swaraj

Etymology

Hindi स्वराज (svarāj)

swaraj means self-rule. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 86 out of 100.

Why this word is great

SWARAJ — [Noun] The principle of self-rule or self-governance, encompassing not only political autonomy but also a personal and collective discipline of the spirit. From Hindi स्वराज (svarāj), from Sanskrit sva (“own, self”) and rājya (“rule, dominion”). Unlike “home-rule,” which concedes a subservient place within an imperial hierarchy, or “independence,” which declares a nation-state’s sovereignty but remains silent on the character of its citizens, swaraj is a double-edged compact demanding external liberation be forged through internal mastery. It is the patient rhythm of the charkha spinning homespun khadi, the quiet defiance of the saltpan, and the conscious rebuilding of village republics in the shadow of empire—a political ideal realized not in the seizure of a state, but in the mastery of one's own desires, for the most enduring tyranny to overthrow resides within.

noun

self-rule“Are the brown Indians to share equally in the ruling of the British Empire or are they an inferior race? And curiously enough, the battle on this point is impending not simply in the unchecked movement toward "swaraj" in India but in Africa—in the Union of South Africa and in Kenya.”