Every season of Swaraj ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best seasons of Swaraj!

Episode starts with a historical setting in 1498 introducing India's rich cultural heritage and diverse kingdoms. Vasco da Gama's arrival in India marks a pivotal moment. The episode depicts the Zamorin (Samoothiri) of Calicut a major figure and his realm's prosperity. The story unfolds with cultural misunderstandings, trade attempts and complex interactions between Portuguese and Indian kingdoms.

Episode 1

Episode revolves around the Vijayanagara Empire's history, highlighting its establishment and prosperity. It begins with Malik Kafur's southern invasion under the Delhi Sultanate, leading to the downfall of the Pandyan Dynasty. The episode also covers the reign of Krishnadevaraya, the empire's zenith, cultural and architectural achievements, and interactions with the Portuguese.

Episode 2

Episode is about Rani Abbakka, the fearless queen of Ullal, who fiercely opposes Portuguese colonial forces. Despite facing betrayal from her husband, Raja Veera Narasimha, who aligns with the Portuguese for his gains, Rani Abbakka remains resolute in her mission to protect her kingdom. The episode depicts her strategic and brave resistance against the colonial powers.

Episode 3

This episode delves into the life of Shivappa Nayaka, a significant figure in the Nayaka kingdom. The episode highlights his military accomplishments, strategic prowess, and his role in resisting Portuguese colonialism. It portrays his challenges in governance, political dynamics, and his personal journey through these complex times.

Episode 4

This episode focuses on the life and achievements of Shivaji Maharaj, a legendary Maratha warrior and founder of the Maratha Empire. The episode covers his early life including the influence of his mother Jijabai. It highlights his military strategies, guerrilla warfare tactics and the establishment of the Maratha Empire. The episode concludes with his coronation as Chhatrapati.

Episode 5

Kanhoji Angre from 1667 to 1729 was the first notable chief of the Maratha Navy and popularly known as Samudratla Shivaji. He occupies a unique position in the history of Bharat and in the annals of Arabian sea history. For four decades, he led his sailors from victory to victory and raised the naval prestige of Maharashtra to an unprecedented height.

Episode 6

Baji Rao, commonly known as Bajirao Ballal was the seventh Peshwa of the Maratha Empire. He was born on 18 August 1700. During his twenty year reign as Peshwa, he conquered the Mughals and their vassal Nizam-ul-Mulk in the Battle of Delhi and the Battle of Bhopal. His accomplishments include the establishment of Maratha domination in southern India as well as a political power in northern India.

Episode 7

Chimaji Appa was the younger brother of Peshwa Baji Rao. The episode highlights Chimaji Appa's military campaigns against the Portuguese in Vasai, emphasizing his strategic brilliance and valor. It depicts his successful efforts to liberate the western coast of India from Portuguese rule, showcasing key battles and the challenges faced during these confrontations.

Episode 8

The episode covers the establishment and challenges faced by the French East India Company in India. It details the efforts of the French to expand their influence in India, competing with other European powers like the British and Dutch. The narrative showcases the strategies employed by key French figures to establish trading posts and the conflicts they encounter.

Episode 9

Episode focuses on Dutch and the English East India Company. It explores their efforts to establish dominance in India during the 16th century initially driven by trade ambitions. The episode depicts various historical interactions and conflicts particularly between East India Company, Dutch and local Indian powers. Key events include Dutch's attempts to trade and establish factories in India.

Episode 10

Episode focuses on Marthanda Verma, the ruler of the Southern Indian kingdom of Venad. It chronicles the challenges and triumphs, particularly his strategic battles against the Dutch East India Company. The episode highlights Verma's efforts to preserve and strengthen his kingdom, showcasing his military prowess and diplomatic skills. The narrative portrays Marthanda Verma as a visionary leader.

This episode is centered around the Battle of Plassey, a pivotal event in Indian history. This episode details the strategies and events leading up to the battle, including the intricate political maneuvering between the British East India Company and Indian rulers. The episode depicts how this battle marked the beginning of British colonial dominance in India.

This episode is focused on Puli Thevar, a notable chieftain from the Tamil Nadu region in the mid-18th century. The episode highlights his resistance against the Nawab of Arcot and the British East India Company. The episode portrays Thevar as a strategic leader, committed to resisting colonial expansion and maintaining local autonomy.

This episode tells the story of Velu Nachiar, the warrior queen of Sivagangai. The episode showcases her struggle against the British East India Company and the Nawab of Arcot after they usurp her kingdom. The episode highlights her strategic planning, the training of her women's army, and her indomitable spirit in the face of adversity.

This episode centers around the life of Veerapandya Kattabomman, a courageous South Indian king. It showcases his resistance against the British East India Company and his refusal to accept their supremacy. It portrays his commitment to the sovereignty of his kingdom and his people. The narrative depicts his strategic confrontations with the British, emphasizing his determination and bravery.

Pazhassi Raja was known as Kerala Varma and was also known as Cotiote Rajah and Pychy Rajah. He was a warrior Hindu prince and de facto head of the kingdom of Kottayam, otherwise known as Cotiote, in Malabar. Known for his gorilla warfare, the 18th century ruler of Malabar was the only person to defeat Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington in a war.

The Sannyasi rebellion or Fakir rebellion were the activities of sannyasis and fakirs in Bengal, India in the late 18th century which took place around Murshidabad and Baikunthapur forests of Jalpaiguri under the leadership of Devi Chaudrani , Pandit Bhabani Charan Pathak and Majnoo Shah Fakir.

The Paika Rebellion episode opens with a heart-wrenching scene where a poor farmer's children are taken away in exchange for a small amount of money, highlighting the exploitation and suffering under British rule. This episode focuses on the Paika rebellion showcasing the initial resistance of the Paikas, a warrior class, against the British East India Company's policies in Odisha.

This episode narrates the tumultuous life of Wazir Ali, Nawab of Awadh, who was known for his defiance against the British East India Company. It portrays Wazir Ali's conflict with the British authorities, highlighting his bravery, strategic resistance and the personal losses he endured. The episode vividly captures the betrayal and political intrigue that led to his eventual downfall.

This episode tells the story of Velu Thambi Dalawa, the prime minister of the Kingdom of Travancore, who fiercely opposed the British colonial forces. The episode captures his strategic acumen, inspirational leadership, and his tragic end, emphasizing his role in the broader struggle for Swaraj.

Tilka Manjhi was a freedom fighter from the Santhal community who stood against the East India Company.British sent a huge army to catch Tilka Manjhi but Tilka, along with the villagers, fought his way back to the village. Few villagers backstabbed Tilka by informing his whereabouts to the Britishers. Britishers caught Tilka and dragged him from Sultanganj to Bhagalpur and hanged him to death.

Hathras was ruled by King Dayaram. He had two sons, Nekaram and Govind. The Britishers investigated Hathras as they were shocked to witness that Hathras is able to pay all the taxes on time. They found out that Hathras were making gunpowder and planning against the British. The Britishers killed Nekaram while Govind Singh surrendered in front of the British and ruled the kingdom after Dayaram.

U Tirot Sing was the leader in the Nongkhlaw region where he was addressed as Sem. He stood against the British army when he learnt that the Britishers were going against the agreement of building roads in the mountains. He encouraged the entire village to fight against the British but a traitor in U Tirot's army helped the Britishers to capture him and put him to jail.

Sidhu Murmu and Kanhu Murmu were brothers who were the leaders of the Santhal rebellion who fought against the British. The British treated them like slaves and that's the reason when they started a rebellion. A fight amongst the people of Santhal causes them a heavy defeat against the British.

Narendrajit was a leader in the Cachar region of Manipur. He went against the British when the British killed his brother's army. Narendrajit fought against Britishers but was captured and summoned in the court. The judge gave him a brutal punishment where his colleagues were hanged till death while he was escorted to Andaman and left alone while his family were not informed when he was dead.

Mangal Pandey was a freedom fighter who stood against the British who killed Bindi Tiwari brutally and forced the army to bite the cartridges with their mouths. They stood against it as they suspected that Britishers used animal fat in the cartridge which was offensive for the Indian sepoys. He influenced his colleagues to fight against the Britishers but he was soon caught and hanged to death.

Nana Saheb was the peshwa of Bithoor. He learnt to be a soldier by his guru Tatya Tope who was his biggest influence. The Britishers never considered Nana Saheb as a peshwa as he was the adopted son of Bajirao. He lived his life fighting against the Britishers and for his own rights of proving himself as the peshwa.

Azimullah Khan was the most learned and knowledgeable secretary of Nana Saheb. He fought for Nana Saheb to help him claim his rights as the Peshwa. He went to London to appeal for Nana Saheb, where he met Rango Bapuji to fight against the British. They decided to spread the news across India through a newspaper with a lotus flower to unite Indians to stand against the Britishers for their freedom.

The year 1857 was the year when all the Indians came together to fight against the British. Meerut was a place where Kotwal Dhan Singh and Mattadin with their armies, fought against the British. A lot of soldiers lost their lives in this war while Mattadin decided to move to Delhi to appeal to the Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar to help him and his army to fight against the British.

Bahadur Shah Zafar was the last Mughal Emperor of the Mughal Dynasty. In 1857, a revolution began against the British. Mattadin and his army reached Delhi to appeal for help from the Emperor. Bahadur Shah's staff and family constantly tried to convince him to not be a part of the revolution as it may end the Mughal Empire. Bahadur Shah Zafar still supported Mattadin and his army.

The revolution against the British had begun in Delhi in the year 1857. Bahadur Shah Zafar took the help of commander-in-chief General Bakht Khan who fought against the British by forming an independent army. He killed a lot of English men but he lost loads of men of his own as well. Bahadur Shah Zafar had to leave Delhi as the Indian army lost against the British.

Udmi Ram was an unsung hero of Libaspur village. During the year of 1857, Udmi Ram and his wife Ratni Devi decided that they would not let the English men march towards Delhi. Udmi Ram, his wife and his small army, killed the English men and kept on succeeding. Soon, a traitor, Sitaram helped the Britishers to catch hold of Udmi Ram. The Britishers killed Udmi Ram and his wife in a brutal manner.

Azizan Bai was a freedom fighter who was strictly against following the English rules. She was a dancer and the Britishers used to call her to dance for them. She made an army of women to fight against the British. Azizan's lover was Shams who was a freedom fighter as well. They made an army with the help of Tatya Tope. Soon, Havelock's army captured Azizan and Shams and shot them to death.

Hazrat Mahal was the most beloved wife of Nawab of Awadh Wajid Ali. The Britishers took away the Nawab's position as they wanted to rule Awadh. Wajid Ali left the palace and never returned but his wife fought against the Britishers for her Nawab and for Awadh. She kept on fighting for several months. Soon, the Britishers captured Awadh and burnt down her palace. She left for Nepal and later died.

Veer Kunwar Singh was a leader during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. He led an army and was the chief organiser of the fight against the British in Bihar. He was assisted by his brother Veer Amar Singh. After Kunwar Singh's death, Amar Singh led the fight against the British. Amar Singh led the army and fought against the British. He was later captured by the British and died in prison.

Rani Laxmi Bai, the queen of Jhansi lost her son and her husband at an early age. Britishers used the Doctrine of Lapse to capture Jhansi. She stood against British and along with Tatya Tope fought against Britishers. Britishers tried to capture her. But she escaped and reached to her guru. She requested her guru that the British did not see her body after her death. She died in her guru's ashram.

Tatya Tope was one of the important leaders in revolution of 1857 who, along with other freedom fighters Nana Saheb, Azimullah Khan, Azizan Bai, Rani Laxmi Bai, fought against British army. Tatya Tope formed a huge army against British and killed English men. Years later, he was caught by Britishers one morning, while he was asleep. He was hanged by Britishers in front of a lot of Indian people.

Tikendrajit was crown prince of Manipur Kingdom. He is known for standing up against British Government and their laws, which resulted in him losing out position of the King after his father's death. Surachandra was crowned as the king while Tikendrajit was commander of Manipuri armed forces.. Britishers decided to punish Tikendrajit for dynastic disturbances and was hanged in the year 1891.

Birsa Munda was a tribal hero who belonged to the Munda tribe. His religion was converted into Christianity at a very young age. He found out that the British were aiming to convert the tribals into Christianity through education. He started a movement and urged his fellow tribals to follow only one God and stand against the Britishers. He was soon arrested and died in the jail in the year 1900.

Sardar Ajit Singh was a nationalist and a freedom fighter. When Britishers planned to arrest him, he left for Iran and remained in exile for 38 years. He went to different countries to establish Indian revolutionary activities. After remaining in exile for decades, he came back to India where he took his last breath in Dalhousie on 15th August, 1947 when India attained Independence.

Rani Avanti Bai was the queen of Ramgarh. She stood against the East India Company after her husband Vikramajit died suffering from a mental illness. She got help from different rulers like Raja Shankarshah to fight against the East India Company but when she realized that the company was too strong for her army she killed herself in the battlefield to avoid her army getting killed.

Vasudev Balwant Phadke was an Indian activist who fought for Indian independence. He stood up for the farming community and his only aim was Swaraj. He spread messages and lessons to fight against the British but he was soon caught and sent to Aden Jail in Yemen. He tried to escape the prison but he was recaptured. Phadke went on a hunger strike and soon he died in Aden Jail Yemen.

Damodar Hari Chapekar Balkrishna Chapekar and Vasudev Chapekar were Indian revolutionaries who fought against the assassination of British Plague Commissioner W.C. Rand. They alongwith Mahadev Ranade formed Chapekar Club where they plotted their entire plan to execute the killing of W.C. Rand. After the assassination of Rand the Chapekar Brothers and Ranade were caught and hanged until death.

Rani Gaidinliu was a religious leader who was known for a revolt against British rule in India. She joined the Heraka religious movement with her cousin Jadonang. She went against the British and took over the moment after the Britishers hanged Jadonang. She was arrested at an early age of 16. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru soon released her from the jail in the year 1947 after independence.

Bhupendranath Dutt was an Indian communist who was associated with the Jugantar movement with Aurobindo Ghosh and Barin Ghosh. He was the younger brother of Swami Vivekananda. He visited the US and Germany to gain knowledge about the Indo German Conspiracy and help India gain freedom.

Sister Nivedita was born in Ireland with the name of Margaret. She was the disciple of Swami Vivekananda and she moved to India to follow the footsteps of Swami Vivekananda and achieve salvation through Brahma. Swami Vivekananda gave her the name of Nivedita after she moved to Calcutta. After the death of Swami Vivekanand she continued to help the poor and was keen on achieving freedom for India.

Barin Ghosh was an Indian revolutionary and founding members of Jugantar. He was the younger brother of Aurobindo Ghosh. Barin Ghosh was involved in the Alipore Bomb Case where Khudiram and Prafulla attempted to kill Kingsford. They were arrested and brutally tortured in the Cellular jail. Barin was released from Cellular jail and was associated with The Statesman while India attained freedom.

Kanhailal and Satyendranath were an Indian revolutionary who belonged to the Jugantar group with Aurobindo Ghosh and Barin Ghosh. They were mainly known for the assassination of Narendranath Goswami who went against the Jugantar group and helped the Britishers gain some information about the group. They also played an important role in the Alipore Bomb Case.

Shyamji Krishna Varma was an Indian revolutionary who played an important role in the Indian freedom struggle. He was the founder of Indian home rule society India House and the Indian sociologist in London. He gathered a group of people for the revolution in India. He died in Geneva Switzerland. His and his wife's ashes were brought back to India in the year 2003.

Bhikaji Cama was an Indian revolutionary who played a prominent role in the Indian Independence Movement. She designed and raised the flag of Indian Independence in Stuttgart Germany. She worked in co-ordination with Shyamji Krishna Varma in India house with other revolutionaries like Virendranath Chattopadhyay Madanlal Dhingra Veer Savarkar.

Swaraj is a docu-drama series that celebrates 75 years of Indian independence. It features the lives and sacrifices of lesser-known heroes of the freedom struggle. The show bring to life the stories of unsung heroes who sacrificed and fought for India over 450 years of freedom struggle but remain unheard and unknown to this day despite their untold sacrifices.

The Best Seasons of Swaraj

The Best Seasons of Swaraj

Season 1

Season 2

Season 3

Season 4

Season 5