THE Grand Trunk Road (GTR) also called the Badshahi Sadak since the medieval period, has contributed significantly in the shaping of South Asian civilization – a road that runs for more than 3000 kilometres from Kabul in Afghanistan at one end of the South Asian subcontinent to Sonargaon in Bangladesh at the other, passing through mountainous rugged terrain, river valleys, deserts and plains. Considered a ‘lifeline’ for communication, the arterial road was literally and figuratively integral to the circulation of South Asian people, a flow of ideas and commerce through the subcontinent connecting it to the ‘silk routes’ beyond. The Mughal dynasty in the 16th century and later the British in the 19th century, both understood the importance of the GTR in maintaining political and administrative unity. The road has been made and remade over the centuries, defining it as one of the most important, active historical highways in the world.

The plethora of monumental remains on this road is evidence of the influence that a number of civilizations have had in creating an unique syncretic living tradition, embedded deeply in the region’s architectural style. The material remains from the medieval period are manifest in buildings like the sarais, kosminars, baolis, gardens and mausoleums, all embellished with indigenous expressions of Turkish and Persian construction and ornamentation skills. While architectural remains can become vulnerable to changes in political power, the aesthetic tastes and active oral traditions are instrumental to understand the diverse lives and intangible legacies, of the ‘road’. In order to conserve the unique past, present and future of the GT Road, one must study three core elements.

The first element is the celebration of diversity – making space for people from all walks of life to co-create the fabric of a mutually enriching everyday life. Diversity has become a synonym for this road. A prime example of this can be seen in the interplay of Bhakti-Sufi poets and saints between the 13th and 18th centuries, a period that witnessed a culture of faith, philosophy and creativity which flourished along its path. This legacy is a landmark result of the amalgamation of mainstream Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam.

 

The second element is the handiwork of skills that have woven and interlaced different social and cultural values through the length of the road, represented in works of architecture, textiles, jewellery, utensils, tools, and other forms of cultural expressions associated with religion and agriculture. Along with the ‘crafts’, a number of fairs, festivals and other events of public gatherings, showcase the living memory of many historical happenings associated, in most cases, with poets and saints.

The third is the idea of the city. There is a strong interrelation between the opulence of a settlement and nature of road/s that lead or traverse through it. Although commerce has been a key reason for the development of many cities or settlements along the road, cultures of faith and sacred sites have been integral to the growth of key locations.

Mapping of historical locations along the route, very much like in the other parts of the subcontinent, has contributed to an overwhelmingly orthodox interpretation of heritage, one where the importance of a site is often understood only from the perspective of the classical narrative – those of princes, priests and politicians. However, there is a growing movement to democratize this interpretation to include the ‘local’ elements, which have through contact with the GTR, gained a much broader and fundamental significance. While there are many schemes for safeguarding the former by the state, little support is received for recognition and conservation of the latter. The absence of an understanding of what constitutes and contributes to the character of our towns, its living cultural wealth and continued usage of the colonial tools, has in fact disenfranchised people from acknowledging, managing and preserving their own inheritance. Migrations due to changes in political boundaries, have also contributed to this disconnect. Government institutions, more often than not, end up ‘protecting’ the many important structures without any involvement of the very people who are part and parcel of the cultural continuum.

 

Can one challenge the way historical precincts are perceived in the South Asian landscape? Can conservation programmes be developed to hand the heritage back to the people? Can new groups of contextual stakeholders be empowered to maintain local structures? Can this process make history come alive? Introspecting on these questions, one realizes that it is time to revisit the tools, the systems and provisions that allow a building to have its ‘heritage’.

History and memory are two sides of the same coin. Conservation processes need not have the stultifying effect of arresting a monument in time. It can be a part of an organic process that involves collecting and generating a traditional commemoration for an area, making it a ‘people’s place’ – looking to the present and future as much as to the past. This would require forging columns on the collective memory of the communities.

Can these memories be strengthened to occupy the vacuum caused by the disorientations and events of the recent past? Can these distortions be addressed by enabling the active engagement of the communities within these historic spaces? Decades of practice in the cultural heritage sector have given me reason enough to believe that this is the only way – heritage is a basic human value and must be respected as such. Appropriate conservation practices interfaced with lifeways of the inhabitants, have shown that it directly contributes to the progress of the region.

 

The trans-boundary cultural route of this ancient artery offers an opportunity to demonstrate the paradigm of creating ‘people’s spaces’ through a recovery of memories. The GT Road is alive with sites of ‘local’ and ‘classic’ significance. This can determine the delineation of ‘heritage clusters’ that comprise locations and practices of such narratives. Determining ‘zones’ for community based planning will inform of conservation and development strategies based on the coexistence of dual cultural rendering, along with elements of ‘national’ or ‘trans-national’ accounts. Sustainable heritage management practices can be achieved through protecting and placing the regional and community values alongside one another. Our methodological paradigms must move from preservation to conservation, from the act of focusing on a few to the active task of recognition of the diversity. The principles of social inclusion and equity are essential for ensuring the ethical and sustainable management of our rich cultural heritage. The Grand Trunk Road represents this: a singular route and direction that brings together a multitude of voices, cultures and stories.