The Gurkha, the brutal warriors of Nepal who resisted a British invasion, then went on to serve as mercenaries for the British.
VS
The Afghan Warrior, the tribal warriors who resisted three British invasions in the 19th century.
WHO IS DEADLIEST?!
Combatants[]
Gurkha[]
The Gurkhas are warriors native to Nepal who are famous for their unquestionable loyalty, ambition, ferocity and resolve. They first gained fame during the Gurkha War in 1814, when the British East India Company tried to invade Nepal and failed. Impressed by their combat skills and bravery (which was unlike anything the British had ever encountered in their enemies), the British offered to hire the Gurkhas to fight for them. Gurkhas went on to fight for the British in both World Wars.
After India gained independence in 1947, the original ten Gurkha regiments were split between the British Army and the new Indian Army. To the disappointment of many British officers, most Gurkhas offered service between the two chose their native Indian Army. Today, the Gurkhas also serve in Nepal, Singapore, Brunei and are sometimes employed by the United States.
Afghan Warrior[]
The Emirate of Afghanistan was invaded by the British three times, first from 1839-1842, again from 1878-1880, and again in 1919. In all three cases, the British invasions were thwarted by guerilla tactics used by the Afghan tribesmen, who, while they were armed with inferior weaponry, defeated the British using the terrain to their advantage. One tactic used the Afghans involved luring the British into narrow canyons and firing one them from above with jezails, homemade but nonetheless deadly rifles.
Weapons[]
Knives[]
Kukri (Gurkha)[]
The Kukri, or Khukuri, is a forward-curved, machete-like knife used by the Gurkhas of Nepal, a fierce, warlike people who, after first fighting against the British in the early 1800s, later worked as mercenaries with the armies of Britain, and, after the independence of various British colonies, the military and police forces in of Singapore, Nepal, and India. The kukri itself is used both for combat, and as a utility knife for cutting brush etc, contrary to the legend that a Gurkha must draw blood every time they unsheathe the kukri, even if it means cutting themselves.
Khyber Knife/Shorah (Afghan)[]
The primary close quarters weapon of the Afghan warrior was the Shorah or Choora, known to the British as the Khyber Knife. The Khyber knife is similar in appearance and design to an oversized kitchen or butcher's knife, with a single-edged blade tapering to a point, shaped roughly like a right triangle. The blade has a T-shaped profile, with a narrow bar of steel on the back of the blade designed to add rigidity. According to reports of a British field surgeon, the Afghans used the Shorah as a slashing weapon, causing grevious, but not always immediately fatal wounds, practically never thrusting with it. The Khyber knife was long, with some qualifying as a short sword, however, it was not always of the best craftsmanship, attested by specimens with bent blades.
119's Edge[]
The Khyber knife is a little longer, but the Kukri looks like it has a heavier, more rigid blade, meaning it can stand up to more abuse in a knife fight. Edge: Gurkha
Swords[]
Talwar (Gurkha)[]
A talwar is an Indian sword with a curved blade, intended mainly for slashing. The weapon is typified by its disc-shaped pommel.
Pulwar (Afghan)[]
The Pulwar is an Afghan sword very similar in appearance to the talwar. The weapon has a curved blade designed primarily for slashing attacks. The primary difference between the two swords is the pommel, which is cup, rather than disc-shaped.
119's Edge[]
The two weapons are essentially the same thing. Even.
Flintlock Pistol (Both)[]
A flintlock pistol is a handgun that uses the flintlock system of firing. The flintlock mechanism works by using a spring-loaded striker to strike a piece of flint, creating a spark. This spark ignites a small amount of gunpowder in a priming pan, which in turn fires off the main charge. Flintlock pistols were generally carried by officers, cavalry, sailors, and pirates, and others who needed a weapon lighter than a Flintlock Musket. Like all pistols, the flintlock's light weight was the expense of range, though this was especially pronounced with early pistols such as the flintlock, being most effective extreme close or even point blank range.
Muskets[]
Double-Barreled Musket (Gurkha)[]
The Gurkhas were known to use a double-barreled flintlock musket similar in appearance to a modern side-by-side double-barrel shotgun. Like a shotgun, the weapon was often loaded with buck and ball, a load containing a single large musket ball and several smaller buckshot. This made the weapon extremely effective at close ranges under 100 meters and against dense formations.
Brown Bess Musket (Afghan)[]
The "Brown Bess" was the nickname of the Land Pattern Musket, the standard British Military musket from 1722 until 1838- Over 100 years. The weapon was one of the earliest examples of a standardized design for a military firearm in history, and was used by the British Military, as well as numerous forces who opposed them, including American Minutemen, Afghan Warriors, Zulus, Maoris, Indians, and Native Americans. Like most muskets, it had a maximum effective range of about 100 meters.
119's Edge[]
The Gurkha's Double-barreled musket for its second barrel, which allows for a second shot, as well as its buck and ball load.
Rifles[]
Baker Rifle (Gurkha)[]
The Baker Rifle is a flintlock rifle first produced in 1800 used by the British Army from 1800 to the 1830s. The weapon was a muzzle-loading rifle using a black powder charge and a round lead ball. Like all muzzle-loading firearms, reloads were lengthy, meaning it had a maximum rate of fire of 2-3 rounds per minute. The Baker was issued to British Army sharpshooters, as well as elite rifle units. The weapon was also privately purchased by militiamen in Canada and fell into the hand of various colonial peoples who opposed the British. The Baker could fire at targets up to about 300 meters away.
Jezail (Afghan)[]
The Jezail is a crude, handmade matchlock or flintlock rifle (flintlock for the purposes of this match) made in Afghanistan and other surrounding South Asian countries during the 18th and 19th centuries. The Jezail, however, was often a large caliber, from .50 to .75 caliber. The weapon sometimes had a crude bipod for sniping purposes, and could fire nails and even stones as well as lead balls. The weapons rifled barrel gave it a greatly increased range compared to a musket, up to about 200-300 meters.
119's Edge[]
The Jezail had a longer barrel, as well as a bipod and could fire a variety of projectiles, meaning ammunition availability is less of an issue. Edge: Afghan.
X-Factors[]
| Gurkha | X-Factor | Afghan |
|---|---|---|
| 60 | Training | 53 |
| 72 | Leadership | 72 |
| 87 | Tactics | 90 |
| 100 | Tenacity | 94 |
Explanations[]
The Gurkhas take the edge in training, though neither side had anything near the training of European armies of the time. The two were about even in terms of leadership, and both were masters of guerilla warfare, however, the Afghans gain a slight edge for sucessfully repelling a British invasion. Finally, The Gurkha's take tenacity, being legendary for fighting to the bitter end and refusing to surrender.
Battle[]
Gurkhas: 
Afghan Warriors: 
A group of Afghan Warriors stood at the ready on the walls of a canyon located high in the mountains. Five Gurkhas walked into the narrow defile, not realizing the threat that lay in wait. One of the Afghan Warriors rested his Jezail on it bipod against a rock, training the weapon on the lead Gurkha, and pulled the trigger. The Gurkha clutched the hole in his chest, before he collapsed to the ground, dead.
One of the Gurkhas retaliated with their Baker Rifle, striking down one Afghans lying in wait at the top of the canyon as the other Gurkhas took cover behind trees or rocks.
The Four surviving Gurkhas then charged at the Afghans, unaffected by the volley of musket and rifle fire the Afghans sent at them, which killed one Gurkha. A Gurkha armed with a double-barrel musket fired off the first barrel, riddling the nearest Afghan with buck and ball, before firing a second shot and scoring a second kill.
The lead Afghan drew a pistol, and shot the Gurkha with the double musket , before drawing his pulwar and charging towards the two surviving Gurkhas.
The nearest Gurkha faced an Afghan armed with a shorah knife, who made a powerful slash at the Gurkha. The Gurkha blocked the attack with a talwar, the shorah hitting with such force that it bent slightly. The Gurkha then retaliated with a slash that cut the Afghans' throat and nearly decapitated him.
The Gurkha suddenly felt a stab of pain in his chest, just in time to see a pulwar blade sticking out his chest. The Afghan leader pulled his sword out of the Gurkha's chest, and turned to his last surviving comrade, charging with blood-stained pulwar in hand.
The last surviving Gurkha raised his kukri and threw the blade at the Afghan, who stared, eyes wide in shock as the blade punched through the center of his face, burying itself into his skull and killing him instantly. FileL:Green.png The Gurkha retrieved his kukri for the Afghan's body and raised it in the air in triumph.
WINNER: Gurkha
Expert's Opinion[]
The Gurkha's skill in combat, as well as their unmatched courage and tenacity allowed them to win this battle against an extremely dangerous opponent. The Gurkha's slightly superior weapons also play a role in the victory.
To see the original battle, weapons, and votes, click here.