Sher Shah Suri: The Afghan Emperor Who Built Bengal's Grand Trunk Road

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the transformative reign of Sher Shah Suri, the Afghan emperor who briefly but decisively conquered Bengal in the 16th century. They discuss his early career under the Mughals, his rebellion against Humayun, and his revolutionary administrative reforms. The show focuses on his massive infrastructure projects, particularly the Grand Trunk Road (Sadak-e-Azam), which connected Sonargaon in Bengal to Peshawar and beyond. Lucas explains how Sher Shah standardized currency (the silver rupiya), reformed land revenue systems, and established a network of post offices and rest houses (sarais) that facilitated trade and communication. The episode also touches on his conquest of Gaur, the former Bengali capital, and his patronage of Afghan nobles and soldiers. Luna asks about his legacy in Bengal, and Lucas reflects on how his policies influenced later Mughal emperors, especially Akbar. The conversation ends with a question about the origins of the name 'Sher Shah' and a nod to his tomb in Sasaram, a masterpiece of Indo-Islamic architecture. #SherShahSuri #GrandTrunkRoad #BengalHistory #SuriEmpire #Humayun #Sonargaon #Gaur #Rupiya #Sasaram #AfghanEmpire #IndoIslamicArchitecture #MughalHistory #BengalSultanate #SadakEAzam #LandRevenue #PostOffice #History #FexingoHistory #PalaEmpire #SenaDynasty Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo