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 Potters' Marks of Bet Dwarka: Micro-Wear and Petrography Challenge Late Harappan Maritime Collapse Timelines
Petrographic analysis and micro-wear studies of post-urban graffiti on Bet Dwarka pottery show sustained Gulf of Kutch maritime trade continuing centuries past the supposed 1900 BCE Late Harappan collapse.
Rohan Bhattacharya · Nov 13, 2026
The Copper Plates of Nagardhan: Epigraphic Evidence of Vakataka Administrative Geography in the Nagpur Plain
Recent excavations at Nagardhan confirm its identity as ancient Nandivardhana. Epigraphic copper charters reveal how 5th-century Vakataka rulers organized regional irrigation and agrarian administration.
Dr. Anil Patel · Nov 13, 2026
The Imperial Coinage of Akbar and Aurangzeb: How Numismatic Epigraphy Refutes Popular Stereotypes of Mughal Monetary Policy
Physical numismatic evidence from Mughal mints reveals that shifting coin inscriptions under Akbar and Aurangzeb reflected imperial fiscal pragmatic strategy rather than uniform religious enforcement.
Devika Menon · Nov 13, 2026
The Horses of the Ashvamedha: Micro-Wear and Faunal Stratigraphy in the Painted Grey Ware Horizon
Comparing zooarchaeological finds from Gangetic sites with textual sacrifice descriptions separates verified domestic horse remains from misidentified hemiones and wild equids.
Vikram Joshi · Nov 13, 2026
Lances Against Machine Guns: The Logistics and Tactics of the 1918 Cavalry Charge at Haifa
How precise terrain analysis, suppression tactics, and supply logistics turned the Jodhpur and Mysore Lancers' cavalry charge against machine guns into a decisive victory at Haifa in 1918.
Kavya Sharma · Nov 12, 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.