List of Tupchi-bashis

The Tupchi-bashi ("head of the tupchis") was the commander of the Safavid Empire's artillery corps. He was responsible for the artillery battery (tup-khaneh) and needed materials in relation to the artillery pieces as well. The tupchi-bashi received assistance by an administrative staff, as well as by various officers of lower rank. The term tupchi-bashi was also used to designate the commanders of local artillery batteries in the various cities and provinces of the empire.

List of Tupchi-bashis

Reign of Ismail I

Hamza Beg (1507)
Mahmud Beg (1516)

Reign of Tahmasp I

Ostad Sheikhi Beg (1528-1529)
Sheikh Ali (1538-1539)
Darvish Beg (1551-1552)
Soleiman Beg (1556-1557)

Reign of Mohammad Khodabanda

Morad Khan (1580-1581)

Reign of Abbas I

Qoreiqchi Khan (1605-1606)^[a]
Barkhordar Beg (1610)

Reign of Safi

Mortezaqoli Beg (1637-1638)^[b]
Morad Beg (1642)

Reign of Abbas II

Morad Beg (1642)
Mohammad Beg (1649)
Hoseinqoli Khan (1655)^[c]
Qalandar Soltan Chuleh Chaghatay (1660-1661)^[d]

Reign of Suleiman I

Najafqoli Beg (1669-1679)^[e]
Mohammad Hosein Beg (1679-?)
Musa Beg (1692)
Abd ol-Razzaq Beg (1693-1695)

Reign of Sultan Husayn

Abd ol-Razzaq Beg (1693-1695)
Abdi Aqa (1697-1698)
Aliqoli Khan (1711-1714)
Mohebb-Ali Khan (1716-1721)^[f]
Ahmad Khan (1721)
Mohammad-Ali Khan (1722)^[g]
His son (1722)^[h]

Reign of Tahmasp II

Emin Khan (1728-1729)
Taher Beg (1730-1731)
Mohammadqoli Khan (1731-1732)
Yar Beg Khan (1732)

Reign of Abbas III

Yar Beg Khan (1732)
Mehdi Khan (1733)

Notes

^ A gholam, he started his career in the qeichigari ("tailors workshop") and rose to further importance from there.
^ Son of Barkhordar Beg.
^ After Hoseinqoli Khan died in 1655, Abbas II did not appoint a new tupchi-bashi. The jabbehdar-bashi ("head of the royal arsenal") took over its role temporarily until 1660-1661. Floor mentions that the post may have become vacant afterwards.
^ The actual role of tupchi-bashi was still performed by the jabbehdar-bashi during these years. However, Qalandar Soltan Chuleh did keep command over the artillery and its related logistics at Qandahar.
^ He was also rekabdar.
^ Died at Gulnabad in 1722.
^ He was the son of Aslamas Beg.
^ After Mohammad-Ali Khan was dismissed on 14 June 1722, he was succeeded by his seven year old son.

Sources

Floor, Willem (2001). Safavid Government Institutions. Costa Mesa, California: Mazda Publishers. pp. 188–199. ISBN 978-1568591353.
Mikaberidze, Alexander (2015). Historical Dictionary of Georgia (2 ed.). Rowman & Littlefield. p. 362. ISBN 978-1442241466.
Savory, Roger (2007). Iran Under the Safavids. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 59, 92. ISBN 978-0521042512.

[1] A gholam, he started his career in the qeichigari ("tailors workshop") and rose to further importance from there.

[2] Son of Barkhordar Beg.

[3] After Hoseinqoli Khan died in 1655, Abbas II did not appoint a new tupchi-bashi. The jabbehdar-bashi ("head of the royal arsenal") took over its role temporarily until 1660-1661. Floor mentions that the post may have become vacant afterwards.

[4] The actual role of tupchi-bashi was still performed by the jabbehdar-bashi during these years. However, Qalandar Soltan Chuleh did keep command over the artillery and its related logistics at Qandahar.

[5] He was also rekabdar.

[6] Died at Gulnabad in 1722.

[7] He was the son of Aslamas Beg.

[8] After Mohammad-Ali Khan was dismissed on 14 June 1722, he was succeeded by his seven year old son.

[a]

[b]

[c]

[d]

[e]

[f]

[g]

[h]