Official
Mehmet Tevfik Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Thessaloniki (Selanik) in 1856/57 (AH 1273). On record 1883 to 1902, 19 annual entries.
Archive reference 53_0166; 329
Life#
Mehmet Tevfik Efendi was born in Thessaloniki (Selanik) in 1856/57 (AH 1273) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community. Schooling took four years, at a school for young children (Sıbyan Mektebi).
Mehmet Tevfik began work in Serres (Siroz) in 1877/78, at about 20, with seven unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 285 kuruş. So long an unpaid start was rare; fewer than 6 per cent of the 5,142 officials with a known apprenticeship worked unpaid for seven years or longer. The first annual entry, for 1883/84, places Mehmet Tevfik in Drama as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru). Next came Serres and Gotse Delchev (Nevrekop) from 1885 to 1888, then a return to Thessaloniki, the birthplace, from 1888 to 1893. The annual lists then follow Mehmet Tevfik to Buyuk karaburun, Edirne and Evreşe from 1893 to 1900. The last posts were in Kosukavak from 1900 to 1902.
The salary went from 285 kuruş a month in 1883/84 to 540 in 1900/01, the peak, as a director of the third grade (3. Müdür) in Kosukavak, when 59 per cent of paid officials earned less. The final annual entry is for 1901/02.
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 1856/57 (AH 1273)
First work 1877/78 (AH 1294)
1886 to 1888 (AH 1304 to 1305)
400 kuruş a month; entries in 2 years
1888 to 1893 (AH 1306 to 1310)
500 kuruş a month; entries in 5 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.
The numbers of the chart
| Year | Salary | Median, all officials | Median, same title | Paid less |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1883/84 | 285 | 500 | 400 | 9% |
| 1884/85 | 285 | 500 | 400 | 9% |
| 1885/86 | 285 | 500 | 400 | 9% |
| 1886/87 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 27% |
| 1887/88 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 27% |
| 1888/89 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 41% |
| 1889/90 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 42% |
| 1890/91 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 43% |
| 1891/92 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 43% |
| 1892/93 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 44% |
| 1893/94 | 475 | 500 | 400 | 44% |
| 1894/95 | 475 | 500 | 400 | 44% |
| 1895/96 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 47% |
| 1896/97 | 500 | 500 | 540 | 49% |
| 1897/98 | 500 | 500 | 540 | 49% |
| 1898/99 | 500 | 500 | 540 | 48% |
| 1899/1900 | 500 | 500 | 540 | 47% |
| 1900/01 | 540 | 500 | 540 | 59% |
| 1901/02 | 540 | 500 | 540 | 60% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1877/78AH 1294 | First work | Serres (Siroz) | 285first-salary field |
| 1883 to 1885AH 1301 to 1302 | Muhabere Memuru | Drama | 285 |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Muhabere Memuru | Serres (Siroz) | 285 |
| 1886 to 1888AH 1304 to 1305 | Muhabere Memuru | Gotse Delchev (Nevrekop) | 400 |
| 1888 to 1893AH 1306 to 1310 | Muhabere Memuru | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 500 |
| 1893 to 1895AH 1311 to 1312 | Muhabere Memuru | Buyuk karaburun | 475 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Muhabere Memuru | Edirne | 500 |
| 1896 to 1900AH 1314 to 1317 | 3. Müdür | Evreşe | 500 |
| 1900 to 1902AH 1318 to 1319 | 3. Müdür | Kosukavak | 540 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1856/57 (AH 1273)
- Birthplace
- Thessaloniki (Selanik)
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
Education
- Primary
- Sıbyan Mektebi (4 years)school for young children (primary school)
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 7 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
- Turkish
- Kitabetwriting
The glosses are cautious historical readings of the recorded words, not modern levels of proficiency.
First work
- Year
- 1877/78 (AH 1294)
- Place
- Serres (Siroz)
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 285
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 92 officials with entries in Thessaloniki (Selanik) in the same years, Mehmet Tevfik Efendi had the 66th highest salary.
- Ali Rıza Efendi5 shared years; highest salary 3,000 kuruş
- Esad Efendi5 shared years; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Salih Vasfi Bey5 shared years; highest salary 900 kuruş
- Ali Rıza Bey5 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Berdos [Bedros] Efendi5 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 1,536 officials with the title Muhabere Memuru in the same years, Mehmet Tevfik Efendi had the 856th 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 746 officials with Sıbyan Mektebi among their schools, 745 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Tevfik Efendi had the 502nd highest salary of them.
- Ahmet Fazıl Efendiborn 1856/57 (AH 1273); highest salary 900 kuruş
- Ahmet Necip Efendiborn 1856/57 (AH 1273); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Ahmet Rifat Efendiborn 1856/57 (AH 1273); highest salary 400 kuruş
- Ali Beyborn 1856/57 (AH 1273); highest salary 1,400 kuruş
- Hüseyin Efendiborn 1856/57 (AH 1273); highest salary 1,200 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 65 officials born in Thessaloniki (Selanik), Mehmet Tevfik Efendi had the 32nd highest salary.
- İbrahim Sırrı Efendiborn 1856/57 (AH 1273); highest salary 750 kuruş
- Halil Arif Efendiborn 1855/56 (AH 1272); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Mustafa Nuri Efendiborn 1854/55 (AH 1271); highest salary 900 kuruş
- Mahmut Nedim Efendiborn 1858/59 (AH 1275); highest salary 750 kuruş
- Mehmet Nuri Efendiborn 1858/59 (AH 1275); highest salary 600 kuruş
The page of Thessaloniki (Selanik), with the 65 officials born there
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 80 officials whose first annual entry is for 1883/84 (AH 1301), Mehmet Tevfik Efendi had the 54th highest salary.
- İshak Beyfirst entry in Adapazarı; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Ahmet Hamdi Efendifirst entry in Ramadi; highest salary 730 kuruş
- Ali Ulvi Efendifirst entry in Karaman; highest salary 600 kuruş
- İsmail Hakkı Efendifirst entry in Manisa; highest salary 500 kuruş
- İbrahim Edhem Efendifirst entry in Pozantı; highest salary 800 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (19)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1883/84AH 1301 | Muhabere Memuru | Drama | 285 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 53_0166; 329 |
| 1884/85AH 1302 | Muhabere Memuru | Drama | 285 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 53_0166; 329 |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Muhabere Memuru | Serres (Siroz) | 285 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 53_0166; 329 |
| 1886/87AH 1304 | Muhabere Memuru | Gotse Delchev (Nevrekop) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 53_0166; 329 |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Muhabere Memuru | Gotse Delchev (Nevrekop) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 53_0166; 329 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Muhabere Memuru | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 53_0166; 329 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Muhabere Memuru | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 53_0166; 329 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Muhabere Memuru | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 53_0166; 329 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Muhabere Memuru | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 53_0166; 329 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Muhabere Memuru | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 53_0166; 329 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Muhabere Memuru | Buyuk karaburun | 475 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 53_0166; 329 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Muhabere Memuru | Buyuk karaburun | 475 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 53_0166; 329 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Muhabere Memuru | Edirne | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 53_0166; 329 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | 3. Müdür | Evreşe | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 53_0166; 329 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | 3. Müdür | Evreşe | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 53_0166; 329 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | 3. Müdür | Evreşe | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 53_0166; 329 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | 3. Müdür | Evreşe | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 53_0166; 329 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | 3. Müdür | Kosukavak | 540 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 53_0166; 329 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | 3. Müdür | Kosukavak | 540 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 53_0166; 329 |
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 (13)
| Field | Recorded value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Name | Mehmet Tevfik Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1273 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birthplace | selanik | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Province of birth | selanik | 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 | Sibyan 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 |
| Years of apprenticeship (mülazemet) | 7 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work | ||
| First work: year (AH) | 1294 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1877 | Recovered annual personnel extract |
| First work: place | Siroz | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First salary field (kuruş a month) | 285 | 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
- Mehmet Tevfik Efendi
- Communications official (Muhabere Memuru)
- Thessaloniki (Selanik)
- School for young children (Sıbyan Mektebi)
- Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Director of the third grade (3. Müdür)
- 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)