Who among the following first used the word ‘Swarajya’?

The term 'Swarajya' or 'Swaraj' has deep historical roots in India. Historically, the term 'Hindavi Swarajya' was first attributed to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in 1645 to denote self-rule against foreign powers [t1][t5]. In the context of the modern Indian independence movement, Swami Dayanand Saraswati was the first to define 'Swaraj' as 'administration of self' or democracy, questioning British legitimacy [t3][t6]. However, among the provided options, Bal Gangadhar Tilak is the most prominent figure associated with the early popularization of the term. Tilak adopted 'Swarajya' as a core demand of his Home Rule League in 1916 [c5][t1] and famously declared it his birthright. While Dadabhai Naoroji used it from the Congress platform in 1906 [t2] and Gandhi later expanded its meaning [c3], Tilak remains the primary figure among the choices who championed the term's political usage early in the nationalist struggle.

Sources

1. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindavi_Swarajya
2. [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swaraj
3. [3] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 14: First World War and Nationalist Response > Tilak's League > p. 297
4. [4] History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 2: Rise of Extremism and Swadeshi Movement > Evolution of the idea of Swadeshi > p. 20