Gurkha

Gurkha
/gerr"keuh, goor"-/, n., pl. Gurkhas, (esp. collectively) Gurkha.
1. a member of a Rajput people, Hindu in religion, who achieved dominion over Nepal in the 18th century.
2. a Nepalese soldier in the British or Indian army.
[1805-15]

* * *

Nepal
also spelled  Gorkha 

      town, central Nepal. It is located on a hill overlooking the Himalayas. The town is famous for its shrine of Gorakhnath, the patron saint of the region. There is also a temple to the Hindu goddess Bhavani (Devi).

      The ancestral home of the ruling house of Nepal, Gurkha was seized in 1559 by Drabya Shah, the younger son of the king of Lamjung, who established his own kingdom. His descendant, Prithvi Narayan Shah (Prithvi Nārāyaṇ Shah), created an ethnically diverse military force that came to be known as the Gurkhas (or Ghurkhas), with which he conquered the Malla kingdom and consolidated the numerous petty principalities into the state of Nepal. These troops were, from the mid-1800s, heavily recruited by Great Britain and, since 1947, have been a significant minority within the army of India. Upon returning home, many of the Gurkhas become teachers and community leaders, bringing Western ideas and technology to the mountain regions.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Gurkha — Soldaten (24. Juli 1896) Die Gurkha sind eine von vielen nepalesischen Ethnien. Bekannt wurden sie als Soldaten im Dienste Großbritanniens. Während manche ihren Ursprung auf Rajputen als Vorfahren zurückführen, ist die Benennung inzwischen auch… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Gurkha — ou Gourkha caste militaire du Népal qui a donné des soldats d élite à l armée britannique …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Gurkha — 1811, member of a dominant race of Nepal, of Hindu descent, famous as warriors. Said to be ultimately from Skt. gauh cow + raksati he protects …   Etymology dictionary

  • Gurkha — ► NOUN 1) a member of any of several Nepalese peoples noted for their military prowess. 2) a member of a regiment in the British army established for Nepalese recruits. ORIGIN a Nepalese place name …   English terms dictionary

  • Gurkha — [goor′kä΄] n. a member of a people living in the mountains of Nepal, famous as soldiers …   English World dictionary

  • Gurkha — For other uses, see Gurkha (disambiguation). Monument to the Gurkha Soldier in Horse Guards Avenue, outside the Ministry of Defence, City of Westminster, London. Gurkha ( …   Wikipedia

  • Gurkha — Gurkhas Les Gurkhas sont des membres du clan rajput Khasi de l Inde du Nord qui ont émigré du Rajasthan vers le territoire actuel du Népal, au XVIe siècle, chassés par les musulmans. Leur langue, le gurkhalî, un dialecte indo européen proche …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Gurkha — 1. noun a) A member of the dominant ethnic group in Nepal, with a Himalayan diaspora b) A member of this people recruited to serve in their own elite units in the British and Indian army 2 …   Wiktionary

  • Gurkha — Gụr|kha 〈m. 6 oder m.; , 〉 Angehöriger eines Volkes in Nepal * * * Gụr|kha , der; [s], [s] [engl. (angloind.) Gurkha, nach einem ostindischen Volk in Nepal]: Soldat einer nepalesischen Elitetruppe in der indischen bzw. britischen Armee. * * *… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Gurkha — Para la marca de cerveza, véase Gorkha Beer. Kukri, cuchillo típico de los gurkhas. Gurkha (a veces escrito gorkha) es un pueblo originario de Nepal, que debe su nombre al santo guerrero hindú del siglo XVIII, Guru Gorakhnath, cuyos seguidores… …   Wikipedia Español

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”