document-listings/special/05%2804%29-JW.doc |page=11 |archive-date=21 October 2007}}</ref>[[File:Prithvi Narayan Shah with Senapati Shivaram Singh Basnyat.jpg|thumb|King of [[Gorkha Kingdom]] and founder of modern Gorkhali Force ''[[Maharajadhiraja]]'' [[Prithvi Narayan Shah]], (1743–1775) consulting with his first Army Chief ''Senapati'' [[Shivaram Singh Basnyat]] (d. 1747)]]

During the 1814–16 [[Anglo-Nepalese War]] between the [[Kingdom of Nepal|Gorkha Kingdom]] and the [[British East India Company|East India Company]], the Gorkhali soldiers impressed the British, who called them ''Gurkhas''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.photius.com/countries/nepal/national_security/nepal_national_security_origins_of_the_legen~10146.html|title=Nepal Origins of the Legendary Gurkha – Flags, Maps, Economy, History, Climate, Natural Resources, Current Issues, International Agreements, Population, Social Statistics, Political System|publisher=Photius.com|access-date=2014-01-03|archive-date=27 September 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927001937/http://www.photius.com/countries/nepal/national_security/nepal_national_security_origins_of_the_legen~10146.html|url-status=live}}</ref>{{failed verification|date=January 2021}}