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 Stratigraphy of Sothi: Micro-Artifacts and Radiocarbon Horizons at the Early Harappan Frontier
Micro-artifacts and calibrated radiocarbon profiles from Sothi trace the transition between regional Hakra-Sothi ceramics and Early Harappan urbanism along the Ghaggar-Hakra basin.
Rohan Bhattacharya · Nov 3, 2026
The Weight of the Shell: How Travancore's Bronze Chuckram Maintained a Medieval Currency System into the Space Age
In 1938, Travancore issued a 27 mm bronze 1 Chuckram coin. The issue anchored a non-decimal, shell-derived currency system that survived alongside the British Indian Rupee until mid-century integration.
Kavya Sharma · Nov 3, 2026
The Lion’s Tongue and the 'Vṛṣala': Philology of Mauryan Sovereignty
Comparing Justin's Roman epitome and Viśākhadatta's Mudrārākṣasa reveals how Classical Latin historians and Sanskrit dramatists independently constructed royal legitimacy for the low-born Chandragupta Maurya.
Meera Iyer · Nov 3, 2026
The Cartaz along the Canara Coast: How 16th-Century Portuguese Naval Monopolies Fueled the Ullal Resistance
Maritime economic records show how the Portuguese cartaz system drove 16th-century military conflict on the Canara coast, forcing Ullal into strategic alliances to bypass colonial trade monopolies.
Devika Menon · Nov 3, 2026
The Weaver’s Thread in the Text: What Dravidian Textile Loanwords Reveal About Gangetic Trade Networks
Vedic Sanskrit terms for looms and dyed fabrics reveal how early Dravidian terminology entered Northern Indian texts, mapping ancient trade routes across the Gangetic plain through historical linguistics and botany.
Asha Naidu · Nov 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.