Editing Gurkha (section)

== British East India Company army ==
[[File:Eight Gurkha men depicted in a British Indian painting, 1815.jpg|thumb|Gurkha soldiers during the [[Anglo-Nepalese War]], 1815]]

The Anglo-Nepalese War was fought between the Gurkha [[Kingdom of Nepal]] and the [[British East India Company]] as a result of border disputes and ambitious expansionism of both belligerents. The war ended with the signing of the [[Sugauli Treaty|Treaty of Sugauli]] in 1816.{{cn|date=August 2023}}

[[David Ochterlony]] and British political agent [[William Fraser (British administrator)|William Fraser]] were among the first to recognize the potential of Gurkha soldiers. During the war the British used defectors from the Gurkha army and employed them as [[Irregular military|irregular forces]]. Fraser's confidence in their loyalty was such that in April 1815 he proposed forming them into a battalion under Lt. Ross called the Nasiri Regiment. This regiment, which later became the [[1GR|1st King George's Own Gurkha Rifles]], saw action at Malaun Fort under the leadership of Lt. Lawtie, who reported to Ochterlony that he "had the greatest reason to be satisfied with their exertions".{{cn|date=August 2023}}

About 5,000 men entered British service in 1815, most of whom were not just Gorkhalis, but Kumaonis, Garhwalis and other Himalayan hill men. These groups, eventually lumped together under the term ''Gurkha'', became the backbone of British Indian forces.{{cn|date=August 2023}}

As well as Ochterlony's Gurkha battalions, Fraser and [[Frederick Young (soldier)|Lt. Frederick Young]] raised the Sirmoor Battalion, later to become the [[2nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles (The Sirmoor Rifles)|2nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles]]. An additional battalion—the Kumaon—was also raised, eventually becoming the [[3rd Queen Alexandra's Own Gurkha Rifles]]. None of these units fought in the second campaign.{{cn|date=August 2023}}

Gurkhas served as troops under contract to the British East India Company in the [[Pindaree War]] of 1817, in [[Bharatpur, India|Bharatpur]] in 1826, and the [[First Anglo-Sikh War|First]] and [[Second Anglo-Sikh War|Second]] Anglo-Sikh Wars in 1846 and 1848.<ref name="BBC-2010" />

During the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857]], Gurkhas fought on the British side and became part of the [[British Indian Army]] on its formation. The [[2nd Gurkha Rifles|8th (Sirmoor) Local Battalion]] made a notable contribution during the conflict, and 25 [[Indian Order of Merit]] awards were made to men from that regiment during the Siege of Delhi.{{sfn|Parker|2005|p=58}}

Three days after the rebellion began, the Sirmoor Battalion was ordered to move to Meerut, where the British garrison was barely holding on, and in doing so they had to march up to 48 kilometres a day.{{sfn|Parker|2005|p=57}} Later, during the four-month Siege of Delhi, they defended [[Raja Hindu Rao|Hindu Rao]]'s house, losing 327 of 490 men. During this action they fought side by side with the [[60th Rifles]] and a strong bond developed.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.army.mod.uk/gurkhas/history.aspx | title = History of the Brigade of Gurkhas | website=Brigade of Gurkhas |archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20120403165108/http://www.army.mod.uk/gurkhas/history.aspx |archive-date= 3 April 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first=Heather |last=Streets |year=2004 |title=Martial races: the military, race and masculinity in British imperial culture, 1857–1914 |publisher=Manchester University Press |isbn=0-7190-6962-9 |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=BscnZT_1po8C&pg=PA79 79] }}</ref>

Twelve regiments from the Nepalese Army also took part in the relief of [[Lucknow]]{{sfn|Parker|2005|pp=62–63}} under the command of Shri Teen (3) Maharaja [[Jung Bahadur Rana]] of Nepal and his older brother C-in-C [[Ranodip Singh Kunwar]] (Ranaudip Singh Bahadur Rana) (later to succeed Jung Bahadur and become Sri Teen Maharaja Ranodip Singh of Nepal).{{cn|date=August 2023}}

After the rebellion the [[King's Royal Rifle Corps|60th Rifles]] pressed for the Sirmoor Battalion to become a rifle regiment. This honour was granted in 1858 when the battalion was renamed the [[2nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles (The Sirmoor Rifles)|Sirmoor Rifle Regiment]] and awarded a third colour.{{sfn|Chappell|1993|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=rZ9HeuRZvTMC&pg=PA13 13]}} In 1863, [[Queen Victoria]] presented the regiment with the [[Queen's Truncheon]], as a replacement for the colours that rifle regiments do not usually have.<ref>{{cite book |last=Baker |first=Margaret |year=2008 |title=Discovering London Statues and Monuments |volume=42 of Shire Discovering |edition=5, illustrated |publisher=Osprey Publishing |isbn=978-0-7478-0495-6 |pages=[https://books.google.com/books?id=pVJLa5jgzQ4C&pg=PA18 18] }}</ref>