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.
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Latest articles
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The Coins of the Sacred Rock: What the Kharoshthi Graffito of Hunza Reveals About Gupta-Era Northern Trade
Epigraphic analysis of the Haldeikish rock inscriptions in the Hunza Valley refutes internet lore about Chandragupta II and Kalidasa, revealing instead a vital ledger of ancient merchants and pilgrims.
Devika Menon · Sep 21, 2026
The Pit-Silos of Bhirrana: What Early Harappan Grain Storage Reveals About the Origins of Surplus
Archaeological excavations at Bhirrana, Haryana, reveal plaster-lined pit-silos from the Hakra Ware phase, pushing back the origins of organized agricultural surplus in the Sarasvati-Ghaggar valley.
Rohan Bhattacharya · Sep 19, 2026
The Horse of the Rigveda: What the Etymology of Aśva Reveals About Early Indo-Iranian Linguistic Stratigraphy
An etymological analysis of the Sanskrit term aśva (horse) alongside Avestan and Tocharian cognates reveals the deep history of Bronze Age Indo-Iranian migrations and chariot technology.
Asha Naidu · Sep 19, 2026
The Seal of Ketu: Persian Gulf Glyptics and Harappan-Dilmun Diplomatic Grammar
An analysis of bilingual Gulf-type seals containing Indus signs and cuneiform, revealing how Harappan merchants adapted their administrative tools to trade in the Persian Gulf.
Rohan Bhattacharya · Sep 18, 2026
The Saffron of Guangzhou: What Old Tamil Loanwords in Southern Chinese Records Reveal about Early Merchant Guild Maritime Diplomacy
How Tamil trade words preserved in Tang and Song dynasty administrative records reveal the highly organized, state-backed commercial networks of early medieval South Indian merchant guilds.
Dr. Anil Patel · Sep 18, 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.