Official
Mehmet Arif Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Edremit in 1860/61 (AH 1277). On record 1887 to 1906, 16 annual entries.
Archive reference 105_124_245
Life#
Mehmet Arif Efendi was born in Edremit in 1860/61 (AH 1277) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community. Schooling took seven years, at a middle school (Rüşdiye Mektebi).
Mehmet Arif began work in 1880/81, at about 20, paid from the start, on 350 kuruş a month. The annual lists begin in 1887/88, with Mehmet Arif as an official (Memur) in Thessaloniki (Selanik), where the entries run to 1896/97. Next came Istanbul, Thessaloniki, Ödemiş and Skopje (Üsküp), four places in seven years. The last post was in Istanbul again in 1905/06.
The salary went from 350 kuruş a month in 1887/88 to 750 in 1898/99, the peak, as a travelling postal official (Seyyar Memur) in Istanbul, when 84 per cent of paid officials earned less. That salary was paid for a single year, and the next list gives 600 kuruş. The last annual entry is for 1905/06.
Places in order of time#
Each number is a stop: the birthplace, the place of first work, then every place of the annual entries in turn. The year beside an arrow is the first entry at the new place.
Born 1860/61 (AH 1277)
1887 to 1897 (AH 1305 to 1314)
Memur 1887 to 1895 (AH 1305 to 1312); Seyyar Memur 1896/97 (AH 1314)
300 to 350 kuruş a month; entries in 9 years
No annual entry for 1895/96 (AH 1313).
1898/99 (AH 1316)
No annual entry for 1897/98 (AH 1315) before it.
750 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year
1900/01 (AH 1318)
No annual entry for 1899/1900 (AH 1317) before it.
600 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year
Career and salary#
Log scale: equal steps are equal ratios. The median of the same title is drawn for the years in which at least 5 officials with that title had a salary.
The numbers of the chart
| Year | Salary | Median, all officials | Median, same title | Paid less |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1887/88 | 350 | 500 | 300 | 17% |
| 1888/89 | 350 | 500 | 375 | 18% |
| 1889/90 | 350 | 500 | 300 | 20% |
| 1890/91 | 350 | 500 | 285 | 21% |
| 1891/92 | 350 | 500 | 200 | 22% |
| 1892/93 | 350 | 500 | 200 | 22% |
| 1893/94 | 350 | 500 | 225 | 23% |
| 1894/95 | 350 | 500 | 268.5 | 24% |
| 1896/97 | 300 | 500 | 575 | 18% |
| 1898/99 | 750 | 500 | 575 | 84% |
| 1900/01 | 600 | 500 | 600 | 67% |
| 1901/02 | 500 | 500 | 600 | 49% |
| 1902/03 | 700 | 500 | 600 | 75% |
| 1903/04 | 700 | 475 | 675 | 75% |
| 1904/05 | 700 | 450 | 600 | 75% |
| 1905/06 | 700 | 475 | 540 | 73% |
Paid less: the share of the other officials with a salary that year who earned less.
Point at a year for its salary, title, place and the median of all officials paid that year. Choose a row of the table to mark its years in the charts and its stop on the map.
| Years | Title | Place | Salary (kuruş a month) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880/81AH 1298 | First work | 350first-salary field | |
| 1887 to 1895AH 1305 to 1312 | Memur | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 350 |
| No annual entry: 1895/96 (AH 1313) | |||
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Seyyar Memur | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 300 |
| No annual entry: 1897/98 (AH 1315) | |||
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Seyyar Memur | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 750 |
| No annual entry: 1899/1900 (AH 1317) | |||
| 1900/01AH 1318 | Seyyar Memur | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 600 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | Seyyar Memur | Ödemiş | 500 |
| 1902 to 1905AH 1320 to 1322 | Seyyar Memur | Skopje (Üsküp) | 700 |
| 1905/06AH 1323 | Seyyar Memur | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 700 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1860/61 (AH 1277)
- Birthplace
- Edremit
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
Education
- Rüşdiye
- Rüşdiye Mektebi (7 years)rüşdiye school (middle school)
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 0 years
- Preparation route (classification of the paper)
- Low
- Qualification (diploma, certificate, training or nişan)
- No
The years count all schooling up to that school, as the record gives them.
Languages
- Turkish
- Kitabetwriting
The glosses are cautious historical readings of the recorded words, not modern levels of proficiency.
First work
- Year
- 1880/81 (AH 1298)
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 350
Recorded with#
Officials who share a place, a job title, a school, a birthplace or the year of the first annual entry. Ranks compare the highest monthly salary of each official.
Same place, same years
Of the 158 officials with entries in Thessaloniki (Selanik) in the same years, Mehmet Arif Efendi had the 55th highest salary.
- Esad Efendi10 shared years; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Salih Vasfi Bey10 shared years; highest salary 900 kuruş
- Berdos [Bedros] Efendi10 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Sadık Efendi10 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Unnamed official (23_48; 93)10 shared years; highest salary 780 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 100 officials with the title Memur in the same years, Mehmet Arif Efendi had the 25th highest salary.
- Mehmet Ali Bey8 shared years; highest salary 2,200 kuruş
- Mehmet Arif Efendi8 shared years; highest salary 900 kuruş
- Hasan Sıtkı Efendi8 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Mehmet Safvet Efendi8 shared years; highest salary 650 kuruş
- Bagdik Maksut Efendi8 shared years; highest salary 550 kuruş
Same school
Of the 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi among their schools, 3,200 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Arif Efendi had the 634th highest salary of them.
- Abbas Efendiborn 1860/61 (AH 1277); highest salary 810 kuruş
- Abdulkerim Efendiborn 1860/61 (AH 1277); highest salary 900 kuruş
- Abdullah Kemali Efendiborn 1860/61 (AH 1277); highest salary 700 kuruş
- Abdullah Sevki Efendiborn 1860/61 (AH 1277); highest salary 640 kuruş
- Ahmet Bican Efendiborn 1860/61 (AH 1277); highest salary 450 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 6 officials born in Edremit, Mehmet Arif Efendi had the highest salary.
- Muhittin Rumi Efendiborn 1859/60 (AH 1276); highest salary 650 kuruş
- Ömer Rasim Efendiborn 1874/75 (AH 1291); highest salary 425 kuruş
- Ahmet Şerif Efendiborn 1881/82 (AH 1299); highest salary 400 kuruş
- Ali İsmail Efendiborn 1885/86 (AH 1303); highest salary 400 kuruş
- Mehmet Emin Efendiborn 1887/88 (AH 1305); highest salary 150 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 89 officials whose first annual entry is for 1887/88 (AH 1305), Mehmet Arif Efendi had the 20th highest salary.
- Mehmet Galip Efendifirst entry in Thessaloniki (Selanik); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Mehmet Cemalettin Efendifirst entry in Thessaloniki (Selanik); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Eşref Efendifirst entry in Thessaloniki (Selanik); highest salary 400 kuruş
- Hafız Ahmet Vefik Efendifirst entry in Thessaloniki (Selanik); highest salary 340 kuruş
- Agop Efendifirst entry in Thessaloniki (Selanik); highest salary 380 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (16)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Memur | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 350 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 105_124_245 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Memur | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 350 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 105_124_245 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Memur | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 350 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 105_124_245 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Memur | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 350 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 105_124_245 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Memur | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 350 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 105_124_245 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Memur | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 350 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 105_124_245 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Memur | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 350 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 105_124_245 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Memur | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 350 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 105_124_245 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Seyyar Memur | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 105_124_245 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Seyyar Memur | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 105_124_245 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | Seyyar Memur | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 105_124_245 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | Seyyar Memur | Ödemiş | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 105_124_245 |
| 1902/03AH 1320 | Seyyar Memur | Skopje (Üsküp) | 700 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 105_124_245 |
| 1903/04AH 1321 | Seyyar Memur | Skopje (Üsküp) | 700 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 105_124_245 |
| 1904/05AH 1322 | Seyyar Memur | Skopje (Üsküp) | 700 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 105_124_245 |
| 1905/06AH 1323 | Seyyar Memur | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 700 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 105_124_245 |
What the sources named in this table are
- Recovered annual personnel extract
- The merged annual personnel file recovered for the replication of the first paper. Annual entries are taken from it for every official it holds.
Sources and original values (12)
| Field | Recorded value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Name | Mehmet Arif Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1277 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birthplace | edremid | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Province of birth | hudavendigar | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Religion | Musluman | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Nationality or community | Turkish | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Schooling | ||
| School | Rusdiye Mektebi | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Years of schooling | 7 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Years of apprenticeship (mülazemet) | 0 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work | ||
| First work: year (AH) | 1298 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1881 | Recovered annual personnel extract |
| First salary field (kuruş a month) | 350 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
What the sources named in this table are
- Earlier annual personnel extract
- The detailed annual personnel file of October 2024. An official found only in this file keeps the years, titles and salaries it gives.
- Recovered annual personnel extract
- The merged annual personnel file recovered for the replication of the first paper. Annual entries are taken from it for every official it holds.
- Personnel attributes extract
- The detailed personnel file of September 2025, read for personal details such as birth, schooling and first work.
- Origin of the record: Post and Telegraph personnel records.
- 16 annual entries of 16 belong to the saved estimation sample of the paper.
How to read this record: calendar years, years without an annual entry, salaries and sources.
Subjects
- Mehmet Arif Efendi
- Official (Memur)
- Thessaloniki (Selanik)
- Edremit
- Rüşdiye school (Rüşdiye Mektebi)
- Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Biography of an Ottoman official (Osmanlı memurunun biyografisi)
- Career and pay (memuriyet ve maaş)
- Ottoman history (Osmanlı tarihi)
- Ottoman bureaucracy (Osmanlı bürokrasisi)
- Ottoman officials (Osmanlı'da memurlar)
- Ottoman personnel registers (Sicill-i Ahvâl defterleri)
- Ottoman registers (Osmanlı defterleri)