Maurya Road Network

Timeline

1. -322–-300Magadha (Pataliputra) · IndiaAfter Chandragupta founded the Maurya Empire, trunk roads centered on Pataliputra were planned to link the Gangetic plain with the northwestern frontier, integrating existing trade and military routes.
2. c. -268–-232Across the subcontinent · IndiaAshoka's edicts record the planting of banyan and mango trees along the roads, the digging of wells, and the establishment of relay stations, tightly linking the road network with the spread of dharma and administrative oversight.
3. c. -250–-185Gandhara · GandharaThe northwestern trunk road linking Pataliputra with Gandhara promoted trade with Persia, the Hellenistic world, and Central Asia, and in later periods connected with the southern route of the Silk Road.