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 Seal-Cutters of Harappa: What Stratigraphy and Clay Sealings Reveal About the Birth of Indus Writing
Excavations at Harappa’s lowest stratigraphic levels show how Indus signs evolved gradually from early potters' marks, fueling debate over whether they represent true language.
Rohan Bhattacharya · Oct 6, 2026
The Dwaraka Excavations: What Marine Archaeology and Sediment Core Data Reveal About the Submerged Structural Remains
An analysis of underwater structural debris, stone anchors, and Holocene sea-level data off the coast of Gujarat, comparing classical textual accounts of Dwaraka’s submersion with marine archaeology findings.
Vikram Joshi · Oct 6, 2026
The Bronzes of Chidambaram: How Local Intermediaries Shaped the Global Market for Chola Art
How a network of local dealers, metalworkers, and French-speaking Indian intermediaries in early twentieth-century Tamil Nadu curated and commodified Chola bronzes for Western collectors and museums.
Devika Menon · Oct 5, 2026
The Gold of Ganggai: What Medieval Epigraphic Grammar and Nomenclature Reveal about South Indian Guild Transactions
An analysis of how 11th-century Tamil inscriptions document the transition from Sangam barter systems to the highly structured legal and economic grammar of medieval merchant guilds.
Rohan Bhattacharya · Oct 3, 2026
The Weaver’s Shuttle in the Rigveda: What the Word 'Otu' Reveals About Bronze Age Textile Exchange
A linguistic and archaeological look at the Rigvedic weaving term 'ōtu' and its potential Dravidian origins, shedding light on Bronze Age technology transfer in the ancient northwestern subcontinent.
Asha Naidu · Oct 3, 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.