Great Royal Road

road, Asia

Also known as: Mauryan Royal Road

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Last updated

June 11, 2026

Quick Summary

The Persian Royal Road was an ancient highway spanning over 2,400 km (1,500 miles) from Susa in Persia to Sardis and Smyrna on the Aegean Sea. King Darius I constructed it to improve communication across his empire, with some sections possibly predating his reign and built by Assyrian kings. Royal messengers could travel the entire length in about nine days using a relay system, a significant improvement over the usual three-month journey for normal travel. This road was also utilized by Alexander the Great during his conquest of the Persian empire. The route was a successor to an earlier track used by the Assyrians and was later duplicated by Cyrus II and Darius I.12

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India
The Great Royal Road of the Mauryans began at the Himalayan border, ran through Taxila (near modern Rawalpindi, Pakistan), crossed the five streams of the Punjab, proceeded by way of Jumna to Prayag (now Prayagraj, India), and continued to the mouth of the Ganges River. A…
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The Great Royal Road of the Mauryans began at the Himalayan border, ran through Taxila (near modern Rawalpindi, Pakistan), crossed the five streams of the Punjab, proceeded by way of Jumna to Prayag (now Prayagraj, India), and continued to the mouth of the Ganges River. A…
Read More