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 Masonry of Vijayanagara: What Longhurst’s 1917 Survey Reveals About Mortarless Construction at Hampi
A 1917 Archaeological Survey of India handbook by Albert Henry Longhurst details how medieval builders at Hampi used interlocking stone joints without mortar to survive seismic activity and deliberate destruction.
Rohan Bhattacharya · Aug 15, 2026
The Digital Concordance: How Mahadevan’s 1977 Grid is Reorganizing Tamil Nadu’s Iron Age Potsherd Debate
The digitization of Iravatham Mahadevan’s landmark 1977 concordance provides archaeologists with a standardized tool to evaluate disputed graffiti marks on Iron Age black-and-red ware.
Rohan Bhattacharya · Aug 14, 2026
The Pedestal of the Brahmaputra: What the Bronze Vessels of Ambari Reveal About Early Medieval Metal Casting
Excavations at the Ambari site in Guwahati challenge the traditional narrative that Assam's iconic footed vessels arrived with the medieval Tai-Ahom, revealing a older indigenous casting tradition.
Rohan Bhattacharya · Aug 13, 2026
The Ash of Watgal: What Ashmounds Reveal About Neolithic-Chalcolithic Coexistence in the Southern Deccan
Stratigraphic evidence from the Watgal ashmound in Karnataka challenges the narrative of sudden cultural replacement, revealing a long period of coexistence between early pastoralists and metal-using communities.
Rohan Bhattacharya · Aug 11, 2026
The Barley of Banawali: What Flotation Samples in Trench BNL-1 Reveal About Early Harappan Agricultural Risk Mitigation
Stratigraphic evidence from Banawali reveals how Early Harappan farmers prioritized drought-resistant barley over wheat to mitigate environmental risks during the transitional Siswal phase.
Rohan Bhattacharya · Aug 10, 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.