Fact 🧞‍♂️

🛣️ The Grand Trunk Road Wasn’t Born Yesterday: It Dates Back to the Mauryan Empire!

The Grand Trunk Road is one of the oldest roads in Asia, with its roots tracing back to the Mauryan Empire under Chandragupta Maurya.

Pratik Kamble

04 Aug 2025 — 1 min read

The Grand Trunk Road - Wikipedia

Did you know one of India’s busiest highways today has a 2,300 year-old legacy?

Yes, we’re talking about the Grand Trunk Road (GT Road) that endlessly long stretch of tarmac where trucks honk, buses race, and countless chai stops thrive. But behind this busy modern road lies a remarkable ancient origin story that few know.

🏛️ Ancient Foundations: The Mauryan Era

The GT Road’s earliest roots go back to the Mauryan Empire (322-185 BCE), when Chandragupta Maurya initiated the construction of a grand route connecting Patliputra (Patna) to Takshashila (in present day Pakistan). This ancient road was meant for trade, governance, and connecting distant provinces under the central rule.

It was the first major cross-country road in the Indian subcontinent, with waystations, rest houses, and even tree-lined paths!

🏗️ Sher Shah Suri’s Revival

Centuries later in the 16th century, Sher Shah Suri renovated and expanded the road massively, turning it into the Sadak-e-Azam, stretching from Sonargaon (Bangladesh) to Peshawar (Pakistan). The British later modernized it further, and today it runs as NH-19 and NH-44 in India.

🚛 Modern Marvel, Ancient Soul

Today, the Grand Trunk Road is a lifeline connecting Kolkata, Varanasi, Delhi, Amritsar, and beyond. While it may be jammed with diesel fumes and endless honking today, you’re actually riding along the echoes of ancient emperors and traders every time you hit GT Road.

It’s not just a road, it’s a 2,300 year-old artery of Indian civilization.

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