The Grand Trunk Road (commonly abbreviated to GT Road) is one of South Asia's oldest and longest major roads. A road is an identifiable route, way or path between two or more places. For several centuries, it has linked the eastern and western regions of the Indian subcontinent, running from Bengal, across north India, into Peshawar in Pakistan. This article deals with the geophysical region in Asia For geopolitical treatments see South Asia. Etymology and ethnology The exact origin of the word Bangla or Bengal is unknown though it is believed to be derived from the Dravidian-speaking tribe Bang India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country ( پښور; Urdu: پشاور) is the capital of the North-West Frontier Province and the administrative centre for the Federally Administered Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and

Route

Today, the Grand Trunk Road remains a continuum that covers a distance of over 2,500 km. From its origin at Sonargaon in the Narayanganj District of central Bangladesh, it reaches India, passing through Kolkata, Bardhaman, Durgapur, Asansol, Varanasi, Allahabad, Kanpur, Agra, Delhi, Jalandhar, Kurukshetra, Amritsar and Ambala. Sonargaon ( Bangla: সোনারগাঁও is the ancient capital of Isa Khan 's kingdom in Bengal. Narayanganj District ( Bengali: নারায়ণগঞ্জ জেলা Naraeongônj Jela) is a district in central Bangladesh, part of the ( Bengali: বাংলাদেশ inc-Latn Bangladesh) officially WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Bardhaman (also Barddhaman; Bengali: বর্ধমান Bôrdhoman) is a city "Durgapur" redirects here For other uses see Durgapur (disambiguation. Asansol (আসানসোল a coal-mining-industrial-commercial centre is the second largest city in West Bengal, after Kolkata. Varanasi ( Sanskrit: वाराणसी Vārāṇasī, pronunciation) also commonly known as Benares ( or Banaras (बनारस Allahabad ( Hindi: इलाहाबाद Urdu: الہ آباد Ilāhābād) is a city in the north Indian state of Uttar Kanpur ( Hindi: कानपुर Urdu: کان پور spelled as Cawnpore before 1948 is one of the most populous cities in the north India Agra ( pronounced) (आगरा آگرا is a city on the banks of the Yamuna River in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, Delhi (दिल्ली ਦਿੱਲੀ دلی d̪ɪlːiː sometimes referred to as Dilli) is the second largest metropolis of India, with a population WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Jalandhar (ਜਲੰਧਰ Hindi:) previously known as Jullundur, is an ancient Kurukshetra ( Hindi: कुरुक्षेत्र is the name of a City in Kurukshetra District of the Indian state of Haryana हरियाणा Amritsar (ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤਸਰ meaning The Lake of the Holy Nectar, is the administrative headquarters of the Amritsar District in the state WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Ambala ( Hindi: अम्बाला Punjabi ਅੰਬਾਲਾ) is a city and a Within India, the major portion of the road – the stretch between Kanpur and Kolkata – is known as NH-2 (National Highway - 2), the stretch between Kanpur and Delhi is called NH-91 (National Highway - 91), and that between Delhi and Wagah, at the border with Pakistan, is known as NH-1. Wagah ( Hindi: वाघा Urdu:, Punjabi: ਵਾਘਾ is the only road border crossing between India and Pakistan and lies on the Grand Trunk

From the Pakistan border the Grand Trunk Road continues north through Lahore via Gujranwala, Gujrat, Jhelum, Rawalpindi, Attock District and Nowshera before it finally reaches Peshawar. ( lahor is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and is the second largest city in Pakistan after Karachi. Gujranwala ( is a city in Punjab, Pakistan with a population of 1132509 (1998 census Gujrat ( Urdu / Punjabi:) is a city in Pakistan and is the capital of Gujrat District and the Gujrat Tehsil subdivision in ( Urdu: Rāwalpindī) is a city in the Potwar Plateau near Pakistan 's capital city of Islamabad, in the province Attock District ( Urdu: اٹک) is a district in the Punjab Province of Pakistan. Nowshera ( Pashto: نوښار) (نوشہرہ - known locally as "Now-khaar" or "Now-Shaar" is the chief city of Nowshera District in ( پښور; Urdu: پشاور) is the capital of the North-West Frontier Province and the administrative centre for the Federally Administered

History

Evolution of Indian road network. The main map shows the routes since the Mughal times, Inset A shows the major cultural currents of the prehistorical period, B shows pre-Mauryan Indian routes, C shows the Mauryan network, D shows the trade routes at the beginning of the Christian era, and E shows the Indian "Z". The Maurya Empire ( 322 – 185 BCE) ruled by the Mauryan dynasty was a geographically extensive and powerful political and military

Recent research indicates that during the time of the Maurya empire, overland trade between India and several parts of western Asia and the Hellenic world went through the cities of the north-west, primarily Taxila (located in present day Pakistan)(see inset in map). The Maurya Empire ( 322 – 185 BCE) ruled by the Mauryan dynasty was a geographically extensive and powerful political and military Southwest Asia or Southwestern Asia (largely overlapping with the Middle East) is the southwestern portion of Asia. For the Genus of metalmark butterflies, see Taxila (butterfly. Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and Taxila was well connected by roads with other parts of the Maurya empire. The Mauryas had built a highway from Taxila to Pataliputra (present-day Patna in Bihar, India). Paṭnā ( Hindi: पटना is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar, and one of the oldest continuously inhabited Paṭnā ( Hindi: पटना is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar, and one of the oldest continuously inhabited Bihar ( Hindi:बिहार Urdu: بہار bɪhaːr) is a state in eastern India.

For centuries, the Grand Trunk Road has served as the main artery from travel across northern India. Geography Northern India lies mainly on continental India and a very small part of it lies on the Indian peninsula A scene from the Ambala cantonment during the British Raj. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Ambala ( Hindi: अम्बाला Punjabi ਅੰਬਾਲਾ) is a city and a For usage see British rule in India British Raj ( rāj, lit "reign" in Hindustani) primarily refers to the British

In the 16th century, a major road running across the Gangetic plain was built afresh by Pashtun emperor Sher Shah Suri, who then ruled much of northern India. Sher Shah Suri (1486 Sasaram &ndash May 22, 1545 Kalinjar) ( - Šīr Šāh Sūrī) also known as Farid Khan or His intention was to link together the remote provinces of his vast empire for administrative and military reasons. The Sadak-e-Azam ("great road") as it was then known, is universally recognized as having been the precursor of the Grand Trunk Road.

The road was initially built by Sher Shah to connect Agra, his capital, with Sasaram, his hometown. Agra ( pronounced) (आगरा آگرا is a city on the banks of the Yamuna River in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Sasaram (sometimes also spelled as Sahsaram is the administrative headquarters of Rohtas district in the It was soon extended westward to Multan and eastward to Sonargaon in Bengal (now in Bangladesh). ( Urdu:, Punjabi ملتان، ਮੁਲਤਾਨ is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District Sonargaon ( Bangla: সোনারগাঁও is the ancient capital of Isa Khan 's kingdom in Bengal. Etymology and ethnology The exact origin of the word Bangla or Bengal is unknown though it is believed to be derived from the Dravidian-speaking tribe Bang While Sher Shah died after a brief reign, and his dynasty ended soon afterwards, the road endured as his outstanding legacy. The Mughals, who succeeded the Suris, extended the road westwards: at one time, it extended to Kabul in Afghanistan, crossing the Khyber pass. The Suri Dynasty was founded by the powerful Afghan conqueror Sher Shah, an ethnic Pasthun who's family hailed from Peshawer ( Pakistan) } Kābul ( Persian and Pashto: کابل, IPA:) is the Capital and largest city of Afghanistan, with Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, The Khyber Pass, (also spelled Khaiber or Khaybar (درہ خیبر (altitude  m   ft is the Mountain pass that links Pakistan and This road was later improved by the British rulers of colonial India. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located For usage see British rule in India British Raj ( rāj, lit "reign" in Hindustani) primarily refers to the British Renamed the "Grand Trunk Road" (sometimes referred to as the "Long Walk"), it was extended to run from Calcutta to Peshawar and thus to span a major portion of British India. ( پښور; Urdu: پشاور) is the capital of the North-West Frontier Province and the administrative centre for the Federally Administered For usage see British rule in India British Raj ( rāj, lit "reign" in Hindustani) primarily refers to the British

Over the centuries, the road, which was one of the most important trade routes in the region, facilitated both travel and postal communication. A trade route is a logistical network identified as a series of pathways and stoppages used for the commercial transport of cargo Even during the era of Sher Shah Suri, the road was dotted with caravansarais (highway inns) at regular intervals, and trees were planted on both sides of the road to give shade to the passers-by. A caravanserai ( kārvānsarā, Turkish kervansaray) was a roadside Inn where travelers could rest and recover from the day's journey The road was well planned, with milestones along the whole stretch. Some of these milestones can still be seen along the present delhi ambala highway. On another note, the road also facilitated the rapid movement of troops and of foreign invaders. It expedited the looting raids, into India's interior regions, of Afghan and Persian invaders and also facilitated the movement of British troops from Bengal into the north Indian plain. The Demographics of Afghanistan are ethnically and linguistically mixed The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia

The Grand Trunk Road continues to be one of the major arteries of India and Pakistan. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and The Indian section is part of the ambitious Golden Quadrilateral project. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country The Golden Quadrilateral (GQ is the largest Express highway project in India launched by former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. For over four centuries, the Grand Trunk Road has remained "such a river of life as nowhere else exists in the world". ^[1]

See also

• National Highway Authority
• National Highways of Pakistan
• Motorways of Pakistan
• Indian highways
• National Highways Development Project

Literature

• Farooque, Abdul Khair Muhammad (1977), Roads and Communications in Mughal India. The National Highway Authority is responsible for building and maintaining highways and motorways in Pakistan. Pakistan has a nationwide system of national highways distinct from the motorways, which are currently being built The Motorways of Pakistan are a network of high-quality international-standard 'limited access' highways in Pakistan which are maintained and operated by the National Highway Authority The National Highways Development Project is a project to upgrade rehabilitate and widen major highways in India to a higher standard Delhi: Idarah-i Adabiyat-i Delli.
• Weller, Anthony (1997), Days and Nights on the Grand Trunk Road: Calcutta to Khyber. Marlowe & Company.
• Kipling, Rudyard (1901), Kim. Joseph Rudyard Kipling (30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936 was an English Author and poet Kim is a novel by Rudyard Kipling. It was first published serially in ''McClure's Magazine'' from December 1900 to October 1901 as well as in Considered one of Kipling's finest works, it is set mostly along the Grand Trunk Road. Free e-texts are available, for instance here.

External links

• National Highway Authority of India
• National Highway Authority of Pakistan
• From the Banglapedia
• Livius.org

Notes

1. ^ A description of the road by Kipling, found both in his letters and in the novel "Kim". He writes: "Look! Brahmins and chumars, bankers and tinkers, barbers and bunnias, pilgrims -and potters - all the world going and coming. It is to me as a river from which I am withdrawn like a log after a flood. And truly the Grand Trunk Road is a wonderful spectacle. It runs straight, bearing without crowding India's traffic for fifteen hundred miles - such a river of life as nowhere else exists in the world. "