Qurchi (royal bodyguard)
| Qurchi | |
|---|---|
17th-century illustration of a qurchi. | |
| Active | 1501-1736 |
| Allegiance | Safavid dynasty |
| Type | Royal bodyguard |
| Size | c. 1,000-3,000 (under Ismail I) 5,000 (under Tahmasp I) c. 6,000 (under Ismail II) <3,000 (under Mohammad Khodabanda)[b] 10,000-15,000 (under Abbas the Great) 20,000 (course of the 17th century) |
| Commanders | |
| First | Abdal Beg Talish |
| Last | Qasem Beg Qajar |
| Military of Safavid Iran |
|---|
| Commanders |
| Units |
| Conflicts |
The qurchis or qorchis[a] (Persian: قورچی, romanized: qurči) were the royal bodyguard of the Safavid emperor. The head of the qurchis was the qurchi-bashi.