Question: who used the word 'swaraj' firstly
Answer: Swarāj ( Hindi : स्वराज swa - `` self '' , raj `` rule '' ) can mean generally self - governance or `` self - rule '' , and was used synonymously with `` home - rule '' by Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati and later on by Mahatma Gandhi , but the word usually refers to Gandhi 's concept for Indian independence from foreign domination .