Gurkha

Gurkhas claim descent from Rajputs[?] of Northern India who entered modern-day Nepal from the west. In the early 1500’s they conquered small state of Gorkha and adopted its name. By the 1769 the Gorkha dynasty had took over the area of modern Nepal. They made Hinduism the state religion.

In 1814-1816 they waged war with army of British East India Company. British were impressed by their soldiers and begun to regularly hire them as mercenaries to Gurkha Brigade.

In the mid 1980’s some Nepali speaking groups in West Bengal begun to organize their own Gurkha state. In 1988 they were given broader autonomy.

Genetically Gurkhas are Tibeto-mongolians. They speak Rajasthani[?] dialect. They are also famous for their large knife called kukri.