What nationality are the Gurkhas, who have fought for the British and Indian armies since 1815?
Brigade of Gurkhas going]". Brigade of Gurkhas Brigade of Gurkhas is the collective name which refers to all the units in the British Army that are composed of Nepalese Gurkha soldiers. The brigade, which is 3,640 strong, draws its heritage from Gurkha units that originally served in the British Indian Army prior to Indian independence, and prior to that served for the East India Company. The brigade includes infantry, engineering, signal, logistic and training and support units. They are known for their kukris, a distinctive heavy knife with a curved blade, and have a reputation for being fierce and brave soldiers. The brigade
British Indian Army used by other corps. In the aftermath of the Indian Mutiny of 1857, also called the Sepoy Mutiny by the British, the three armies of the former Presidencies of the East India Company passed to the British Crown. After 'the Mutiny', recruitment switched to what the British called the "martial races," particularly Sikhs, Awans, Gakhars, and other Punjabi "Musulmans", Baloch, Pashtuns, Marathas, Bunts, Nairs, Rajputs, Ahirs, Kumaonis, Gurkhas, Garhwalis, Janjuas, Dogras, Jats, Gurjar and Sainis. The three Presidency armies remained separate forces, each with its own Commander-in-Chief. Overall operational control was exercised by the Commander-in-Chief of the Bengal Army, who