My visit to Nankana Sahib (Pictorial Blog)

The History of GT Road

The orientation of GT road after Amirstar is not same as it is now days it passes along the Shah nahar and cross Manahala. But in that path Ranjeet Singh has to take a turn for reaching to Amirtsar. So, he constructed a road from Amirtsar to Lahore fort of straight orientation.

The GT road which go by from Manhala in past also passes through Sarai Amanat Khan, Burj Raja Tal in Amirtsar District and crosses purani Bhaini Minhala, Cancanna Sarai, Brahmanabad mehfuzpura and then reaches Gari Shahu; from Gari Shahu to Chowk Dara Shikoh and finally enters in Delhi Darwaza. This road was actually Badshahi road  built by Mughal Emperor Jhangir. But in Raja Ranjit Singh times this road was totally neglected  and  Mahraja built a new road connecting Amritsar to Lahore via Dhanoa Kalan village Pul Kanjari.

The road which was constructed in Sher Shah Suri era from Calcutta to Peshawar passes from Calcutta to Banaras from Banaaras to Ghaziabad than Delhi, Panipat, Karnal, Kurukshetara, Ambala, Rajpura, Sarhind, Ludhiana, Phillor, Sultanpor, Lodhi Taran, Atari, Wagah, Manawah, Mughalpura and than reached Lahore.

After Shershah Suri, The second phase of construction of this road started in Empreror Jhangir tenure, He constructed Badshahi Road from Agra to Lahore passes from Agra to Palwal than Faridabad, Delhi, Panipat, Karnal, Ambala, Shambhu, Rajpura, Sarhind, Doraha, Ludhiana, Phillor, Uppal Kalan village, Nurmahal, Sultanpur Lodhi, Gondiwal, Fatehbad, Naurangabad, Nurdin, Sarai Amanat Khan and Rajtal Burj village and then turns Purani Bhaini, Minhala, Sarai Brahmanabad, Mehfuzpura, Garhi Shahu, Chowk Dara and enters in Delhi Gate walled city Lahore

Sher Shah Singh Built the following important roads

1). Sarak-e-Azam which we called GT road now

2). Agra to Burhanpur

3). Agra to Jodhpur and Chittor in Rajistan

4). Lahore to Multan

In British India era, there were two ancient trade routes in the Punjab region.

1.    Dera Ismail Khan to Delhi via Mankera Shorkot Harappa Pakpattan Fazilka Bathinda Sunam Sammana  Ghuram Sanaur(Patiala) and Delhi.

2.    Dera Ghazi Khan to Delhi via Multan and Mankera.

Grand Trunk road passes through Peshawar, Ferozepur, Ambala, Meerath, Aligarh, Kanpur, Allahabad, Benaras and then reached Calcutta. It did not cover Amristar, Jullundhur and even Delhi in British time

There were three proposed routes for the construction of the Lahore to Ludhiana Grand Trunk road by the British via,

1. Kasur Ferozepur

2. Via Harike

3. Via Amritsar Jullundur

A fourth possibility through old Badshahi road towns and villages like Sarai Amanat Khan in district, Amritsar opposite Minhala village in district Lahore. Noordin Sarai Naurangabad and Fatehabad in Amritsar district Sultanpur lodhi in Kapurthala state Nakodar Nurmahal in Jullandhur district and Phillaur in Ludhiana district was rejected because the British wanted to connect important commercial towns (Amirtsar Jullundhur Ludhiana) with the Grand Trunk Road.

Finally it was decided by the British to build a double line Grand Trunk Road (1) via Kasur Ferozepur and (2) via Wagah Atari Amritsar Jullundhur.

Similarly at one stage even there was suggested that Lahore might be avoided and British Grand Trunk Road should run direct between Eminbad and Amirtsar as it would save distance of 32 kms. Again due to trade reasons Lahore could not be omitted, as Lahore would have been 40 kms away from the proposed British Grand Trunk Road. 

Grand Trunk Road & Stepwell/Baoli of Brahmnabad

The orientation of GT road after Amirstar is not same as it is now days it passes along the Shah nahar and cross Manahala. But in that path Ranjeet Singh has to take a turn for reaching to Amirtsar. So, he constructed a road from Amirtsar to Lahore fort of straight orientation.

Three years back, we have visited one of the two last standing KOS Minar in outskirts of Lahore near Manhala village. KOS Minar or Mile Pillars are medieval milestones that were made by the 16^th century Afghan Ruler Sher Shah Suri and later on by Mughal emperors. Well most of us who got interest in historical architectures of Lahore, knows that one of the remains of KOS Minar located in Gari Shahu area of Lahore. 

The GT road which go by from Manhala in past also passes through Sarai Amanat Khan, Burj Raja Tal in Amirtsar District and crosses purani Bhaini Minhala, Cancanna Sarai, Brahmanabad mehfuzpura and then reaches Gari Shahu; from Gari Shahu to Chowk Dara Shikoh and finally enters in Delhi Darwaza. This road was actually Badshahi road  built by Mughal Emperor Jhangir. But in Raja Ranjit Singh times this road was totally neglected  and  Mahraja built a new road connecting Amritsar to Lahore via Dhanoa Kalan village Pul Kanjari.

Wandering on this vanished rout, some year’s back I found remains of an old Mughal era mosque. We also found there some graves of old Nanak Shahi bricks in Bhaini village.

Luckily, I also have come across the ruins of a bridge in Mohla Gujjarpura near Lakho Dehar, Ferozwala Tehsil it is also believed that it was part of the GT Road in the Mughal era.

In the book, ‘The Silkroads Highway and Culture’ by Vadime Elisseeff, he describe about the “Baoli of Brahmanabad” (Source Dr. Saifur Rahman Dar).

“From Manhala of Khan-i-Khana, the road used to go to Brahmanabad, where an interesting baoli with a small pavilion is now in very poor state and will soon be filled in if no remedial action is taken”

I able to find that place a month back, there is also a tomb of Mughal era present in vicinity. The condition of structure is really miserable and soon will be vanished forever.