Official
Ahmet Muhtar Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Van in 1878/79 (AH 1296). On record 1896 to 1904, 8 annual entries.
Archive reference 121-94-183
Life#
Ahmet Muhtar Efendi was born in Van in 1878/79 (AH 1296) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community; the father was a policeman (polis). Schooling took seven years, at a middle school (Rüşdiye Mektebi).
At about 13, in 1891/92, Ahmet Muhtar began work in Van, with five unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 250 kuruş. Few began so young; fewer than 6 per cent of the 5,128 officials whose age at first work is known started at 13 or younger. The annual lists begin in 1896/97, with Ahmet Muhtar as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru) in Van, the birthplace, where the entries run to 1900/01. The last posts were in Deir ez-Zor (Deyrizor) from 1901 to 1903 and Başkale in 1903/04.
The salary went from 250 kuruş a month in 1896/97 to 400 in 1901/02, the peak, as Muhabere Memuru in Deir ez-Zor, when one in three paid officials earned less. Over eight years the salaries add up to 29,976 kuruş, 62 per cent of what an official on the median salary earned. The last annual entry is for 1903/04.
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 1878/79 (AH 1296); First work 1891/92 (AH 1309); 1896 to 1901 (AH 1314 to 1318)
250 to 262 kuruş a month; entries in 5 years
1901 to 1903 (AH 1319 to 1320)
400 kuruş a month; entries in 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1896/97 | 250 | 500 | 400 | 13% |
| 1897/98 | 262 | 500 | 400 | 17% |
| 1898/99 | 262 | 500 | 400 | 17% |
| 1899/1900 | 262 | 500 | 400 | 16% |
| 1900/01 | 262 | 500 | 400 | 17% |
| 1901/02 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 32% |
| 1902/03 | 400 | 500 | 380 | 33% |
| 1903/04 | 400 | 475 | 350 | 36% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1891/92AH 1309 | First work | Van | 250first-salary field |
| 1896 to 1901AH 1314 to 1318 | Muhabere Memuru | Van | 250 to 262 |
| 1901 to 1903AH 1319 to 1320 | Muhabere Memuru | Deir ez-Zor (Deyrizor) | 400 |
| 1903/04AH 1321 | Muhabere Memuru | Başkale | 400 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1878/79 (AH 1296)
- Birthplace
- Van
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- Polis
Education
- Rüşdiye
- Rüşdiye Mektebi (7 years)rüşdiye school (middle school)
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 5 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
- 1891/92 (AH 1309)
- Place
- Van
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 250
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 32 officials with entries in Van in the same years, Ahmet Muhtar Efendi had the 29th highest salary.
- Mahmut Nihat Efendi5 shared years; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Abdülkadir Ziya Efendi5 shared years; highest salary 900 kuruş
- Unnamed official (0086_0153: 301)5 shared years; highest salary 700 kuruş
- İbrahim Hakkı Efendi5 shared years; highest salary 600 kuruş
- Mehmet Ruşen Efendi5 shared years; highest salary 500 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 1,553 officials with the title Muhabere Memuru in the same years, Ahmet Muhtar Efendi had the 946th highest salary.
- Mehmet Hulusi Bey8 shared years; highest salary 2,600 kuruş
- Mustafa Fazıl Bey8 shared years; highest salary 1,700 kuruş
- Mehmet Sadullah Efendi8 shared years; highest salary 1,650 kuruş
- Mehmet Asım Efendi8 shared years; highest salary 1,550 kuruş
- Mehmet Hurşit Efendi8 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 Muhtar Efendi had the 1,725th highest salary of them.
- Abdülcabbar Efendiborn 1878/79 (AH 1296); highest salary 350 kuruş
- Abdülkadir Zihni Efendiborn 1878/79 (AH 1296); highest salary 300 kuruş
- Abdullah Vahdi Efendiborn 1878/79 (AH 1296); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Ahmed Refik Efendiborn 1878/79 (AH 1296); highest salary 350 kuruş
- Ahmet Celalettin Efendiborn 1878/79 (AH 1296); highest salary 700 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 35 officials born in Van, Ahmet Muhtar Efendi had the 18th highest salary.
- İbrahim Hakkı Efendiborn 1878/79 (AH 1296); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Mehmet Şükrü Efendiborn 1878/79 (AH 1296); highest salary 200 kuruş
- Mustafa Efendiborn 1878 (AH 1295); highest salary 250 kuruş
- Abdülmecid Efendiborn 1879/80 (AH 1297); highest salary 690 kuruş
- İbrahim Efendiborn 1877/78 (AH 1294); highest salary 400 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 164 officials whose first annual entry is for 1896/97 (AH 1314), 163 have a recorded salary; Ahmet Muhtar Efendi had the 84th highest salary of them.
- İbrahim Hakkı Efendifirst entry in Van; highest salary 600 kuruş
- Ahmet Celalettin Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 700 kuruş
- Ali Rıza Efendifirst entry in Galata; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Enis Efendifirst entry in Damascus (Şam); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Hasan Selahattin Efendifirst entry in Galata; highest salary 270 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (8)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Muhabere Memuru | Van | 250 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 121-94-183 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | Muhabere Memuru | Van | 262 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 121-94-183 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Muhabere Memuru | Van | 262 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 121-94-183 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | Muhabere Memuru | Van | 262 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 121-94-183 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | Muhabere Memuru | Van | 262 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 121-94-183 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | Muhabere Memuru | Deir ez-Zor (Deyrizor) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 121-94-183 |
| 1902/03AH 1320 | Muhabere Memuru | Deir ez-Zor (Deyrizor) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 121-94-183 |
| 1903/04AH 1321 | Muhabere Memuru | Başkale | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 121-94-183 |
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 Muhtar Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1296 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birthplace | van | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Province of birth | van | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Father's occupation | Polis | 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) | 5 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work | ||
| First work: year (AH) | 1309 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1892 | Recovered annual personnel extract |
| First work: place | Van | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First salary field (kuruş a month) | 250 | 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.
- 8 annual entries of 8 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 Muhtar Efendi
- Communications official (Muhabere Memuru)
- Van
- Rüşdiye school (Rüşdiye Mektebi)
- Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Deir ez-Zor (Deyrizor)
- 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)