Job title
Tefrik Odası
Sorting room
Group of job titles: Postal service and dispatch
Stored spellings: Tefrik Odasi; tefrik odasi
50 officials held the job title Tefrik Odası. Its 238 annual entries run from 1874 to 1909 (AH 1291 to 1326). The median of the 238 recorded monthly salaries is 400 kuruş, against 500 kuruş for the whole collection in the same years. The median entry paid 80 per cent of the collection median of its year. On average an official was paid more than 37 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 3 different years, and a quarter in 6 or more. It was the first title on record for 24 per cent of the officials and the last for 48 per cent. No other title is recorded for 10 per cent of them. The title most often held just before it and the title most often held just after it are the same, Posta Memuru (8 and 5 officials). The entries name 12 places. The place with the largest number of officials is Istanbul, with 36.
- Officials
- 50
- Years on recordAH 1291 to 1326, 36 years with an entry
- 1874 to 1909
- Median monthly salary0.8× the collection median of the same years (500 kuruş)
- 400 kuruş
- Places with officials
- 12
- First job title on recordfor 12 of the 50 officials
- 24%
Profile of the group: Postal service and dispatch
No source read describes Tefrik Odası by itself, so this is the profile of its group of job titles.
The public post of the Ottoman state, founded with the Ministry of Post in 1840 and joined with the telegraph in 1871. Post offices took in, carried and delivered letters, printed matter, registered letters and valuables.
Tools and technology
- the old overland roads, steamers of the state and of foreign companies, and later the railways
- postage stamps from 1862
History
Before 1840 official messages were carried by couriers between relay stations (menzil) kept by local contracted postmasters (menzilci); the relay system ended when the post was organised in 1839 and 1840. The empire joined the Universal Postal Union in 1874. The postal guides list 1,033 post and telegraph offices in 1884 and 1,288 in 1892.
Sources
- Halaçoğlu, Yusuf (2004). Menzil (Osmanlı). TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, vol. 29, 159-161. Online copy (read 14 October 2026).Pages or part: 159-161. Used for: history.
- Koh, Choon Hwee (2021). The Ottoman postmaster: contractors, communication and early modern state formation. Past and Present 251, 113-152. Online copy.Pages or part: 113, 118-120. Used for: history.
- 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: iii, 20-25, 66, 77. 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: summary.
Monthly salary each year
The same numbers as a table
| Year | Recorded salaries | Median | Mean | Lower quartile | Upper quartile | Median of the whole collection |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1874/75 | 2 | 250 | 250 | 225 | 275 | 535 |
| 1875/76 | 2 | 250 | 250 | 225 | 275 | 530 |
| 1876/77 | 3 | 400 | 416.67 | 350 | 475 | 575 |
| 1877/78 | 2 | 525 | 525 | 512.5 | 537.5 | 560 |
| 1878 | 4 | 750 | 712.5 | 450 | 1,012.5 | 600 |
| 1878/79 | 4 | 750 | 737.5 | 475 | 1,012.5 | 600 |
| 1879/80 | 5 | 400 | 529 | 320 | 800 | 500 |
| 1880/81 | 6 | 425 | 486.67 | 340 | 712.5 | 500 |
| 1881/82 | 5 | 320 | 444 | 300 | 600 | 500 |
| 1882/83 | 6 | 310 | 411.67 | 262.5 | 530 | 500 |
| 1883/84 | 6 | 310 | 420 | 300 | 530 | 500 |
| 1884/85 | 9 | 350 | 400 | 300 | 500 | 500 |
| 1885/86 | 8 | 365 | 422.5 | 287.5 | 525 | 500 |
| 1886/87 | 9 | 380 | 431.11 | 300 | 500 | 500 |
| 1887/88 | 7 | 500 | 561.43 | 425 | 700 | 500 |
| 1888/89 | 6 | 475 | 533.33 | 412.5 | 650 | 500 |
| 1889/90 | 6 | 475 | 545.83 | 431.25 | 650 | 500 |
| 1890/91 | 5 | 450 | 555 | 425 | 700 | 500 |
| 1891/92 | 5 | 450 | 555 | 425 | 700 | 500 |
| 1892/93 | 4 | 450 | 512.5 | 387.5 | 575 | 500 |
| 1893/94 | 5 | 400 | 438 | 350 | 500 | 500 |
| 1894/95 | 6 | 385 | 385 | 216.25 | 475 | 500 |
| 1895/96 | 5 | 370 | 302 | 165 | 400 | 500 |
| 1896/97 | 7 | 400 | 357.86 | 282.5 | 445 | 500 |
| 1897/98 | 7 | 400 | 363.57 | 282.5 | 465 | 500 |
| 1898/99 | 8 | 400 | 374.38 | 346.25 | 457.5 | 500 |
| 1899/1900 | 9 | 440 | 423.33 | 400 | 500 | 500 |
| 1900/01 | 12 | 400 | 387.92 | 287.5 | 485 | 500 |
| 1901/02 | 20 | 400 | 380.5 | 200 | 512.5 | 500 |
| 1902/03 | 17 | 420 | 424.76 | 250 | 550 | 500 |
| 1903/04 | 13 | 450 | 446.23 | 270 | 550 | 475 |
| 1904/05 | 11 | 400 | 446.82 | 300 | 587.5 | 450 |
| 1905/06 | 5 | 400 | 460 | 250 | 550 | 475 |
| 1906/07 | 5 | 250 | 320 | 100 | 250 | 450 |
| 1907/08 | 2 | 175 | 175 | 137.5 | 212.5 | 300 |
| 1908/09 | 2 | 175 | 175 | 137.5 | 212.5 | 350 |
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
50 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 (30%) are in the band 400 to 500 kuruş.
The same numbers as a table
| Median monthly salary, kuruş | Officials | Share | Whole collection |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 to 100 | 0 | 0% | 3% |
| 100 to 200 | 9 | 18% | 10% |
| 200 to 300 | 8 | 16% | 17% |
| 300 to 400 | 7 | 14% | 18% |
| 400 to 500 | 15 | 30% | 17% |
| 500 to 750 | 7 | 14% | 23% |
| 750 to 1,000 | 3 | 6% | 5% |
| 1,000 to 1,500 | 1 | 2% | 4% |
| 1,500 to 2,500 | 0 | 0% | 2% |
| 2,500 and more | 0 | 0% | 1% |
The median of the 238 recorded monthly salaries of this job is 400 kuruş. In the same years the whole collection paid a median of 500 kuruş. The median entry paid 0.8× the collection median of its year, and the middle half of the entries between 0.56× and 1.1×. On average an official of this job was paid more than 37% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 36 | |
| Galata | 6 | |
| Edirne | 3 | |
| Sirkeci | 3 | |
| Bursa | 2 | |
| Izmir (İzmir) | 2 | |
| Yeni camii postanesi | 2 | |
| Aydın | 1 | in the small map |
| Beşiktaş | 1 | |
| Ortaköy | 1 |
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 Tefrik Odası. Pay: the change on moving from that title to Tefrik Odası. The 8 titles with most officials, of 41 moves in all.
Held just after
The title of the entries just after a run of Tefrik Odası. Pay: the change on moving from Tefrik Odası to that title. The 8 titles with most officials, of 29 moves in all.
Of the 43 moves shown, 4 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
- 3.5 yearsmedian over 50 officials
- A quarter of the officials
- 6 years or moreupper quartile
- Most years of one official
- 22 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
50 officials with it recorded.
Age at the first annual entry in the job
50 officials with it recorded.
Province of birth
48 officials with it recorded. 6 other values not shown.
Schooling
50 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
49 officials with it recorded. An official can have several, so the shares add up to more than 100%.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1874/75 (AH 1291) | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 1875/76 (AH 1292) | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 1876/77 (AH 1293) | 3 | 1 | 3 |
| 1877/78 (AH 1294) | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 1878 (AH 1295) | 4 | 2 | 4 |
| 1878/79 (AH 1296) | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| 1879/80 (AH 1297) | 5 | 1 | 5 |
| 1880/81 (AH 1298) | 6 | 2 | 6 |
| 1881/82 (AH 1299) | 5 | 1 | 5 |
| 1882/83 (AH 1300) | 6 | 1 | 6 |
| 1883/84 (AH 1301) | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| 1884/85 (AH 1302) | 9 | 4 | 9 |
| 1885/86 (AH 1303) | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| 1886/87 (AH 1304) | 9 | 2 | 9 |
| 1887/88 (AH 1305) | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| 1888/89 (AH 1306) | 6 | 1 | 6 |
| 1889/90 (AH 1307) | 6 | 1 | 6 |
| 1890/91 (AH 1308) | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| 1891/92 (AH 1309) | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| 1892/93 (AH 1310) | 4 | 1 | 4 |
| 1893/94 (AH 1311) | 5 | 1 | 5 |
| 1894/95 (AH 1312) | 6 | 1 | 6 |
| 1895/96 (AH 1313) | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| 1896/97 (AH 1314) | 7 | 2 | 7 |
| 1897/98 (AH 1315) | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| 1898/99 (AH 1316) | 8 | 1 | 8 |
| 1899/1900 (AH 1317) | 9 | 2 | 9 |
| 1900/01 (AH 1318) | 12 | 5 | 12 |
| 1901/02 (AH 1319) | 20 | 12 | 20 |
| 1902/03 (AH 1320) | 17 | 2 | 17 |
| 1903/04 (AH 1321) | 13 | 1 | 13 |
| 1904/05 (AH 1322) | 11 | 0 | 11 |
| 1905/06 (AH 1323) | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| 1906/07 (AH 1324) | 5 | 3 | 5 |
| 1907/08 (AH 1325) | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 1908/09 (AH 1326) | 2 | 1 | 2 |
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
| Place | Province | Officials | Annual entries | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Istanbul (Dersaadet) | Istanbul (Dersaadet) province | 36 | 139 | 1874 to 1909 |
| Galata | Istanbul (Dersaadet) province | 6 | 32 | 1878 to 1905 |
| Edirne | Edirne province | 3 | 18 | 1884 to 1903 |
| Sirkeci | Istanbul (Dersaadet) province | 3 | 6 | 1899 to 1905 |
| Izmir (İzmir) | Aydın province | 2 | 8 | 1879 to 1905 |
| Yeni camii postanesi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) province | 2 | 8 | 1884 to 1892 |
| Bursa | Hüdavendigâr province | 2 | 6 | 1900 to 1905 |
| Beşiktaş | Istanbul (Dersaadet) province | 1 | 8 | 1887 to 1895 |
| Thessaloniki (Selanik) | Thessaloniki (Selanik) province | 1 | 8 | 1882 to 1890 |
| Topkapı | Istanbul (Dersaadet) province | 1 | 3 | 1902 to 1905 |
| Aydın | Aydın province | 1 | 1 | 1906/07 |
| Ortaköy | Istanbul (Dersaadet) province | 1 | 1 | 1900/01 |
Ottoman officials recorded
50 officials, the one with most annual entries first. The first 25 are shown, the others are under them.
Show the other 25 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
- Sorting room (Tefrik Odası)
- 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)