Job title
Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Başmemuru
Chief official for foreign communications
Group of job titles: Telegraph service
Stored spellings: Muhaberati Ecnebiye Basmemuru; muhaberati ecnebiye basmemuru
51 officials held the job title Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Başmemuru. Its 355 annual entries run from 1863 to 1911 (AH 1280 to 1329). The median of the 355 recorded monthly salaries is 760 kuruş, against 500 kuruş for the whole collection in the same years. The median entry paid 1.5 times the collection median of its year. On average an official was paid more than 64 per cent of the other officials with a salary in the same year. Half of the officials have an entry in it in no more than 6 different years, and a quarter in 9 or more. It was the first title on record for 24 per cent of the officials and the last for 61 per cent. No other title is recorded for 18 per cent of them. The title held just before it by most officials is Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti (20 officials), and the title held just after it by most officials is 2. Müdür (8 officials). The entries name 48 places. The place with the largest number of officials is Beyoğlu, with 8.
- Officials
- 51
- Years on recordAH 1280 to 1329, 50 years with an entry
- 1863 to 1911
- Median monthly salary1.48× the collection median of the same years (500 kuruş)
- 760 kuruş
- Places with officials
- 48
- First job title on recordfor 12 of the 51 officials
- 24%
Profile of the group: Telegraph service
No source read describes Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Başmemuru by itself, so this is the profile of its group of job titles.
The telegraph service of the Ottoman state, a government monopoly from the start. Its offices grew from 52 in 1863 to 320 in 1869, and the postal guide of 1892 lists 679.
Duties
- take in, send, receive and deliver telegrams for the state and the public, state telegrams first
- keep the lines and the apparatus working
Tools and technology
- Morse apparatus in most offices and Hughes printing telegraphs in some
- batteries
- lines on poles and submarine cables
- apparatus made from 1869 in the ministry's own factory
Hard skills
- the science of the telegraph, accounts, and correspondence in Turkish and French, the subjects in which the ministry found its trainees weak in 1871
Requirements for entry
- entry as an unpaid trainee (mülazım) in an office, with examinations before appointment
- from 1881 also from Darüşşafaka
- from 1911 by competitive examination to the ministry's new school
History
The first lines were built in 1855 during the Crimean War, and the Telegraph Directorate was founded the same year. Telegrams in Turkish were sent from 1856 with a Turkish Morse code. In 1869 the service had 3,607 employees by one count. The telegraph was joined with the post in 1871.
Sources
- Bektaş, Yakup (2000). The Sultan's messenger: cultural constructions of Ottoman telegraphy, 1847-1880. Technology and Culture 41 (4), 669-696.Pages or part: 688-689. Used for: tools and technology.
- Davison, Roderic H. (1990). The advent of the electric telegraph in the Ottoman Empire. In Essays in Ottoman and Turkish History, 1774-1923, 133-165. Austin: University of Texas Press. Read in the Turkish translation by Durdu Mehmet Burak, OTAM 14 (2003), 347-386; pages are those of the translation.Pages or part: 361-362, 365, 368, 375. Used for: summary, duties, tools and technology, history.
- Güneş, Mahir Melih (2026). Anadolu'da Telgrafın Toplumsal Tarihi (1856-1908). Doctoral thesis, Hacettepe University. Online copy (read 11 October 2026).Pages or part: 108, 113-122. Used for: duties, tools and technology, requirements for entry.
- Okan, Ayşegül (2003). The Ottoman postal and telegraph services in the last quarter of the nineteenth century. MA thesis, Boğaziçi University, Atatürk Institute for Modern Turkish History.Pages or part: 26-28, 30, 99, 102-103. Used for: summary, tools and technology, history.
- The school and the office: training, entry and pay in the Ottoman Post and Telegraph service, 1870-1905. Working paper, 2026 (the paper behind this collection; its Section II reports Akyıldız 2024, Ata 2022 and Ayhan and Maviş 1994).Pages or part: Section II. Used for: hard skills, requirements for entry, history.
Monthly salary each year
The same numbers as a table
| Year | Recorded salaries | Median | Mean | Lower quartile | Upper quartile | Median of the whole collection |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1863/64 | 1 | 2,500 | 2,500 | 2,500 | 2,500 | 500 |
| 1864/65 | 4 | 1,320 | 1,472.5 | 1,087.5 | 1,705 | 625 |
| 1865/66 | 3 | 1,200 | 1,200 | 1,080 | 1,320 | 650 |
| 1866/67 | 3 | 1,200 | 1,133.33 | 1,100 | 1,200 | 600 |
| 1867/68 | 2 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 600 |
| 1868/69 | 2 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 600 |
| 1869/70 | 2 | 800 | 800 | 700 | 900 | 600 |
| 1870/71 | 2 | 800 | 800 | 700 | 900 | 600 |
| 1871/72 | 2 | 710 | 710 | 640 | 780 | 550 |
| 1872/73 | 3 | 850 | 806.67 | 710 | 925 | 550 |
| 1873/74 | 3 | 850 | 806.67 | 710 | 925 | 500 |
| 1874/75 | 2 | 785 | 785 | 677.5 | 892.5 | 535 |
| 1875/76 | 2 | 785 | 785 | 677.5 | 892.5 | 530 |
| 1876/77 | 2 | 685 | 685 | 627.5 | 742.5 | 575 |
| 1877/78 | 3 | 800 | 666.67 | 600 | 800 | 560 |
| 1878 | 4 | 800 | 700 | 700 | 800 | 600 |
| 1878/79 | 3 | 800 | 666.67 | 600 | 800 | 600 |
| 1879/80 | 4 | 880 | 890 | 720 | 1,050 | 500 |
| 1880/81 | 3 | 1,000 | 833.33 | 650 | 1,100 | 500 |
| 1881/82 | 4 | 900 | 825 | 675 | 1,050 | 500 |
| 1882/83 | 3 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 900 | 1,100 | 500 |
| 1883/84 | 7 | 760 | 797.14 | 760 | 850 | 500 |
| 1884/85 | 5 | 760 | 784 | 760 | 800 | 500 |
| 1885/86 | 7 | 760 | 722.86 | 680 | 780 | 500 |
| 1886/87 | 8 | 760 | 726.25 | 712.5 | 770 | 500 |
| 1887/88 | 11 | 760 | 715.45 | 600 | 900 | 500 |
| 1888/89 | 11 | 760 | 751.82 | 600 | 1,000 | 500 |
| 1889/90 | 10 | 780 | 756 | 600 | 1,000 | 500 |
| 1890/91 | 9 | 800 | 823.33 | 600 | 1,000 | 500 |
| 1891/92 | 10 | 780 | 779 | 600 | 1,000 | 500 |
| 1892/93 | 16 | 750 | 776.25 | 575 | 1,000 | 500 |
| 1893/94 | 17 | 700 | 723.24 | 500 | 1,000 | 500 |
| 1894/95 | 19 | 700 | 700 | 500 | 950 | 500 |
| 1895/96 | 17 | 800 | 733.82 | 500 | 1,000 | 500 |
| 1896/97 | 15 | 630 | 604.8 | 400 | 731 | 500 |
| 1897/98 | 13 | 600 | 637.85 | 500 | 742 | 500 |
| 1898/99 | 15 | 540 | 632.8 | 470 | 771 | 500 |
| 1899/1900 | 16 | 585 | 622 | 475 | 725.5 | 500 |
| 1900/01 | 16 | 565 | 592.5 | 375 | 720 | 500 |
| 1901/02 | 12 | 450 | 539.17 | 300 | 697.5 | 500 |
| 1902/03 | 11 | 480 | 591.82 | 250 | 815 | 500 |
| 1903/04 | 11 | 600 | 619.09 | 325 | 850 | 475 |
| 1904/05 | 12 | 555 | 687.5 | 360 | 1,050 | 450 |
| 1905/06 | 12 | 900 | 870.83 | 455 | 1,237.5 | 475 |
| 1906/07 | 9 | 950 | 968.89 | 720 | 1,350 | 450 |
| 1907/08 | 3 | 1,400 | 1,416.67 | 1,375 | 1,450 | 300 |
| 1908/09 | 3 | 1,350 | 1,250 | 1,175 | 1,375 | 350 |
| 1909/10 | 1 | 1,350 | 1,350 | 1,350 | 1,350 | 462.5 |
| 1910/11 | 1 | 1,350 | 1,350 | 1,350 | 1,350 | 500 |
| 1911 | 1 | 1,350 | 1,350 | 1,350 | 1,350 | 500 |
Salaries are nominal monthly amounts in kuruş, as assigned. The thick line is the median of each year and the thin line the mean. A year with fewer than 5 recorded salaries is drawn as an open mark and is not joined to the line.
Pay against the whole collection
51 officials with a salary, each counted once in the band of the median of the official's salaries in this job. A bar runs from its number to the next; the last is 2,500 kuruş and more. Most officials (27%) are in the band 500 to 750 kuruş.
The same numbers as a table
| Median monthly salary, kuruş | Officials | Share | Whole collection |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 to 100 | 0 | 0% | 3% |
| 100 to 200 | 1 | 2% | 10% |
| 200 to 300 | 2 | 4% | 17% |
| 300 to 400 | 5 | 10% | 18% |
| 400 to 500 | 4 | 8% | 17% |
| 500 to 750 | 14 | 27% | 23% |
| 750 to 1,000 | 10 | 20% | 5% |
| 1,000 to 1,500 | 13 | 25% | 4% |
| 1,500 to 2,500 | 1 | 2% | 2% |
| 2,500 and more | 1 | 2% | 1% |
The median of the 355 recorded monthly salaries of this job is 760 kuruş. In the same years the whole collection paid a median of 500 kuruş. The median entry paid 1.48× the collection median of its year, and the middle half of the entries between 1× and 2×. On average an official of this job was paid more than 64% of the other paid officials of the same year.
The dot is the median, the box the middle half of the entries. Dashed lines: the collection median of the same years (1×) and the middle of the paid officials (50%).
Where the job was held
| Place | Officials | Remark |
|---|---|---|
| Beyoğlu | 8 | |
| Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 7 | |
| Beirut (Beyrut) | 6 | |
| Baghdad (Bağdat) | 5 | |
| Mersin | 5 | |
| Bitola (Manastır) | 4 | |
| Adana | 3 | |
| Bursa | 3 | |
| Edirne | 3 | |
| Gelibolu | 3 |
Career paths: the titles just before and after
The number is the officials who made the move. Under it, the median change of the monthly salary: the first salary of the later title less the last salary of the earlier one, where at least 5 moves have both.
Held just before
The title of the entries just before a run of Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Başmemuru. Pay: the change on moving from that title to Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Başmemuru. The 8 titles with most officials, of 43 moves in all.
Held just after
The title of the entries just after a run of Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Başmemuru. Pay: the change on moving from Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Başmemuru to that title. The 8 titles with most officials, of 24 moves in all.
Of the 61 moves shown, 11 cross at least one year without an annual entry; nothing is known about those years. Two posts held in the same years are not counted as a move.
Time in the job
- Years with an entry in the job
- 6 yearsmedian over 51 officials
- A quarter of the officials
- 9 years or moreupper quartile
- Most years of one official
- 24 years
Years are years with an annual entry in the job, each counted once for an official. They need not follow one another, and nothing is known about a year without an entry. With two posts in the first or last year, both count.
Who held the job
Officials of this jobWhole collection
Community
51 officials with it recorded. 1 other value not shown.
Age at the first annual entry in the job
50 officials with it recorded.
Province of birth
51 officials with it recorded. 10 other values not shown.
Schooling
51 officials with it recorded. An official can have several, so the shares add up to more than 100%. The groups of the schools recorded for each official.
Languages
35 officials with it recorded. An official can have several, so the shares add up to more than 100%. 2 other values not shown.
Qualification
50 officials with it recorded. A diploma, certificate, training or decoration (nişan) recorded in the schooling or the work.
Officials on record each year
The same numbers as a table
| Year | Officials on record | First recorded | Annual entries |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1863/64 (AH 1280) | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1864/65 (AH 1281) | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| 1865/66 (AH 1282) | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 1866/67 (AH 1283) | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 1867/68 (AH 1284) | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 1868/69 (AH 1285) | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 1869/70 (AH 1286) | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| 1870/71 (AH 1287) | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 1871/72 (AH 1288) | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 1872/73 (AH 1289) | 3 | 1 | 3 |
| 1873/74 (AH 1290) | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 1874/75 (AH 1291) | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 1875/76 (AH 1292) | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 1876/77 (AH 1293) | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 1877/78 (AH 1294) | 3 | 1 | 3 |
| 1878 (AH 1295) | 4 | 1 | 4 |
| 1878/79 (AH 1296) | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 1879/80 (AH 1297) | 4 | 2 | 4 |
| 1880/81 (AH 1298) | 3 | 1 | 3 |
| 1881/82 (AH 1299) | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| 1882/83 (AH 1300) | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 1883/84 (AH 1301) | 7 | 3 | 7 |
| 1884/85 (AH 1302) | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| 1885/86 (AH 1303) | 7 | 1 | 7 |
| 1886/87 (AH 1304) | 8 | 1 | 8 |
| 1887/88 (AH 1305) | 11 | 3 | 11 |
| 1888/89 (AH 1306) | 11 | 0 | 11 |
| 1889/90 (AH 1307) | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| 1890/91 (AH 1308) | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| 1891/92 (AH 1309) | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| 1892/93 (AH 1310) | 16 | 7 | 16 |
| 1893/94 (AH 1311) | 17 | 1 | 17 |
| 1894/95 (AH 1312) | 19 | 3 | 19 |
| 1895/96 (AH 1313) | 17 | 1 | 17 |
| 1896/97 (AH 1314) | 15 | 0 | 15 |
| 1897/98 (AH 1315) | 13 | 0 | 13 |
| 1898/99 (AH 1316) | 15 | 1 | 15 |
| 1899/1900 (AH 1317) | 16 | 2 | 16 |
| 1900/01 (AH 1318) | 16 | 2 | 16 |
| 1901/02 (AH 1319) | 12 | 2 | 12 |
| 1902/03 (AH 1320) | 11 | 2 | 11 |
| 1903/04 (AH 1321) | 11 | 3 | 11 |
| 1904/05 (AH 1322) | 12 | 2 | 12 |
| 1905/06 (AH 1323) | 12 | 2 | 12 |
| 1906/07 (AH 1324) | 9 | 3 | 9 |
| 1907/08 (AH 1325) | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 1908/09 (AH 1326) | 3 | 1 | 3 |
| 1909/10 (AH 1327) | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1910/11 (AH 1328) | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1911 (AH 1329) | 1 | 0 | 1 |
An official is counted once in a year. First recorded is the first year in which the collection has an annual entry of the official on this page. It is not a hiring date.
Places
Show the other 23 places
Ottoman officials recorded
51 officials, the one with most annual entries first. The first 25 are shown, the others are under them.
Show the other 26 officials
Years run from the first to the last annual entry. An official without a recorded name is listed after the named officials.
How to read these records: years and calendars, what first recorded means, gaps between annual entries, and salaries.
Subjects
- Chief official for foreign communications (Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Başmemuru)
- Ottoman job titles (Osmanlı memuriyet unvanları)
- Labour history (emek tarihi)
- Salaries of officials (memur maaşları)
- Ottoman history (Osmanlı tarihi)
- Ottoman bureaucracy (Osmanlı bürokrasisi)
- Ottoman officials (Osmanlı'da memurlar)
- Ottoman personnel registers (Sicill-i Ahvâl defterleri)
- Ottoman registers (Osmanlı defterleri)