Official
Karabet Efendi
Armenian Christian (Ermeni). Born in Edirne in 1843/44 (AH 1259). On record 1866 to 1896, 31 annual entries.
Archive reference 5_127; 251
Life#
Born in Edirne in 1843/44 (AH 1259) into the Armenian Christian (Ermeni) community, Karabet Efendi was the child of a merchant (tüccar). Schooling took four years, at an Armenian community school (Ermeni Millet Mektebi); Karabet also attended the telegraph school, and wrote Armenian, French and Turkish.
Work began in Istanbul in 1864/65, at about 21, with two unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 384 kuruş. From 1866/67 to 1895/96 every annual entry places Karabet in Istanbul, first in the accounts office (Muhasebe Kalemi), from 1884/85 as Muhasebe Kalemi Mukayyitligi. A career like this is rare; 11 per cent of the 775 officials whose entries span 30 years or more stayed in one place throughout.
The salary went from 384 kuruş a month in 1866/67 to 2,400 in 1893/94, the peak, as Muhasebe Kalemi Mukayyitligi in Istanbul, when 97 per cent of paid officials earned less. In all, 31 years of salary come to 488,664 kuruş, 2.5 times what an official on the median salary earned in those years, a level reached by fewer than 7 per cent of the 3,805 officials paid for five years or more. The last annual entry is for 1895/96.
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 1843/44 (AH 1259)
First work 1864/65 (AH 1281); 1866 to 1896 (AH 1283 to 1313)
Muhasebe Kalemi 1866 to 1884 (AH 1283 to 1301); Muhasebe Kalemi Mukayyitligi 1884 to 1896 (AH 1302 to 1313)
384 to 2,400 kuruş a month; entries in 31 years
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1866/67 | 384 | 600 | 392 | 500 | 17% |
| 1867/68 | 384 | 600 | 392 | 576 | 16% |
| 1868/69 | 384 | 600 | 450 | 500 | 16% |
| 1869/70 | 550 | 600 | 400 | 520 | 46% |
| 1870/71 | 600 | 600 | 475 | 500 | 49% |
| 1871/72 | 570 | 550 | 535 | 500 | 50% |
| 1872/73 | 650 | 550 | 632.5 | 550 | 59% |
| 1873/74 | 900 | 500 | 450 | 500 | 76% |
| 1874/75 | 1,050 | 535 | 340 | 522.5 | 84% |
| 1875/76 | 1,050 | 530 | 280 | 550 | 83% |
| 1876/77 | 1,250 | 582.5 | 400 | 587.5 | 86% |
| 1877/78 | 1,250 | 560 | 400 | 600 | 86% |
| 1878 | 1,250 | 600 | 400 | 600 | 85% |
| 1878/79 | 1,450 | 600 | 400 | 600 | 87% |
| 1879/80 | 1,200 | 500 | 380 | 500 | 87% |
| 1880/81 | 1,200 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 87% |
| 1881/82 | 1,200 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 86% |
| 1882/83 | 1,200 | 500 | 320 | 500 | 86% |
| 1883/84 | 1,200 | 500 | 320 | 500 | 86% |
| 1884/85 | 1,500 | 500 | 500 | 90% | |
| 1885/86 | 1,500 | 500 | 500 | 91% | |
| 1886/87 | 1,500 | 500 | 500 | 91% | |
| 1887/88 | 1,500 | 500 | 500 | 92% | |
| 1888/89 | 1,800 | 500 | 500 | 94% | |
| 1889/90 | 2,000 | 500 | 500 | 95% | |
| 1890/91 | 2,000 | 500 | 500 | 95% | |
| 1891/92 | 2,000 | 500 | 500 | 95% | |
| 1892/93 | 2,000 | 500 | 500 | 96% | |
| 1893/94 | 2,400 | 500 | 480 | 97% | |
| 1894/95 | 2,400 | 500 | 450 | 97% | |
| 1895/96 | 2,400 | 500 | 440 | 97% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1864/65AH 1281 | First work | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 384first-salary field |
| 1866 to 1884AH 1283 to 1301 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 384 to 1,200 |
| 1884 to 1896AH 1302 to 1313 | Muhasebe Kalemi Mukayyitligi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,500 to 2,400 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1843/44 (AH 1259)
- Birthplace
- Edirne
- Community
- Armenian Christian (Ermeni)
- Nationality as recorded
- Ermeni
- Father's occupation
- Tuccar
Education
- Community school
- Ermeni Millet Mektebi (4 years)Armenian community school
- Higher or professional
- Telgraf Mektebitelegraph school; recorded as a code
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 2 years
- Preparation route (classification of the paper)
- Low
- Qualification (diploma, certificate, training or nişan)
- NoShown as in the flag of the paper. The qualification column of the recovered extract gives yes.
The years count all schooling up to that school, as the record gives them.
Languages
- Armenian
- Kitabetwriting
- French
- Kitabetwriting
- Turkish
- Kitabetwriting
The glosses are cautious historical readings of the recorded words, not modern levels of proficiency.
First work
- Year
- 1864/65 (AH 1281)
- Place
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 384
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 68 officials who held Muhasebe Kalemi in Istanbul in the same years, Karabet Efendi had the 12th highest salary.
- Mehmet Nuri Efendi17 shared years; highest salary 400 kuruş
- Mehmet Celalettin Efendi14 shared years; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Dimitri Aleksandridi Efendi14 shared years; highest salary 1,200 kuruş
- Salih Tevfik Efendi12 shared years; highest salary 2,600 kuruş
- Unnamed official (0007_0147; 291)12 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
Same place, same years
Of the 1,086 officials with entries in Istanbul in the same years, Karabet Efendi had the 158th highest salary.
- Emil Efendi31 shared years; highest salary 9,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Hayri Bey31 shared years; highest salary 5,500 kuruş
- Melkok Efendi31 shared years; highest salary 5,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Salim Bey31 shared years; highest salary 3,000 kuruş
- Ali Kaya Bey31 shared years; highest salary 2,500 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 91 officials with the title Muhasebe Kalemi in the same years, Karabet Efendi had the 15th highest salary.
- Mehmet Nuri Efendi17 shared years; highest salary 400 kuruş
- Mehmet Celalettin Efendi14 shared years; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Dimitri Aleksandridi Efendi14 shared years; highest salary 1,200 kuruş
- Salih Tevfik Efendi12 shared years; highest salary 2,600 kuruş
- Unnamed official (0007_0147; 291)12 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
Same school
Of the 86 officials with Ermeni Millet Mektebi among their schools, Karabet Efendi had the 6th highest salary.
- Manuk Filcancıyan Efendiborn 1843/44 (AH 1259); highest salary 750 kuruş
- Mihr Tavikyan Efendiborn 1843/44 (AH 1259); highest salary 1,250 kuruş
- Mikail Efendiborn 1842/43 (AH 1258); highest salary 2,100 kuruş
- Bagdik Maksut Efendiborn 1844/45 (AH 1260); highest salary 550 kuruş
- Dikran Efendiborn 1844/45 (AH 1260); highest salary 1,400 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 66 officials born in Edirne, Karabet Efendi had the 2nd highest salary.
- Nuri Efendiborn 1841/42 (AH 1257); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Mehmet Emin Efendiborn 1845 (AH 1261); highest salary 250 kuruş
- Mehmet Rifat Efendiborn 1839/40 (AH 1255); highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Ahmed Muhtar Efendiborn 1846/47 (AH 1263); highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Nesim Efendiborn 1846/47 (AH 1263); highest salary 1,500 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 46 officials whose first annual entry is for 1866/67 (AH 1283), Karabet Efendi had the 6th highest salary.
- Abdüllatif Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 1,200 kuruş
- Mustafa Zihni Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 990 kuruş
- İstepan Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 960 kuruş
- Cemal Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Hacı Bekir Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 1,200 kuruş
All 46 officials whose first annual entry is for 1866/67 (AH 1283)
Full record
Annual entries (31)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1866/67AH 1283 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 384 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_127; 251 |
| 1867/68AH 1284 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 384 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_127; 251 |
| 1868/69AH 1285 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 384 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_127; 251 |
| 1869/70AH 1286 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 550 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_127; 251 |
| 1870/71AH 1287 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_127; 251 |
| 1871/72AH 1288 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 570 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_127; 251 |
| 1872/73AH 1289 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 650 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_127; 251 |
| 1873/74AH 1290 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 900 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_127; 251 |
| 1874/75AH 1291 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,050 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_127; 251 |
| 1875/76AH 1292 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,050 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_127; 251 |
| 1876/77AH 1293 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,250 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_127; 251 |
| 1877/78AH 1294 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,250 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_127; 251 |
| 1878AH 1295 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,250 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_127; 251 |
| 1878/79AH 1296 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,450 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_127; 251 |
| 1879/80AH 1297 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_127; 251 |
| 1880/81AH 1298 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_127; 251 |
| 1881/82AH 1299 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_127; 251 |
| 1882/83AH 1300 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_127; 251 |
| 1883/84AH 1301 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_127; 251 |
| 1884/85AH 1302 | Muhasebe Kalemi Mukayyitligi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_127; 251 |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Muhasebe Kalemi Mukayyitligi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_127; 251 |
| 1886/87AH 1304 | Muhasebe Kalemi Mukayyitligi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_127; 251 |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Muhasebe Kalemi Mukayyitligi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_127; 251 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Muhasebe Kalemi Mukayyitligi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_127; 251 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Muhasebe Kalemi Mukayyitligi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 2,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_127; 251 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Muhasebe Kalemi Mukayyitligi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 2,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_127; 251 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Muhasebe Kalemi Mukayyitligi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 2,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_127; 251 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Muhasebe Kalemi Mukayyitligi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 2,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_127; 251 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Muhasebe Kalemi Mukayyitligi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 2,400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_127; 251 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Muhasebe Kalemi Mukayyitligi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 2,400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_127; 251 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Muhasebe Kalemi Mukayyitligi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 2,400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_127; 251 |
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 (15)
| Field | Recorded value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Name | Karabet Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1259 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birthplace | edirne | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Province of birth | edirne | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Father's occupation | Tuccar | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Religion | Hristiyan | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Nationality or community | Ermeni | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Schooling | ||
| School | Ermeni Millet Mektebi | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Years of schooling | 4 | 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) | 2 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work | ||
| First work: year (AH) | 1281 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1864 | 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) | 384 | 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.
- 27 annual entries of 31 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
- Karabet Efendi
- Accounts office (Muhasebe Kalemi)
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Edirne
- Armenian community school (Ermeni Millet Mektebi)
- Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)
- Armenian Christian (Ermeni)
- 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)