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Ottoman BureaucracyPeople, places and careers in Ottoman public service

Official

Mehmet Refik Efendi

Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Istanbul (Dersaadet) in 1869/70 (AH 1286). On record 1892 to 1897, 5 annual entries. Death recorded 1897/98.

Archive reference 0065_0187; 371

Compare Mehmet Refik Efendi with other officials

Life

Mehmet Refik Efendi was born in Istanbul in 1869/70 (AH 1286), into the Muslim (Müslüman) community, and the father's occupation was "Mabeyn-i Humayun-i Hazret-i sahane tablakar". Schooling took seven years, at a middle school (Rüşdiye Mektebi); Mehmet Refik also held a qualification (a diploma, certificate, training or decoration).

At about 22, in 1891/92, Mehmet Refik began work in Istanbul, with one unpaid year as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 150 kuruş. Every annual entry from 1892/93 to 1896/97 places Mehmet Refik in the same post, communications official (Muhabere Memuru), in Mabeyni humayun.

The salary went from 150 kuruş a month in 1892/93 to 550 in 1896/97, the peak, as Muhabere Memuru in Mabeyni humayun, when 71 per cent of paid officials earned less. Over five years the salaries add up to 21,600 kuruş, 72 per cent of what an official on the median salary earned. The last annual entry is for 1896/97; the list of 1897/98 (AH 1315) 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.

All 2 stops
birthplaceplace of annual entriesmove, with the year of the first entry there
1892/9312IstanbulMabeyni humayun

  1. Istanbul (Dersaadet)

    Born 1869/70 (AH 1286); First work 1891/92 (AH 1309)

  2. Mabeyni humayun

    1892 to 1897 (AH 1310 to 1314)

    Muhabere Memuru

    150 to 550 kuruş a month; entries in 5 years

  3. Death recorded in the annual list of 1897/98 (AH 1315): the word Vefat, not a date of death.

Career and salary

Monthly salary by year, kuruşsalary of the yearyears with one job titleno annual entry
02004006001892/93AH 13101893/94AH 13111894/95AH 13121895/96AH 13131896/97AH 1314550 kuruşMuhabere Memuru
Salary against the medians of the same year
1002005001,0001892/93AH 13101893/94AH 13111894/95AH 13121895/96AH 13131896/97AH 1314This officialMedian, all officialsMedian, same title

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
Salary of Mehmet Refik Efendi against the medians of the same year, kuruş a month
YearSalaryMedian, all officialsMedian, same titlePaid less
1892/931505004007%
1893/9430050040017%
1894/9530050040017%
1895/9650050040047%
1896/9755050040071%

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.

Career of Mehmet Refik Efendi, one row per stage
YearsTitlePlaceSalary (kuruş a month)
1891/92AH 1309First workIstanbul (Dersaadet)150first-salary field
1892 to 1897AH 1310 to 1314Muhabere Memuru
5 entries
YearSalary
1892/93150
1893/94300
1894/95300
1895/96500
1896/97550
Mabeyni humayun150 to 550
1897/98AH 1315Death recorded

Record

Personal

Born
1869/70 (AH 1286)
Community
Muslim (Müslüman)
Nationality as recorded
Turkish
Father's occupation
Mabeyn-i Humayun-i Hazret-i sahane tablakar
Death recorded
1897/98 (AH 1315)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)
Unpaid years (mülazemet)
1 year
Preparation route (classification of the paper)
Middle
Qualification (diploma, certificate, training or nişan)
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
1891/92 (AH 1309)
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 13 officials with entries in Mabeyni humayun in the same years, Mehmet Refik Efendi had the lowest salary.

All 27 officials with entries in Mabeyni humayun

Same job title, same years

Of the 1,296 officials with the title Muhabere Memuru in the same years, Mehmet Refik Efendi had the 604th highest salary.

All 3,162 officials with the title Muhabere Memuru

Same school

Of the 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi among their schools, 3,200 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Refik Efendi had the 1,120th highest salary of them.

All 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi

Same birthplace

Of the 1,999 officials born in Istanbul, 1,997 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Refik Efendi had the 927th highest salary of them.

The page of Istanbul, with the 1,999 officials born there

First annual entry in the same year

Of the 189 officials whose first annual entry is for 1892/93 (AH 1310), Mehmet Refik Efendi had the 68th highest salary.

Full record

Annual entries (5)

Annual entries of Mehmet Refik Efendi
YearTitlePlaceKuruş a monthInstitutionSourceArchive reference
1892/93AH 1310Muhabere MemuruMabeyni humayun150Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract0065_0187; 371
1893/94AH 1311Muhabere MemuruMabeyni humayun300Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract0065_0187; 371
1894/95AH 1312Muhabere MemuruMabeyni humayun300Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract0065_0187; 371
1895/96AH 1313Muhabere MemuruMabeyni humayun500Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract0065_0187; 371
1896/97AH 1314Muhabere MemuruMabeyni humayun550Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract0065_0187; 371
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)

Recorded values of Mehmet Refik Efendi with their sources
FieldRecorded valueSource
Identity
NameMehmet Refik EfendiPersonnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Birth year (AH)1286Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
BirthplacedersaadetRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Province of birthdersaadetRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Father's occupationMabeyn-i Humayun-i Hazret-i sahane tablakarRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
ReligionMuslumanRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Nationality or communityTurkishRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Schooling
SchoolRusdiye MektebiRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Years of schooling7Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Years of apprenticeship (mülazemet)1Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
First work
First work: year (AH)1309Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
First work: Gregorian year as stored1892Recovered annual personnel extract
First work: placeistanbulRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
First salary field (kuruş a month)150Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Status
Death recorded under the year (AH)1315Earlier 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.
  • 5 annual entries of 5 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