Official
Ahmet Tevfik Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Ayastefanos in 1866/67 (AH 1283). On record 1886 to 1905, 19 annual entries.
Archive reference 00049_0171; 335
Life#
Ahmet Tevfik Efendi was born in Ayastefanos in 1866/67 (AH 1283) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community; the father was a steward (kethüda). Schooling took seven years, at a middle school (Rüşdiye Mektebi). In all Ahmet Tevfik knew five languages, French, Italian and Turkish in writing and Armenian and Greek (Rum) in speech; fewer than 2 per cent of the 5,211 officials knew as many.
Work began in Istanbul in 1884/85, at about 18, with two unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 150 kuruş. The annual lists begin in 1886/87, with Ahmet Tevfik as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru) in Beyoğlu. Next came Büyükada and Heybeliada from 1888 to 1893, then a return to Büyükada from 1893 to 1898. The annual lists then follow Ahmet Tevfik to Istanbul in 1898/99. The last posts were in Yeni camii postanesi from 1899 to 1905, with a rise to official (Memur).
Pay rose from 150 kuruş a month in 1886/87 to a peak of 780 in 1904/05, as Memur in Yeni camii postanesi, when four in five paid officials earned less. The last annual entry is for 1904/05.
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 1866/67 (AH 1283)
First work 1884/85 (AH 1302)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1886/87 | 150 | 500 | 400 | 1% |
| 1887/88 | 150 | 500 | 400 | 2% |
| 1888/89 | 300 | 500 | 400 | 12% |
| 1889/90 | 300 | 500 | 400 | 14% |
| 1890/91 | 300 | 500 | 400 | 15% |
| 1891/92 | 300 | 500 | 400 | 16% |
| 1892/93 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 29% |
| 1893/94 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 30% |
| 1894/95 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 30% |
| 1895/96 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 30% |
| 1896/97 | 450 | 500 | 400 | 44% |
| 1897/98 | 450 | 500 | 400 | 45% |
| 1898/99 | 450 | 500 | 400 | 44% |
| 1899/1900 | 600 | 500 | 400 | 70% |
| 1900/01 | 600 | 500 | 400 | 67% |
| 1901/02 | 700 | 500 | 425 | 76% |
| 1902/03 | 700 | 500 | 400 | 75% |
| 1903/04 | 700 | 475 | 450 | 75% |
| 1904/05 | 780 | 450 | 450 | 80% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1884/85AH 1302 | First work | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 150first-salary field |
| 1886 to 1888AH 1304 to 1305 | Muhabere Memuru | Beyoğlu | 150 |
| 1888 to 1892AH 1306 to 1309 | Muhabere Memuru | Büyükada | 300 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Muhabere Memuru | Heybeliada | 400 |
| 1893 to 1898AH 1311 to 1315 | Muhabere Memuru | Büyükada | 400 to 450 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 450 |
| 1899 to 1905AH 1317 to 1322 | Memur | Yeni camii postanesi | 600 to 780 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1866/67 (AH 1283)
- Birthplace
- Ayastefanos
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- Kethuda
Education
- Rüşdiye
- Rüşdiye Mektebi (7 years)rüşdiye school (middle school)
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 2 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
- Armenian
- Tekellumspeaking
- French
- Kitabetwriting
- Italian
- Kitabetwriting
- Greek (Rum)
- Tekellumspeaking. Rum is the word of the records for Greek as spoken by the Orthodox Christians of the empire. It is kept apart from the column Greek, which the records also have
- Turkish
- Kitabetwriting
The glosses are cautious historical readings of the recorded words, not modern levels of proficiency.
First work
- Year
- 1884/85 (AH 1302)
- 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 place, same years
Of the 9 officials with entries in Büyükada in the same years, Ahmet Tevfik Efendi had the 3rd highest salary.
- Yusuf Mişon Efendi2 shared years; highest salary 1,280 kuruş
- Mehmet Sadık Efendi2 shared years; highest salary 750 kuruş
- Ahmet Refik Efendi2 shared years; highest salary 500 kuruş
- Yakozak Polanis Efendi2 shared years; highest salary 500 kuruş
- Nesim Salamon Efendi1 shared year; highest salary 800 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 1,685 officials with the title Muhabere Memuru in the same years, Ahmet Tevfik Efendi had the 396th highest salary.
- Mehmet Arif Efendi13 shared years; highest salary 3,600 kuruş
- Mehmet Hulusi Bey13 shared years; highest salary 2,600 kuruş
- Mehmet Tevfik Efendi13 shared years; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Mustafa Naili Efendi13 shared years; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Ömer Nuri Efendi13 shared years; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
Same school
Of the 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi among their schools, 3,200 have a recorded salary; Ahmet Tevfik Efendi had the 623rd highest salary of them.
- Abbas Efendiborn 1866/67 (AH 1283); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Abdülmuttalip Muhlis Efendiborn 1866/67 (AH 1283); highest salary 700 kuruş
- Abdurrahman Sezai Efendiborn 1866/67 (AH 1283); highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Ahmet Asaf Efendiborn 1866/67 (AH 1283); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Ahmet Kazım Efendiborn 1866/67 (AH 1283); highest salary 500 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 53 officials whose first annual entry is for 1886/87 (AH 1304), Ahmet Tevfik Efendi had the 21st highest salary.
- Ali Rıza Efendifirst entry in Beyoğlu; highest salary 1,700 kuruş
- Mahmut Beyfirst entry in Beyoğlu; highest salary 1,050 kuruş
- Mustafa Efendifirst entry in Beyoğlu; highest salary 500 kuruş
- Dikran Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 4,500 kuruş
- Haci Ahmet Salâhattin Efendifirst entry in Üsküdar; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (19)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1886/87AH 1304 | Muhabere Memuru | Beyoğlu | 150 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 00049_0171; 335 |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Muhabere Memuru | Beyoğlu | 150 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 00049_0171; 335 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Muhabere Memuru | Büyükada | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 00049_0171; 335 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Muhabere Memuru | Büyükada | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 00049_0171; 335 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Muhabere Memuru | Büyükada | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 00049_0171; 335 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Muhabere Memuru | Büyükada | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 00049_0171; 335 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Muhabere Memuru | Heybeliada | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 00049_0171; 335 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Muhabere Memuru | Büyükada | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 00049_0171; 335 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Muhabere Memuru | Büyükada | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 00049_0171; 335 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Muhabere Memuru | Büyükada | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 00049_0171; 335 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Muhabere Memuru | Büyükada | 450 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 00049_0171; 335 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | Muhabere Memuru | Büyükada | 450 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 00049_0171; 335 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 450 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 00049_0171; 335 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | Memur | Yeni camii postanesi | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 00049_0171; 335 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | Memur | Yeni camii postanesi | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 00049_0171; 335 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | Memur | Yeni camii postanesi | 700 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 00049_0171; 335 |
| 1902/03AH 1320 | Memur | Yeni camii postanesi | 700 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 00049_0171; 335 |
| 1903/04AH 1321 | Memur | Yeni camii postanesi | 700 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 00049_0171; 335 |
| 1904/05AH 1322 | Memur | Yeni camii postanesi | 780 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 00049_0171; 335 |
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 (14)
| Field | Recorded value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Name | Ahmet Tevfik Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1283 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birthplace | ayastefanos | 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 | kethuda | 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) | 2 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work | ||
| First work: year (AH) | 1302 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1885 | 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 |
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.
- 19 annual entries of 19 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
- Ahmet Tevfik Efendi
- Communications official (Muhabere Memuru)
- Büyükada
- Ayastefanos
- 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)