Tuesday 8 October 2013

Company Soldiers become 'Lahoreys' in Nepal

The origin of the term 'lahorey' or 'lahure' (pronounced 'lau-ray') - literally a man from Lahore - is commonly used in Nepali as a way of referring to Gurkha soldiers. The term dates back to before the 1814-16 Anglo-Gorkha War, when the Sikh rulers in the Punjab (now in modern Pakistan) began recruiting Gurkhas into their own army - having recognised the quality of Gorkhali troops long before the arrival of the British in India. M...uch later, the British continued the tradition of recruiting and training Gurkhas in Lahore. As a result, the Nepali term 'lahorey', which is still used today, came into common use in Nepal well before the time of the British recruitment of Gurkhas.

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