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 Headless Vishnu of Khajuraho: How Archaeological Recovery Reframes the Supreme Court's Devalaya Debates
The ASI's recovery of a missing 11th-century Vishnu head at Khajuraho highlights the legal and ritual tension between modern heritage conservation and ancient temple traditions following Supreme Court rulings.
Kavya Sharma · Oct 20, 2026
The Coins of Berenike: How Red Sea Numismatic Hoards Map Early Historic Trade with the Malabar Coast
Recent numismatic and stratigraphic analysis at the Red Sea port of Berenike reveals how Indian coinage, from square Chera issues to Satavahana silver, maps transoceanic trade with ancient South India.
Devika Menon · Oct 20, 2026
The Pastoral Lexicon of Burzahom: Sheep-Goat Herding and Early Himalayan Contact
Archaeological and botanical finds at Burzahom illuminate early Himalayan sheep-goat pastoralism, offering insights into ancient contact zones between Indo-Aryan and Sino-Tibetan languages.
Asha Naidu · Oct 20, 2026
The Submerged Anchors of Dwarka: What Marine Archaeology and Geology Reveal About the Epic Legend
Marine excavations at Bet Dwarka and Gomati Creek reveal historical anchorage sites, but coastal geomorphology and anchor styles point to active medieval trade rather than a single submerged epic metropolis.
Vikram Joshi · Oct 20, 2026
The Weaver and the Refugee: How Urdu-Speaking Bihari Migration Shaped East Bengal's Textile Mills
Beyond the political narrative of 1971, mid-century Urdu-speaking Bihari migration brought specialized technical labor to East Bengal, reshaping river ports like Narayanganj into global industrial centers.
Kavya Sharma · Oct 19, 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.