Job title
Tercume Odasi
Group of job titles: Correspondence and registry
Stored spellings: Tercume Odasi; tercume odasi
11 officials held the job title Tercume Odasi. Its 68 annual entries run from 1861 to 1909 (AH 1278 to 1326). The median of the 68 recorded monthly salaries is 700 kuruş, against 500 kuruş for the whole collection in the same years. The median entry paid 1.4 times the collection median of its year. On average an official was paid more than 68 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 5 different years, and a quarter in 7 or more. It was the first title on record for 45 per cent of the officials and the last for 45 per cent. No other title is recorded for 36 per cent of them. The entries name 7 places. The place with the largest number of officials is Beyoğlu, with 4.
- Officials
- 11
- Years on recordAH 1278 to 1326, 23 years with an entry
- 1861 to 1909
- Median monthly salary1.4× the collection median of the same years (500 kuruş)
- 700 kuruş
- Places with officials
- 7
- First job title on recordfor 5 of the 11 officials
- 45%
Profile of the group: Correspondence and registry
No source read describes Tercume Odasi by itself, so this is the profile of its group of job titles.
Offices that wrote, copied, registered and kept the papers of a department: correspondence offices (tahrirat), the offices of the corresponding secretary (mektubi), records offices (evrak) and registrars (mukayyit).
Hard skills
- official writing (kitabet, inşa) and fine handwriting, taught first in the offices and from 1839 in schools for officials
History
Before the reforms clerks were trained in the offices (kalem) themselves. Boys of twelve, or even seven or eight, attended an office and learned the forms of official writing from senior clerks; after three to five years without pay they became supernumeraries (mülazım) on a small salary.
Sources
- Akyıldız, Ali (2019). Mekteb-i Maârif-i Adliyye. TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, supplement vol. 2 (revised third printing), 236-238. Online copy (read 14 October 2026).Pages or part: 236. Used for: hard skills, history.
- Findley, Carter V. (1980). Bureaucratic Reform in the Ottoman Empire: The Sublime Porte, 1789-1922. Princeton: Princeton University Press.Pages or part: 78, 171-172, 199. Used for: summary.
- İpşirli, Mehmet (2001). Kalemiye. TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, vol. 24, 248-249. Online copy (read 14 October 2026).Pages or part: 248-249. Used for: hard skills, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1861/62 | 1 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 600 |
| 1886/87 | 1 | 750 | 750 | 750 | 750 | 500 |
| 1888/89 | 2 | 750 | 750 | 625 | 875 | 500 |
| 1889/90 | 3 | 1,000 | 1,066.67 | 750 | 1,350 | 500 |
| 1890/91 | 3 | 1,000 | 1,066.67 | 750 | 1,350 | 500 |
| 1891/92 | 3 | 1,000 | 1,066.67 | 750 | 1,350 | 500 |
| 1892/93 | 4 | 850 | 1,050 | 650 | 1,250 | 500 |
| 1893/94 | 4 | 850 | 1,050 | 650 | 1,250 | 500 |
| 1894/95 | 5 | 700 | 928 | 500 | 1,000 | 500 |
| 1895/96 | 5 | 700 | 993 | 525 | 1,000 | 500 |
| 1896/97 | 3 | 500 | 631.67 | 497.5 | 700 | 500 |
| 1897/98 | 3 | 500 | 648.33 | 497.5 | 725 | 500 |
| 1898/99 | 4 | 517.5 | 571.25 | 446.25 | 642.5 | 500 |
| 1899/1900 | 4 | 620 | 672.5 | 530 | 762.5 | 500 |
| 1900/01 | 5 | 700 | 694 | 700 | 700 | 500 |
| 1901/02 | 5 | 700 | 594 | 350 | 700 | 500 |
| 1902/03 | 5 | 700 | 594 | 350 | 700 | 500 |
| 1903/04 | 3 | 700 | 690 | 525 | 860 | 475 |
| 1904/05 | 1 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 450 |
| 1905/06 | 1 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 475 |
| 1906/07 | 1 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 450 |
| 1907/08 | 1 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 300 |
| 1908/09 | 1 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 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
11 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 (45%) 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 | 0 | 0% | 10% |
| 200 to 300 | 1 | 9% | 17% |
| 300 to 400 | 1 | 9% | 18% |
| 400 to 500 | 0 | 0% | 17% |
| 500 to 750 | 5 | 45% | 23% |
| 750 to 1,000 | 1 | 9% | 5% |
| 1,000 to 1,500 | 2 | 18% | 4% |
| 1,500 to 2,500 | 1 | 9% | 2% |
| 2,500 and more | 0 | 0% | 1% |
The median of the 68 recorded monthly salaries of this job is 700 kuruş. In the same years the whole collection paid a median of 500 kuruş. The median entry paid 1.4× 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 68% 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 | 4 | |
| Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 2 | |
| Damascus (Şam) | 1 | |
| Edirne | 1 | |
| Galata | 1 | |
| Rize | 1 | |
| Van | 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 Tercume Odasi. Pay: the change on moving from that title to Tercume Odasi. The 5 titles with most officials, of 6 moves in all.
Held just after
The title of the entries just after a run of Tercume Odasi. Pay: the change on moving from Tercume Odasi to that title. The 6 titles with most officials, of 6 moves in all.
Of the 12 moves shown, 2 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
- 5 yearsmedian over 11 officials
- A quarter of the officials
- 7 years or moreupper quartile
- Most years of one official
- 16 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
11 officials with it recorded.
Age at the first annual entry in the job
11 officials with it recorded.
Province of birth
10 officials with it recorded.
Schooling
10 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
11 officials with it recorded. An official can have several, so the shares add up to more than 100%.
Qualification
11 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1861/62 (AH 1278) | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1886/87 (AH 1304) | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1888/89 (AH 1306) | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 1889/90 (AH 1307) | 3 | 1 | 3 |
| 1890/91 (AH 1308) | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 1891/92 (AH 1309) | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 1892/93 (AH 1310) | 4 | 1 | 4 |
| 1893/94 (AH 1311) | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| 1894/95 (AH 1312) | 5 | 1 | 5 |
| 1895/96 (AH 1313) | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| 1896/97 (AH 1314) | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 1897/98 (AH 1315) | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 1898/99 (AH 1316) | 4 | 1 | 4 |
| 1899/1900 (AH 1317) | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| 1900/01 (AH 1318) | 5 | 1 | 5 |
| 1901/02 (AH 1319) | 5 | 1 | 5 |
| 1902/03 (AH 1320) | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| 1903/04 (AH 1321) | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 1904/05 (AH 1322) | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1905/06 (AH 1323) | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1906/07 (AH 1324) | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1907/08 (AH 1325) | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1908/09 (AH 1326) | 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
| Place | Province | Officials | Annual entries | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beyoğlu | Istanbul (Dersaadet) province | 4 | 40 | 1888 to 1909 |
| Istanbul (Dersaadet) | Istanbul (Dersaadet) province | 2 | 13 | 1889 to 1904 |
| Galata | Istanbul (Dersaadet) province | 1 | 7 | 1894 to 1901 |
| Rize | Trabzon province | 1 | 4 | 1892 to 1896 |
| Van | Van province | 1 | 2 | 1901 to 1903 |
| Damascus (Şam) | Syria (Suriye) province | 1 | 1 | 1861/62 |
| Edirne | Edirne province | 1 | 1 | 1886/87 |
Ottoman officials recorded
11 officials, the one with most annual entries first.
| Official | Years | Annual entries | Kuruş a month | Birthplace |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yosef Arya Efendi | 1888 to 1904 | 16 | 900 to 1,020 | Rumeli sarki |
| Mehmet Ferit Bey | 1888 to 1903 | 15 | 495 to 700 | Istanbul (Dersaadet) |
| Ahmet Avni Efendi | 1894 to 1901 | 7 | 440 to 700 | Istanbul (Dersaadet) |
| Ali Kaya Bey | 1889 to 1896 | 7 | 1,700 to 2,300 | Istanbul (Dersaadet) |
| Ali Mümtaz Bey | 1898 to 1904 | 6 | 300 to 700 | Istanbul (Dersaadet) |
| Arnold Karnım Efendi | 1904 to 1909 | 5 | 1,000 | Peste |
| Aziz Efendi | 1892 to 1896 | 4 | 700 | Volos (Golos) |
| Yervant Mariter Efendi | 1900 to 1904 | 4 | 350 | Istanbul (Dersaadet) |
| Mardiros Efendi | 1901 to 1903 | 2 | 200 | Van |
| Abdürrahim Efendi | 1861/62 | 1 | 500 | Sidon (Sayda) |
| Ahmet Faik Bey | 1886/87 | 1 | 750 | Plovdiv (Filibe) |
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
- Tercume Odasi
- 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)