Swaveda
Indian history, plainly written.
A short daily post on Indian history — archaeology, genetics, historical linguistics, and the texts. Plus side-by-side translations of public-domain primary works. Plain language; no chest-thumping in either direction.
Plain language
Aimed at any curious reader, not the seminar room. Sanskrit / Pali / Tamil terms get a gloss on first use.
Tradition ≠ evidence
“The Mahabharata describes…” and “the Mahabharata war happened in…” are different sentences, and we don’t silently merge them.
Readers can edit
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Latest articles
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The Stepwell as Maritime Hinterland Monument: Epigraphic and Numismatic Evidence for Solanki Trade Networks at 11th-Century Patan
Rani ki Vav is famed for its subterranean architecture. Epigraphic and numismatic evidence reveals how its construction by Queen Udayamati was underwritten by Solanki taxation of Indian Ocean trade routes.
Devika Menon · Nov 5, 2026
The Pot’s Scratch in the Script: What Sanur’s Ceramic Stratigraphy Reveals About Early Tamil-Brahmi Emergence
Archaeological excavations of Megalithic pottery in Tamil Nadu show how scratch-marked ceramic symbols existed alongside and gradually gave way to full alphabetic Tamil-Brahmi script.
Asha Naidu · Nov 5, 2026
The Ayagapatas of Kankali Tila: Epigraphic Evidence for Pre-Common Era Jain Monasticism
Mathura's Kankali Tila tablets establish a firm, second-century BCE archaeological timeline for Jainism. Votive stone carvings confirm an organized monastic tradition without relying on unverified claims of antiquity.
Vikram Joshi · Nov 5, 2026
The Stratigraphy of Keezhadi: Empirical Benchmarks and the Post-Harappan Urban Gap
AMS radiocarbon dates from Keezhadi establish a 6th-century BCE horizon in Tamil Nadu. Scientific evidence anchors early urbanisation in the Vaigai river valley without unverified chronologies.
Rohan Bhattacharya · Nov 4, 2026
The Weight of the Steatite: How Harappan Micro-Bead Technology Standardized Bronze Age Dress
Archaeometrical analyses of white steatite micro-beads reveal how Harappan artisans converted soft mineral talc into hard enstatite, driving a standardized ornament economy across Bronze Age urban centers.
Kavya Sharma · Nov 4, 2026
Recent translations
All texts →Sanskrit
Arthashastra
Chapter 150 · Book 15, Chapter 1: Paragraphical Divisions of This Treatise
Updated Jul 26, 2026
Sanskrit
Arthashastra
Chapter 149 · Book 14, Chapter 4: Remedies against the Injuries of One's Own Army
Updated Jul 26, 2026
Sanskrit
Arthashastra
Chapter 148 · Book 14, Chapter 3: The Application of Medicines and Mantras
Updated Jul 26, 2026
A note on tone
Swaveda is curious, careful, and dry. There’s no civilizational chest-thumping in either direction here — no “Vedic India invented everything,” no “everything came from outside.” If we get something wrong, tell us. We fix it visibly, with a dated note.