 After his grandfather's death in 1539 or 1540, Hasan Beg found himself unable to gain command over his grandfather's army, because, according to his own explanation, "he was busy with his unpleasant duties as a "qurchi"".Though a military officer, Hasan Beg "received the sort of training that was typical of a Persian administrator and bureaucrat".For example, among other subjects he studied works on logic as well as the art of calligraphy.