Historical the Grand Trunk Road, formerly known as Uttarpath, Sadak-e-Azam, Shahrah-e-Azam, Badshahi Sadak, and Long Walk, is one of the oldest and longest highways in Asia. The highway has been connecting Central Asia with the Indian subcontinent for at least 2,500 years.
The highway stretches over about 3,655 kilometres (2,271 mile) from Teknaf, Bangladesh to Kabul, Afghanistan, passing through Chittagong and Dhaka in Bangladesh, Kolkata, Kanpur, Agra, Aligarh, Delhi, Amritsar in India, and Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Peshawar in Pakistan.
Route Description:
Length: 3,655 km (2,271 miles)
Status: Currently active
Existence: Before 322 BC – Present
The Grand Trunk Road was built in the 3rd century BC along an ancient route, the Uttarapath, which extended from the mouth of the Ganges to the northwestern border of India.
The great Indian epic “Mahabharata” mentions the Grand Trunk Road as the Uttarapath or “Northern Route” even before the Maurya Empire. This route connected the eastern region of India with Central Asia and reached the end of the Khurasan Road.
During the reign of Ashoka, the highway was improved further. Sher Shah Suri re-established the ancient route up to Sonargaon and Rohtas. The Afghan section was rebuilt during the reign of Mahmud Shah Durrani. The highway was extensively rebuilt during the British period between 1833 and 1860.
Over the centuries, the highway served as a trade route in the region and facilitated travel and mail delivery. Today, the Grand Trunk Road is still used for transportation in the subcontinent, where parts of it have been widened and incorporated into the national highway system.
