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Grand Trunk Road (India)

Type Object Region South Asia Time c. -300

The Grand Trunk Road is an east-west land route across the South Asian subcontinent, connecting the Bay of Bengal with the Hindu Kush passes since an…

Timeline

  1. c. -300–1200Ganges plain—Indus River valley corridor · BiharCaravan and military routes formed along the natural east-west corridor of the South Asian subcontinent, connecting Bengal, the Ganges plain, and the northwestern gateway, laying the foundation for later imperial trunk roads.
  2. c. 1206–1526Delhi · DelhiAfter Delhi became the political center of northern India, relay stations, toll posts, and military outposts lined the road; during the Lodi dynasty (including the 1470s) caravans traveled frequently, and the trunk road sustained the empire's finances and military mobility.
  3. 1540–1556Section from Sonargaon to Peshawar · PunjabSher Shah Suri ordered the road surface paved, trees planted for shade, and milestones (kos) set roughly every two miles, historically regarded as one of the most systematic modern renovations of the trunk road.
  4. 1839–1947Full route from Calcutta to Peshawar · West BengalThe British colonial authorities incorporated the ancient road into the imperial postal and military highway network, surfacing it with crushed stone and introducing modern bridges, making it a main artery of colonial administration and commodity circulation.

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