Anglo-Gurkha Relations

A Brief Historical Account of how the Gurkhas bestowed upon Queen Victoria the Gift of Indian Empire.

Well over hundred odd books have been written on the subject of the Gurkhas and their country Nepal, mostly by Western writers and naturally they portray the Gurkhas as being the true and reliable friends of the British. They have been identified by those writers as Goorka, Ghoorka, Gorkhalese, Gorkha or even as Nepaulians. Likewise their country too has variously been spelt as Nipal, Nepaul, Nekbal, Ni-po-lo and of course as Nepal and they all have been used here to establish the various stages through which they have been through.

This ebook therefore, despite the many brilliantly written works of numerous authors, it is my belief, has something more to tell, something new to add. Because their story has so often been told and retold by authors other than ethnic Gurkhas, the purpose of this endeavor of mine is essentially to help our friends rediscover the Gurkhas with a new sense of appreciation, in a brighter and clearer light.

Nineteenth Century was undoubtedly pure and simple British Century. Their global performance during the century was something none had been able to achieve earlier nor has been possible later and the turning point in this resplendent show of British Empire was based upon their control of Indian Empire. However, since the Brits became the most wealthy and powerful nation on earth, they took advantage of the fact that India had neither a name nor written history and they filled the void with great sophisticated skill. The Moslem had named this land Hindostan which the Brits changed to India and wrote its history ab initio from Pre-Historic Age till the Age of British Raj, It was a remarkable piece of academic accomplishment but at the same time they wasted no time to erase from the History of India the sequence of events explaining how the Gurkhas had subdued the Sepoy Mutiny bestowing Queen Victoria the Gift of British Indian Empire. Had the Gurkhas chosen not to interfere on behalf of the Brits or worst still if the Gurkhas had made a common cause with the Mutineers, Brits would have been driven out of the sub-continent and reduced to being an European Trading nation on the shores of India. Anglo-Gurkha Relations therefore, is the book you want to read.