Relative chronology of Rigvedic Mandalas 1, 8, and 9

Determine the relative chronological ordering of Rigveda Mandalas 1, 8, and 9 to resolve ongoing disputes regarding their sequencing within the corpus.

Background

While scholars broadly agree that Mandala 10 is late and that Mandalas 2–7 form an earlier set (often called the family Mandalas), the relative placement of Mandalas 1, 8, and 9 remains contentious.

Clarifying the ordering of these three Mandalas is central to internal Rigvedic chronology and affects interpretations of textual development and thematic evolution across the corpus.

References

The relative chronology of Mandalas 1,8 and 9 is rather uncertain and has been often disputed.

— Chronological Analysis of Rigvedic Mandalas using Social Networks (2407.06205 - Prabhu et al., 1 Jul 2024) in Section II.B (Internal Chronology of Rigveda)