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[[File:Renumbered_National_Highways_map_of_India_(Schematic)_hilight_19_44.png|thumb|In India, GT Road coincides with [[National Highway 19 (India)|NH 19]] and [[National Highway 44 (India)|NH 44]] of [[National Highway (India)|National Highways in India]].]] | [[File:Renumbered_National_Highways_map_of_India_(Schematic)_hilight_19_44.png|thumb|In India, GT Road coincides with [[National Highway 19 (India)|NH 19]] and [[National Highway 44 (India)|NH 44]] of [[National Highway (India)|National Highways in India]].]] | ||
The '''Grand Trunk Road''' formerly known as ''Uttarapath'', ''Sarak-e-Azam'', ''Badshahi Sarak'', ''Sarak-e-Sher Shah'' is one of Asia's oldest and longest major roads. For at least 2,500 years | The '''Grand Trunk Road''' formerly known as ''Uttarapath'', ''Sarak-e-Azam'', ''Badshahi Sarak'', ''Sarak-e-Sher Shah'' is one of Asia's oldest and longest major roads. For at least 2,500 years<ref>UNESCO, [https://en.unesco.org/silkroad/knowledge-bank/caravanserais-along-grand-trunk-road-pakistan Caravanserais along the Grand Trunk Road in Pakistan]</ref> it has linked [[Central Asia]] to the [[Indian subcontinent]]. It runs roughly {{convert|2400|km|mi|0|abbr=on}}<ref name="theatlantic.com">[https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1999/11/indias-grand-trunk-road/377875/ The Atlantic: "India's Grand Trunk Road"]</ref> from [[Teknaf]], [[Bangladesh]] on the border with Myanmar<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.dhakatribune.com/heritage/2014/dec/31/road-empires|title=A road to empires|last=Steel|first=Tim|date=1 January 2015|newspaper=[[Dhaka Tribune]]|access-date=2016-07-19}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Cuisine-along-G-T-Road/articleshow/48969618.cms|title=Cuisine along G T Road|last=Jhimli Mukherjee Pandey|date=15 September 2015|newspaper=[[The Times of India]]|location=Calcutta|access-date=2016-07-19}}</ref> west to [[Kabul]], [[Afghanistan]], passing through [[Chittagong]] and [[Dhaka]] in Bangladesh, [[Kolkata]], [[Prayagraj]], [[Delhi]], and [[Amritsar]] in India, and [[Lahore]], [[Rawalpindi]], and [[Peshawar]] in [[Pakistan]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2014/07/03/where-do-borders-need-to-be-redrawn/permeable-lines-on-the-grand-trunk-road|title=How to Redraw the World Map|last=Khanna|first=Parag|newspaper=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331|access-date=2016-07-19}}</ref><ref name="UNESCO">{{Cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/6056/|title=Sites along the Uttarapath, Badshahi Sadak, Sadak-e-Azam, Grand Trunk Road|last=Centre|first=UNESCO World Heritage|website=UNESCO World Heritage Centre|language=en|access-date=2018-12-26}}</ref> | ||
[[Chandragupta Maurya]] of the [[ | [[Chandragupta Maurya]] of the [[Maurya Empire]] in [[ancient India]], built his highway along this ancient route called [[Uttarapatha]] in the 3rd century BCE,<ref name="Vadime"/> extending it from the mouth of the [[Ganges]] to the north-western frontier of the Empire. Further improvements to this road were made under [[Ashoka]].<ref name="Romila">Romila Thapar, p. 236, [https://books.google.com/books?id=-5irrXX0apQC&pg=PA236&dq=sher+shah+royal+highway+taxila&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj0oZPtr8jiAhWPbisKHUbJDQkQ6AEIMjAC#v=onepage&q=sher%20shah%20royal%20highway%20taxila&f=false Early India: From the Origins to AD 1300]</ref> The old route was re-aligned by Suri to [[Sonargaon]] and [[Rohtas district|Rohtas]].<ref name="Vadime">Vadime Elisseeff, p. 159-162, [https://books.google.com/books?id=zRPbecWnkoIC&pg=PA161&dq=sher+shah+suri+maurya+rohtas&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi0v6muqcPiAhUNX30KHdI5Ae8Q6AEIOTAD#v=onepage&q=sher%20shah%20suri%20maurya%20rohtas&f=false The Silk Roads: Highways of Culture and Commerce]</ref><ref>Farooqui Salma Ahmed, p. 234, [https://books.google.com/books?id=sxhAtCflwOMC&pg=PA234&dq=sher+shah+highway+peshawar+sonargaon&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjlrczu4cXiAhXXfysKHRqLCncQ6AEIPTAE#v=onepage&q=sher%20shah%20highway%20peshawar%20sonargaon&f=false A Comprehensive History of Medieval India: From Twelfth to the Mid-Eighteenth Century]</ref> The Afghan end of the road was rebuilt under [[Mahmud Shah Durrani]].<ref name="KMSarkar1927">{{Cite book|author=K. M. Sarkar|title=The Grand Trunk Road in the Punjab: 1849-1886|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qFdJbRywbKwC&pg=PA2|year=1927|publisher=Atlantic Publishers & Distri|pages=2–|id=GGKEY:GQWKH1K79D6}}</ref><ref name="Vadime"/> The road was considerably rebuilt in the British period between 1833 and 1860.<ref>[[David Arnold (historian)]]; | ||
Science, technology, and medicine in colonial India (New Cambr hist India v.III.5) | Science, technology, and medicine in colonial India (New Cambr hist India v.III.5) | ||
Cambridge University Press, 2000, 234 pages [https://books.google.com/books?id=3gk5j2u5AnUC&pg=PA106 p. 106]</ref> | Cambridge University Press, 2000, 234 pages [https://books.google.com/books?id=3gk5j2u5AnUC&pg=PA106 p. 106]</ref> | ||
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The road coincides with current [[N1 (Bangladesh)|N1]], [[Feni District|Feni]],([[Chittagong]] to [[Dhaka]]), [[N4 (Bangladesh)|N4 & N405]] (Dhaka to [[Sirajganj]]), [[N5 (Bangladesh)|N507]] (Sirajganj to [[Natore]]) and [[N6 (Bangladesh)|N6]] (Natore to [[Rajshahi|Rajshai]] towards [[Purnia|Purnea]] in India) in [[Bangladesh]]; [[National Highway 12 (India)|NH 12]] ([[Purnea]] to [[Bakkhali]] ), [[National Highway 27 (India)|NH 27]] ([[Purnea]] to [[Patna]]), [[National Highway 19 (India)|NH 19]] ([[Kolkata]] to [[Agra]]), [[National Highway 44 (India)|NH 44]] ([[Agra]] to [[Jalandhar]] via [[New Delhi]], [[Sonipat]], [[Panipat]], [[Ambala]] and [[Ludhiana]]) and [[National Highway 3 (India)|NH 3]] ([[Jalandhar]] to [[Attari]], [[Amritsar]] in India towards [[Lahore]] in [[Pakistan]]) via [[Wagah]]; [[N-5 National Highway|N-5]] ([[Lahore]], [[Gujranwala]], [[Gujrat, Pakistan|Gujrat]], [[Lalamusa]], [[Jhelum]], [[Rawalpindi]], [[Peshawar]] and [[Khyber Pass]] towards [[Jalalabad]] in Afghanistan) in Pakistan and [[Highway 1 (Afghanistan)|AH1]] ([[Torkham, Pakistan|Torkham]]-[[Jalalabad]] to [[Kabul]]) to Gazani in Afghanistan. | The road coincides with current [[N1 (Bangladesh)|N1]], [[Feni District|Feni]],([[Chittagong]] to [[Dhaka]]), [[N4 (Bangladesh)|N4 & N405]] (Dhaka to [[Sirajganj]]), [[N5 (Bangladesh)|N507]] (Sirajganj to [[Natore]]) and [[N6 (Bangladesh)|N6]] (Natore to [[Rajshahi|Rajshai]] towards [[Purnia|Purnea]] in India) in [[Bangladesh]]; [[National Highway 12 (India)|NH 12]] ([[Purnea]] to [[Bakkhali]] ), [[National Highway 27 (India)|NH 27]] ([[Purnea]] to [[Patna]]), [[National Highway 19 (India)|NH 19]] ([[Kolkata]] to [[Agra]]), [[National Highway 44 (India)|NH 44]] ([[Agra]] to [[Jalandhar]] via [[New Delhi]], [[Sonipat]], [[Panipat]], [[Ambala]] and [[Ludhiana]]) and [[National Highway 3 (India)|NH 3]] ([[Jalandhar]] to [[Attari]], [[Amritsar]] in India towards [[Lahore]] in [[Pakistan]]) via [[Wagah]]; [[N-5 National Highway|N-5]] ([[Lahore]], [[Gujranwala]], [[Gujrat, Pakistan|Gujrat]], [[Lalamusa]], [[Jhelum]], [[Rawalpindi]], [[Peshawar]] and [[Khyber Pass]] towards [[Jalalabad]] in Afghanistan) in Pakistan and [[Highway 1 (Afghanistan)|AH1]] ([[Torkham, Pakistan|Torkham]]-[[Jalalabad]] to [[Kabul]]) to Gazani in Afghanistan. | ||
Over the centuries, the road acted as one of the major trade routes in the region and facilitated both travel and postal communication. The Grand Trunk Road is still used for transportation in present-day Indian subcontinent, where parts of the road have been widened and included in the national highway system.<ref name="raghubir">{{cite book |last1=Singh |first1=Raghubir |year=1995 |title=The Grand Trunk Road: A Passage Through India |url=https://archive.org/details/grandtrunkroadpa00sing |url-access=registration |publisher=Aperture Books |edition=First}}</ref> | Over the centuries, the road acted as one of the major trade routes in the region and facilitated both travel and postal communication. The Grand Trunk Road is still used for transportation in present-day Indian subcontinent, where parts of the road have been widened and included in the national highway system.<ref name="raghubir">{{cite book |last1=Singh |first1=Raghubir |year=1995 |title=The Grand Trunk Road: A Passage Through India |url=https://archive.org/details/grandtrunkroadpa00sing |url-access=registration |publisher=Aperture Books |isbn=9780893816445 |edition=First}}</ref> | ||
== History == | == History == | ||
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=== Ancient times === | === Ancient times === | ||
The [[Buddhist texts|Buddhist literature]] and [[Indian epic poetry|Indian epics]] such as [[Mahabharata]] provide the existence of Grand Trunk road even before the [[ | The [[Buddhist texts|Buddhist literature]] and [[Indian epic poetry|Indian epics]] such as [[Mahabharata]] provide the existence of Grand Trunk road even before the [[Maurya Empire]] and was called [[Uttarapatha|Uttarpatha]] or the "Northern road". The road connected the eastern region of [[India]] with [[Central Asia]] and [[Ancient Greece]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Sanjeev|first=Sanyal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Uv_iDQAAQBAJ|title=Land of the Seven Rivers: A Brief History of India's Geography|pages=72–73,103|date=2012-11-15|publisher=Penguin Random House India Private Limited|isbn=9788184756715|language=en}}</ref> | ||
=== Mauryan Empire === | === Mauryan Empire === | ||
The precursor of the modern Grand Trunk road was built by the emperor [[Chandragupta Maurya]] and was based on the Persian [[Royal Road]]<ref>Benjamin Walker, p. 69, [https://books.google.co.in/books?id=8J2RDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT69&dq=chandragupta+grand+trunk+road&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjOop-Rn8PiAhUPWysKHZxdCggQ6AEIRDAF#v=onepage&q=chandragupta%20grand%20trunk%20road&f=false Hindu World: An Encyclopedic Survey of Hinduism. In Two Volumes. Volume II M-Z]</ref> (more accurately, its eastern stretch, the [[Great Khurasan Road]] that ran from Media to Bactria). During the time of the [[Mauryan Empire]] in the 3rd century BCE, overland trade between [[India]] and several parts of [[Western Asia]] and [[Bactria]] world went through the cities of the north-west, primarily [[Taxila (ancient)|Takshashila]] and [[Purushapura]] modern-day [[Peshawar]] (in present-day in [[Pakistan]]). Takshashila was well connected by roads with other parts of the Mauryan Empire. The Mauryas had maintained this very ancient highway from Takshashila to [[Patliputra]] (present-day [[Patna]] in India). [[Chandragupta Maurya]] had a whole army of officials overseeing the maintenance of this road as told by the Greek diplomat [[Megasthenes]] who spent fifteen years at the Mauryan court. Constructed in eight stages, this road is said to have connected the cities of [[Peshawar|Purushapura]], [[Taxila|Takshashila]], [[Hastinapur]]a, [[Kannauj|Kanyakubja]], [[Allahabad|Prayag]], [[Patliputra]] and [[Tamralipta]], a distance of around {{convert|2600|km}}.<ref name="KMSarkar1927"/> | The precursor of the modern Grand Trunk road was built by the emperor [[Chandragupta Maurya]] and was based on the Persian [[Royal Road]]<ref>Benjamin Walker, p. 69, [https://books.google.co.in/books?id=8J2RDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT69&dq=chandragupta+grand+trunk+road&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjOop-Rn8PiAhUPWysKHZxdCggQ6AEIRDAF#v=onepage&q=chandragupta%20grand%20trunk%20road&f=false Hindu World: An Encyclopedic Survey of Hinduism. In Two Volumes. Volume II M-Z]</ref> (more accurately, its eastern stretch, the [[Great Khurasan Road]] that ran from Media to Bactria). During the time of the [[Mauryan Empire]] in the 3rd century BCE, overland trade between [[India]] and several parts of [[Western Asia]] and [[Bactria]] world went through the cities of the north-west, primarily [[Taxila (ancient)|Takshashila]] and [[Purushapura]] modern-day [[Peshawar]] (in present-day in [[Pakistan]]). Takshashila was well connected by roads with other parts of the Mauryan Empire. The Mauryas had maintained this very ancient highway from Takshashila to [[Patliputra]] (present-day [[Patna]] in India). [[Chandragupta Maurya]] had a whole army of officials overseeing the maintenance of this road as told by the Greek diplomat [[Megasthenes]] who spent fifteen years at the Mauryan court. Constructed in eight stages, this road is said to have connected the cities of [[Peshawar|Purushapura]], [[Taxila|Takshashila]], [[Hastinapur]]a, [[Kannauj|Kanyakubja]], [[Allahabad|Prayag]], [[Patliputra]] and [[Tamralipta]], a distance of around {{convert|2600|km}}.<ref name="KMSarkar1927"/> | ||
The route of Chandragupta was built over the ancient "[[Uttarapatha]]" or the Northern Road, which had been mentioned by [[Pāṇini]]. The emperor [[Ashoka]] had it recorded in his [[Edicts of Ashoka|edict]] about having trees planted, wells built at every half [[Kos (unit)|kos]] and many "nimisdhayas", which is often translated as rest-houses along the [[Thoroughfare|route]] for the travelers. The emperor [[Kanishka]] is also known to have controlled the Uttarapatha.<ref name="Vadime"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.myindiamyglory.com/2020/04/20/grand-trunk-road-since-pre-mahabharata-times-here-are-evidences/|title=Grand Trunk Road since Pre Mahabharata Times; Here are Evidences}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.jagranjosh.com/general-knowledge/uttarapatha-or-grand-trunk-road-the-silk-route-of-india-one-of-the-oldest-roads-of-asia-1629969852-1|title=Grand Trunk Road: Uttarapatha, The Silk Route of India}}</ref> | The route of Chandragupta was built over the ancient "[[Uttarapatha]]" or the Northern Road, which had been mentioned by [[Pāṇini]]. The emperor [[Ashoka]] had it recorded in his [[Edicts of Ashoka|edict]] about having trees planted, wells built at every half [[Kos (unit)|kos]] and many "nimisdhayas", which is often translated as rest-houses along the [[Thoroughfare|route]] for the travelers. The emperor [[Kanishka]] is also known to have controlled the Uttarapatha.<ref name="Vadime"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.myindiamyglory.com/2020/04/20/grand-trunk-road-since-pre-mahabharata-times-here-are-evidences/|title=Grand Trunk Road since Pre Mahabharata Times; Here are Evidences|date=20 April 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.jagranjosh.com/general-knowledge/uttarapatha-or-grand-trunk-road-the-silk-route-of-india-one-of-the-oldest-roads-of-asia-1629969852-1|title=Grand Trunk Road: Uttarapatha, The Silk Route of India|date=26 August 2021 }}</ref> | ||
=== | === Suri and Mughal Empires === | ||
[[Sher Shah Suri]], the medieval ruler of the [[Sur Empire]], took to rebuilding Chandragupta's Royal Road in the 16th century. The old route was further rerouted at [[Sonargaon]] and [[Rohtas district|Rohtas]] and its breadth increased. [[Fruit trees]] and [[shade trees]] were planted. At every 2 kos, a [[Caravanserai|sarai]] was built, the number of [[Kos Minar|kos minars]] and [[Stepwell|baolis]] increased. Gardens were also built alongside some sections of the highway. Those who stopped at the sarai were provided food for free. His son [[Islam Shah Suri]] constructed an additional sarai in-between every sarai originally built by Sher Shah Suri on the road toward Bengal. More sarais were built under the [[Mughals]]. [[Jahangir]] under his reign issued a decree that all sarais be built of burnt brick and stone. [[Broad-leaved tree]]s were planted in the stretch between Lahore and Agra and he built bridges over all water bodies that were situated on the path of the highways.<ref name="Vadime"/><ref name="Romila"/> The route was referred to as "Sadak-e-Azam" by Suri, and "Badshahi Sadak" during Mughals.<ref>Anu Kapur, p. 84, [https://books.google.com/books?id=ApCKDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT84&dq=sadak+e+azam+sher+shah&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjOw-6Vr8PiAhXZfSsKHS8CBIgQ6AEILTAB#v=onepage&q=sadak%20e%20azam%20sher%20shah&f=false Mapping Place Names of India]</ref> | [[Sher Shah Suri]], the medieval ruler of the [[Sur Empire]], took to rebuilding Chandragupta's Royal Road in the 16th century. The old route was further rerouted at [[Sonargaon]] and [[Rohtas district|Rohtas]] and its breadth increased. [[Fruit trees]] and [[shade trees]] were planted. At every 2 kos, a [[Caravanserai|sarai]] was built, the number of [[Kos Minar|kos minars]] and [[Stepwell|baolis]] increased. Gardens were also built alongside some sections of the highway. Those who stopped at the sarai were provided food for free. His son [[Islam Shah Suri]] constructed an additional sarai in-between every sarai originally built by Sher Shah Suri on the road toward Bengal. More sarais were built under the [[Mughals]]. [[Jahangir]] under his reign issued a decree that all sarais be built of burnt brick and stone. [[Broad-leaved tree]]s were planted in the stretch between Lahore and Agra and he built bridges over all water bodies that were situated on the path of the highways.<ref name="Vadime"/><ref name="Romila"/> The route was referred to as "Sadak-e-Azam" by Suri, and "Badshahi Sadak" during Mughals.<ref>Anu Kapur, p. 84, [https://books.google.com/books?id=ApCKDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT84&dq=sadak+e+azam+sher+shah&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjOw-6Vr8PiAhXZfSsKHS8CBIgQ6AEILTAB#v=onepage&q=sadak%20e%20azam%20sher%20shah&f=false Mapping Place Names of India]</ref> | ||
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* [[Roman roads]] | * [[Roman roads]] | ||
* [[Via Regia]] | * [[Via Regia]] | ||
* [[Silk | * [[Silk Road]] – ancient Sino-Indo-European route | ||
* [[Via Maris]] ('''International Trunk Road''') – modern name of main ancient international route between Egypt and Mesopotamia | * [[Via Maris]] ('''International Trunk Road''') – modern name of main ancient international route between Egypt and Mesopotamia | ||
{{div col end}} | {{div col end}} | ||