Exhibitions On Tour

The Grand Trunk Road - From Delhi to the Khyber Pass

The Grand Trunk Road is the longest, the oldest and the most famous highway in the Indian sub-continent, stretching 1,500 miles from Kabul to Calcutta. Between Delhi and the Khyber Pass the 'GT Road' travels through the homelands of over 90% of British Pakistanis and of the vast majority of British Sikhs and Hindus from the Indian Punjab. Photographer Tim Smith and oral historian Irna Qureshi travelled along the road taking photographs and interviewing people in places such as Dehli, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar. Lahore, Jhelum, Dina, Mirpur, Rawalpindi, Attock, Chach, Saleh Khana and Peshawar. Their work explores the history of the ancient trade and military route, revealing why it was so crucial to the process of migration to Britain and how the close links between Britain and places along it continue to this day.

"I can't think of any example anywhere in the world where one single road has contributed so much. After Sher Shah Suri built the GT Road, no one has established any other link between what is now India and Pakistan. All the invaders, except for the British who came by sea, came in through the Khyber Pass. They passed troops along this road, built cantonments and cities along it. The entire industry is on the two sides of GT Road. The road has made an economic contribution, and to the culture, education, and the general awareness of people. You will see a significant difference between the people who are living alongside the GT Road and those who are living deep in the countryside. These people are more cultured, more educated. So you see this road is unique."

"A lot of people from Gujarat, Gujranwala, Sialkot and Mirpur have migrated to Bradford, Birmingham, Manchester. And I think that they gained some insight into England because of the GT Road and the British plying that road. Their livelihood brought them interaction with the British and which gave them a sense of connection, that they could go to, and eventually settle, in England. And then they gained their livelihood in England, they raised their families and called over their extended families and cousins and so forth. The GT Road brought these people together. People off the GT Road, in places like Northern Chitral or Southern Hyderabad have no such affiliation with the British like those in cities, villages and towns along the GT Road."

Exhibition Hire

Availability

Available from January 2008 until January 2010.

Insurance

Hirer responsible for insurance value of £8,000 from receipt to return.

Running space

65 metres running wall space. Can be reduced to 30 or 50 images and associated text for smaller spaces.

Contact details

Museums Officer (Exhibitions) 01274 431212.

Exhibition contents

80 mounted 20x16 photographs and associated text, and text panels with extracts from oral history interviews. Includes CD with private viewing invitation and poster design; caption labels; DVD of sounds and filmed street views along GT Road; objects inc. photos and ephemera and 10 fabric banners for education use. Contact education team for workshops/activity ideas.

Fee

£3,000

Transport

Fee includes one way transport. Hirer to return or transport to next venue.