Indian Epigraphical Glossary c6.5475

c6.5475

*Śarabhaṅga* (IE 8-3; 8-8; EI 23), a leader of forces; an officer of the military department; possibly, a military governor; same as Persian *Sarhang* and Hindī *Serāṅg*; also spelt *Sarabhaṅga* and *Sarobhaṅga*; Wilson’s Glossary explains *Sarhang* as ‘a commander’ and says, “but [it is] generally applied in India to the headman of a native crew, whether on board a ship or a boat; also to the headman of a gang of natives attached to artillery, dragging guns, or to the army in general, as tent-pitchers, and the like, or to the head of gangs of a superior order of labourers employed in public or private works, in docks, buildings, etc.' Cf. Vogel, *Ant. Ch. St.*, pp. 123, 166 (spelt *Sarobhaṅga*), *Ind. Cult.*, Vol. VII, p. 309. Kane (*Hist. Dharm.*, Vol. III, p. 1005) is certainly wrong when he thinks that it may be connected with *śarayantra* and *śarayantrin* (a title bestowed in Mithilā upon a very learned man who faced the ordeal of answering satisfactorily all questions on any *śāstra* put to him by learned *Ācāryas* and also the questions put by common people). See *Ep. Ind.*, Vol. XXXV, pp. 95 ff. See *Sarāṅgha*, *Sarabhaṅga*, etc.