THE GURKHA GUIDE
The Gurkha lore is a British creation. It was no invention but borne out of the respect for their bravery that was vouchsafed by no less a person than Gen. David Ochterlony in his dispatches from the front in 1814. The story of the Anglo-Nepal War 1814-16 is well-documented by John Pemble (The Invasion of Nepal: John Company at War, London, 1971). A hundred years later, Sir Lain Hamilton noted that "each little G urkha might be worth his full weight in gold at Gallipoli" (Gallipoli Diary 1915, London, 1930). The best eulogy to the Gurkhas, however, is to be found not in a historical account, but a dictionary preface by Sir Ralph Turner, "As I write these last words, my thoughts return to you who were my comrades, the stubborn and indomitable peasants of Nepal… Bravest of the brave, most generous of the generous, never had country more faithful friends than you." (A Comparative and Etymological Dictionary of the Nepali Language, London, 1931.)
The first account about the Gurkhas was published by Brian H. Hodgson who advocated their recruitment in the British service as a strategy to curb Nepal's military adventures. His 8-page essay "Origin and Classification of the Military Tribes of Nepal" appeared in Journal of the Bengal Asia Society, Vol. II 1833 (Calcutta). Fifty years later, Major E.R. Elles wrote A Report on Nepal (1883) that was to form the basis of the numerous editions of Gurkha handbooks for the Indian Army series.