Grand Trunk Road

The Grand Trunk Road is one of the oldest and longest major roads in Asia. For at least 2,500 years it has linked Central Asia to the Indian subcontinent. It runs roughly 3,655 km (2,271 mi) from Teknaf, Bangladesh on the border with Myanmar west to Kabul, Afghanistan, passing through many important cities along the way.

The highway was built along an ancient route called Uttarapatha (Sanskrit: उत्तरापथ) in the 3rd century BCE. Important improvements were made under Ashoka. Over the centuries, the road became a major trade route and helped people travel and send messages across the region. Today, parts of the Grand Trunk Road are still used for transportation and have been widened and included in the national highway system.

History

The Grand Trunk Road is one of the oldest and longest roads in Asia. Buddhist writings mention it even before the Maurya Empire, calling it the "Northern Road." It linked India with Central Asia.

The modern Grand Trunk Road was first built by Emperor Chandragupta Maurya, inspired by the Persian Royal Road. During the Mauryan Empire in the 3rd century BCE, this road connected important cities like Takshashila and Patliputra. Emperor Ashoka added trees, wells, and rest places for travelers. Later rulers, like Sher Shah Suri and the Mughals, improved the road by building rest stops, gardens, and bridges.

In the 1830s, the East India Company rebuilt the road from Calcutta to Kabul. Today, parts of the road in India and Pakistan are still in use and are being upgraded.

Route

The Grand Trunk Road follows many modern roads today. In Bangladesh, it uses roads like N1 from Chittagong to Dhaka, and other roads to Rajshahi. In India, it follows roads such as NH 12 from Purnea to Kolkata, then NH 19 to Agra, and continues through many cities to the border near Amritsar. In Pakistan, it uses roads like N-5 through cities such as Lahore and Rawalpindi to Peshawar, and finally AH1 to Kabul in Afghanistan.

The road’s total length is about 3,655 km (2,271 mi), stretching from Teknaf in Bangladesh to Kabul in Afghanistan. It passes through major cities like Dhaka, Kolkata, Delhi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi.