The Tupchi-bashi ("head of the tupchis") was the commander of the

Safavid Empire The Guarded Domains of Iran, commonly called Safavid Iran, Safavid Persia or the Safavid Empire, was one of the largest and longest-lasting Iranian empires. It was ruled from 1501 to 1736 by the Safavid dynasty. It is often considered the begi ...

's artillery corps. He was responsible for the

artillery battery In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit or multiple systems of artillery, mortar systems, rocket artillery, multiple rocket launchers, surface-to-surface missiles, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, etc., so grouped to f ...

(''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 Ismail I (; 17 July 1487 – 23 May 1524) was the founder and first shah of Safavid Iran, ruling from 1501 until his death in 1524. His reign is one of the most vital in the history of Iran, and the Safavid period is often considered the beginn ...

* Hamza Beg (1507) * Mahmud Beg (1516)

Reign of
Tahmasp I Tahmasp I ( or ; 22 February 1514 – 14 May 1576) was the second shah of Safavid Iran from 1524 until his death in 1576. He was the eldest son of Shah Ismail I and his principal consort, Tajlu Khanum. Tahmasp ascended the throne after the ...

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

Reign of
Mohammad Khodabanda Mohammad Khodabanda (also spelled Khodabandeh; , born 1532; died 1595 or 1596) was the fourth Safavid dynasty, Safavid shah of Safavid Iran, Iran from 1578 until his overthrow in 1587 by his son Abbas I of Persia, Abbas I. Khodabanda had succeed ...

* 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 Soltan Hoseyn (; 1668 – 9 September 1727) was the Safavid shah of Iran from 1694 to 1722. He was the son and successor of Shah Suleiman (). Born and raised in the royal harem, Soltan Hoseyn ascended the throne with limited life experience a ...

* 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 Tahmasp II (; 1704? – 11 February 1740) was the penultimate Safavid shah of Iran, ruling from 1722 to 1732. Name ''Tahmasp'' () is a New Persian name, ultimately derived from Old Iranian ''*'', meaning "having valiant horses." The name is on ...

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

Reign of
Abbas III Abbas III (; January 1732 – February 1740) was a son of Shah Tahmasp II and Shahpari Begum of the Safavid dynasty and reigned from 1732 to 1736. After the deposition of his father by Nader Khan (the future Nader Shah) the infant Abbas was ...

* Yar Beg Khan (1732) * Mehdi Khan (1733)

Notes

Sources

* * * {{cite book, last1=Savory, first1=Roger, title=Iran Under the Safavids, date=2007, publisher=Cambridge University Press, location=Cambridge, isbn=978-0521042512, pages=59, 92 Tupchi-bashi Iranian military-related lists Tupchi-bashis

List of ''Tupchi-bashis''

Reign of Ismail I Ismail I (; 17 July 1487 – 23 May 1524) was the founder and first shah of Safavid Iran, ruling from 1501 until his death in 1524. His reign is one of the most vital in the history of Iran, and the Safavid period is often considered the beginn ...

Reign of Tahmasp I Tahmasp I ( or ; 22 February 1514 – 14 May 1576) was the second shah of Safavid Iran from 1524 until his death in 1576. He was the eldest son of Shah Ismail I and his principal consort, Tajlu Khanum. Tahmasp ascended the throne after the ...

Reign of Mohammad Khodabanda Mohammad Khodabanda (also spelled Khodabandeh; , born 1532; died 1595 or 1596) was the fourth Safavid dynasty, Safavid shah of Safavid Iran, Iran from 1578 until his overthrow in 1587 by his son Abbas I of Persia, Abbas I. Khodabanda had succeed ...