Grand Trunk Road

The Grand Trunk Road (commonly abbreviated to GT

Road) is one of South Asia's oldest and longest major
roads. 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.

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, Karnal, Ambala, Ludhiana,Jalandhar,
Amritsar. 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.
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.

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".
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). 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).
For centuries, the Grand Trunk Road has served as the
main artery from travel across northern India. A scene from
the Ambala cantonment during the British Raj.
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. 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. It was soon
extended westward to Multan and eastward to Sonargaon in
Bengal (now in Bangladesh). 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. This road was later improved by the British
rulers of colonial India. 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.
Over the centuries, the road, which was one of the most
important trade routes in the region, facilitated both travel
and postal communication. 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.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 Grand Trunk Road continues to be one of the major
arteries of India and Pakistan. The Indian section is part of
the ambitious Golden Quadrilateral project. For over four
centuries, the Grand Trunk Road has remained "such a river
of life as nowhere else exists in the world".