History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c33.s6.1

v1.c33.s6.1

During the Mauryan period, a fairly extensive network of communication in different regions of the empire was established. Extensive roads were built and special trade routes established between the capitals of various states. The most famous of these roads were the Northern (Uttarāpatha) and Southern (Dhakṣiṇāpatha) which stretched all the way from North Western frontier to Pāṭaliputra and then still further east. The existence of roads from the Epic age (or immediately after) is also attested by Greek records especially that of Megasthenes who refers to the Royal Road (from North Western Frontier to Pāṭaliputra) as the road existing in earlier times, and which was 10,000 stadia in length. This was probably the road, Megasthenes himself took on his enroute to the Mauryan court.