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)
- Barkhordar Beg (1610)
Reign of Safi
- Mortezaqoli Beg (1637-1638)
- Morad Beg (1642)
Reign of Abbas II
- Morad Beg (1642)
- Mohammad Beg (1649)
- Hoseinqoli Khan (1655)
- Qalandar Soltan Chuleh Chaghatay (1660-1661)
Reign of Suleiman I
- Najafqoli Beg (1669-1679)
- 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)
- Ahmad Khan (1721)
- Mohammad-Ali Khan (1722)
- His son (1722)
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.