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.
