Official
Mehmet Tevfik Mazhar Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Istanbul (Dersaadet) in 1853/54 (AH 1270). On record 1869 to 1890, 22 annual entries. Death recorded 1890/91.
Archive reference 8_55; 105
Life#
Mehmet Tevfik Mazhar Efendi was born in Istanbul in 1853/54 (AH 1270), into the Muslim (Müslüman) community, and the father's occupation was "Tercume Kalemi Memuru". Schooling took seven years, at a middle school (Rüşdiye Mektebi); Mehmet Tevfik Mazhar also attended the telegraph school.
Mehmet Tevfik Mazhar began work in Istanbul in 1868/69, at about 15, with one unpaid year as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 150 kuruş. The annual lists begin in 1869/70, with Mehmet Tevfik Mazhar as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru) in Üsküdar. Next came a return to Istanbul, the birthplace, from 1871 to 1878, then Mabeyni humayun in 1878/79. From 1879 to 1890 every annual entry places Mehmet Tevfik Mazhar again in Istanbul. Fewer than 10 per cent of the 1,586 officials whose entries span 20 years or more kept one title throughout.
Pay rose from 150 kuruş a month in 1869/70 to a peak of 1,100 in 1889/90, as Muhabere Memuru in Istanbul, when 88 per cent of paid officials earned less. After the last annual entry, for 1889/90, the list of 1890/91 (AH 1308) gives the status word Vefat (death).
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 1853/54 (AH 1270); First work 1868/69 (AH 1285)
1871 to 1878 (AH 1288 to 1295)
230 to 600 kuruş a month; entries in 8 years
1879 to 1890 (AH 1297 to 1307)
640 to 1,100 kuruş a month; entries in 11 years
Death recorded in the annual list of 1890/91 (AH 1308): the word Vefat, not a date of death.
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, and the median of the same province for the years in which at least 5 officials were paid in the province of the official's salary that year.
The numbers of the chart
| Year | Salary | Median, all officials | Median, same title | Median, same province | Paid less |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1869/70 | 150 | 600 | 400 | 520 | 3% |
| 1870/71 | 300 | 600 | 400 | 500 | 12% |
| 1871/72 | 230 | 550 | 400 | 500 | 7% |
| 1872/73 | 450 | 550 | 400 | 550 | 35% |
| 1873/74 | 450 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 35% |
| 1874/75 | 500 | 535 | 450 | 522.5 | 41% |
| 1875/76 | 500 | 530 | 400 | 550 | 41% |
| 1876/77 | 600 | 582.5 | 410 | 587.5 | 50% |
| 1877/78 | 600 | 560 | 410 | 600 | 50% |
| 1878 | 600 | 600 | 500 | 600 | 46% |
| 1878/79 | 800 | 600 | 420 | 600 | 66% |
| 1879/80 | 640 | 500 | 380 | 500 | 71% |
| 1880/81 | 640 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 70% |
| 1881/82 | 640 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 71% |
| 1882/83 | 640 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 70% |
| 1883/84 | 640 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 69% |
| 1884/85 | 640 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 69% |
| 1885/86 | 800 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 77% |
| 1886/87 | 800 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 77% |
| 1887/88 | 1,000 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 83% |
| 1888/89 | 1,050 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 87% |
| 1889/90 | 1,100 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 88% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1868/69AH 1285 | First work | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 150first-salary field |
| 1869 to 1871AH 1286 to 1287 | Muhabere Memuru | Üsküdar | 150 to 300 |
| 1871 to 1878AH 1288 to 1295 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 230 to 600 |
| 1878/79AH 1296 | Muhabere Memuru | Mabeyni humayun | 800 |
| 1879 to 1890AH 1297 to 1307 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 640 to 1,100 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Death recorded | ||
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1853/54 (AH 1270)
- Birthplace
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- Tercume Kalemi Memuru
- Death recorded
- 1890/91 (AH 1308)the year of the annual list with the word Vefat, not a date of death
Education
- Rüşdiye
- Rüşdiye Mektebi (7 years)rüşdiye school (middle school)
- Higher or professional
- Telgraf Mektebitelegraph school; recorded as a code
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 1 year
- 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
- 1868/69 (AH 1285)
- Place
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 150
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 post (job title and place), same years
Of the 148 officials who held Muhabere Memuru in Istanbul in the same years, Mehmet Tevfik Mazhar Efendi had the 39th highest salary.
- Tahir Efendi19 shared years; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Bahattin Efendi19 shared years; highest salary 1,300 kuruş
- Mehmet Mahcub Bey19 shared years; highest salary 1,100 kuruş
- Mustafa Cemal Efendi19 shared years; highest salary 900 kuruş
- Edvar Galyar Efendi19 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
Same place, same years
Of the 739 officials with entries in Istanbul in the same years, Mehmet Tevfik Mazhar Efendi had the 271st highest salary.
- Emil Efendi19 shared years; highest salary 9,000 kuruş
- Suleyman Resat Bey19 shared years; highest salary 7,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Hayri Bey19 shared years; highest salary 5,500 kuruş
- Melkok Efendi19 shared years; highest salary 5,000 kuruş
- Ohannes Abdullah Efendi19 shared years; highest salary 5,000 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 1,206 officials with the title Muhabere Memuru in the same years, Mehmet Tevfik Mazhar Efendi had the 189th highest salary.
- Tahir Efendi22 shared years; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Nikola Yunani Efendi22 shared years; highest salary 1,350 kuruş
- Mehmet Nazım Efendi22 shared years; highest salary 1,300 kuruş
- Şarl Laze Efendi22 shared years; highest salary 1,250 kuruş
- Tatar Ağası Zade Hafız Abdullah Efendi22 shared years; highest salary 1,100 kuruş
Same school
Of the 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi among their schools, 3,200 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Tevfik Mazhar Efendi had the 262nd highest salary of them.
- Abdülbaki Efendiborn 1853/54 (AH 1270); highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Ahmet Naim Efendiborn 1853/54 (AH 1270); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Ahmet Rüştü Efendiborn 1853/54 (AH 1270); highest salary 3,000 kuruş
- Ali Haydar Efendiborn 1853/54 (AH 1270); highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Feyzullah Zihni Efendiborn 1853/54 (AH 1270); highest salary 400 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 1,999 officials born in Istanbul, 1,997 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Tevfik Mazhar Efendi had the 325th highest salary of them.
- Agop Maryan Efendiborn 1853/54 (AH 1270); highest salary 750 kuruş
- Ahmet Canib Efendiborn 1853/54 (AH 1270); highest salary 590 kuruş
- Ahmet Naim Efendiborn 1853/54 (AH 1270); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Ali Haydar Efendiborn 1853/54 (AH 1270); highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Ali Riza Efendiborn 1853/54 (AH 1270); highest salary 600 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 116 officials whose first annual entry is for 1869/70 (AH 1286), Mehmet Tevfik Mazhar Efendi had the 32nd highest salary.
- Ahmet Refet Efendifirst entry in Üsküdar; highest salary 3,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Nazım Efendifirst entry in Üsküdar; highest salary 1,300 kuruş
- Ahmet Kemal Beyfirst entry in Üsküdar; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Ahmet Fehmi Efendifirst entry in Khanaqin (Hanikin); highest salary 1,200 kuruş
- Behor Badur Efendifirst entry in Niš (Niş); highest salary 600 kuruş
All 116 officials whose first annual entry is for 1869/70 (AH 1286)
Full record
Annual entries (22)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1869/70AH 1286 | Muhabere Memuru | Üsküdar | 150 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_55; 105 |
| 1870/71AH 1287 | Muhabere Memuru | Üsküdar | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_55; 105 |
| 1871/72AH 1288 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 230 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_55; 105 |
| 1872/73AH 1289 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 450 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_55; 105 |
| 1873/74AH 1290 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 450 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_55; 105 |
| 1874/75AH 1291 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_55; 105 |
| 1875/76AH 1292 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_55; 105 |
| 1876/77AH 1293 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_55; 105 |
| 1877/78AH 1294 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_55; 105 |
| 1878AH 1295 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_55; 105 |
| 1878/79AH 1296 | Muhabere Memuru | Mabeyni humayun | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_55; 105 |
| 1879/80AH 1297 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 640 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_55; 105 |
| 1880/81AH 1298 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 640 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_55; 105 |
| 1881/82AH 1299 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 640 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_55; 105 |
| 1882/83AH 1300 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 640 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_55; 105 |
| 1883/84AH 1301 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 640 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_55; 105 |
| 1884/85AH 1302 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 640 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_55; 105 |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_55; 105 |
| 1886/87AH 1304 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_55; 105 |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_55; 105 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,050 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_55; 105 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,100 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_55; 105 |
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 (16)
| Field | Recorded value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Name | Mehmet Tevfik Mazhar Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1270 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birthplace | dersaadet | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Province of birth | dersaadet | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Father's occupation | tercume kalemi memuru | 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 |
| Telegraph school (recorded code) | 1 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Years of apprenticeship (mülazemet) | 1 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work | ||
| First work: year (AH) | 1285 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1868 | Recovered annual personnel extract |
| First work: place | istanbul | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First salary field (kuruş a month) | 150 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Status | ||
| Death recorded under the year (AH) | 1308 | Earlier annual personnel extract (original copy); Earlier annual personnel extract (parallel copy) |
What the sources named in this table are
- Earlier annual personnel extract (original copy)
- A copy of the earlier annual personnel file, read for the title wording of each year. A death taken from it is the status word Vefat in the title field of one annual list: the year is the year of that list, not a date of death.
- Earlier annual personnel extract (parallel copy)
- A second copy of the earlier annual personnel file, read in the same way. A death taken from it is the status word Vefat in the title field of one annual list: the year is the year of that list, not a date of death. Two copies that agree are one piece of evidence, not two.
- 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.
- 21 annual entries of 22 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 Tevfik Mazhar Efendi
- Communications official (Muhabere Memuru)
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Rüşdiye school (Rüşdiye Mektebi)
- Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Üsküdar
- 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)