Official
Mustafa Kafi Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Tokat in 1853/54 (AH 1270). On record 1874 to 1898, 21 annual entries. Death recorded 1898/99.
Archive reference 58_0223;443
Life#
Born in Tokat in 1853/54 (AH 1270) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community, Mustafa Kafi Efendi was the child of a tradesman (esnaf). Mustafa Kafi had four years of schooling, at a school for young children (Sıbyan Mektebi), and wrote Turkish and spoke Arabic.
Work began in Sulaymaniyah (Süleymaniye) in 1869/70, at about 16, with five unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 400 kuruş. The annual lists begin in 1874/75, with Mustafa Kafi as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru) in Kirkuk (Kerkük). Mustafa Kafi then moved to Sulaymaniyah from 1875 to 1877, then Altun Kupri (Altınköprü) from 1880 to 1888, with a rise to chief communications official (Başmuhabere Memuru). The annual lists then follow Mustafa Kafi to Rawanduz (Revanduz) from 1888 to 1891, with a rise to director of the second grade (2. Müdür) in 1888/89. The last posts were in Niksar from 1891 to 1898.
The salary went from 400 kuruş a month in 1874/75 to 760 in 1888/89, the peak, as 2. Müdür in Rawanduz, when three in four paid officials earned less. Over 21 years pay ended where it began, at 400 kuruş; fewer than 7 per cent of the 2,010 officials paid for 15 years or more ended as low. The last annual entry is for 1897/98; the list of 1898/99 (AH 1316) 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.
Born 1853/54 (AH 1270)
First work 1869/70 (AH 1286)
1875 to 1877 (AH 1292 to 1293)
380 to 400 kuruş a month; entries in 2 years
1880 to 1888 (AH 1298 to 1305)
No annual entry for 1877 to 1880 (AH 1294 to 1297) before it.
600 kuruş a month; entries in 8 years
Death recorded in the annual list of 1898/99 (AH 1316): the word Vefat, not a date of death.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1874/75 | 400 | 535 | 450 | 425 | 23% |
| 1875/76 | 380 | 530 | 400 | 400 | 18% |
| 1876/77 | 400 | 582.5 | 410 | 475 | 17% |
| 1880/81 | 600 | 500 | 570 | 475 | 60% |
| 1881/82 | 600 | 500 | 600 | 475 | 60% |
| 1882/83 | 600 | 500 | 600 | 475 | 59% |
| 1883/84 | 600 | 500 | 600 | 475 | 59% |
| 1884/85 | 600 | 500 | 600 | 522.5 | 59% |
| 1885/86 | 600 | 500 | 600 | 487.5 | 58% |
| 1886/87 | 600 | 500 | 600 | 500 | 59% |
| 1887/88 | 600 | 500 | 600 | 475 | 58% |
| 1888/89 | 760 | 500 | 800 | 475 | 75% |
| 1889/90 | 760 | 500 | 800 | 570 | 76% |
| 1890/91 | 760 | 500 | 800 | 570 | 77% |
| 1891/92 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 475 | 29% |
| 1892/93 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 29% |
| 1893/94 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 475 | 30% |
| 1894/95 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 400 | 30% |
| 1895/96 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 400 | 30% |
| 1896/97 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 400 | 32% |
| 1897/98 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 400 | 32% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1869/70AH 1286 | First work | Sulaymaniyah (Süleymaniye) | 400first-salary field |
| 1874/75AH 1291 | Muhabere Memuru | Kirkuk (Kerkük) | 400 |
| 1875 to 1877AH 1292 to 1293 | Muhabere Memuru | Sulaymaniyah (Süleymaniye) | 380 to 400 |
| No annual entry: 1877 to 1880 (AH 1294 to 1297) | |||
| 1880 to 1888AH 1298 to 1305 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Altun Kupri (Altınköprü) | 600 |
| 1888 to 1891AH 1306 to 1308 | 2. Müdür | Rawanduz (Revanduz) | 760 |
| 1891 to 1898AH 1309 to 1315 | Muhabere Memuru | Niksar | 400 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Death recorded | ||
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1853/54 (AH 1270)
- Birthplace
- Tokat
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- Esnaf
- Death recorded
- 1898/99 (AH 1316)the year of the annual list with the word Vefat, not a date of death
Education
- Primary
- Sıbyan Mektebi (4 years)school for young children (primary school)
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 5 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
- Arabic
- Tekellumspeaking
- Turkish
- Kitabetwriting
The glosses are cautious historical readings of the recorded words, not modern levels of proficiency.
First work
- Year
- 1869/70 (AH 1286)
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 400
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 2 officials with entries in Niksar in the same years, Mustafa Kafi Efendi had the lowest salary.
- Hafız Süleyman Şükrü Efendi3 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 1,702 officials with the title Muhabere Memuru in the same years, Mustafa Kafi Efendi had the 445th highest salary.
- Nikola Yunani Efendi10 shared years; highest salary 1,350 kuruş
- Mehmet Nazım Efendi10 shared years; highest salary 1,300 kuruş
- Şarl Laze Efendi10 shared years; highest salary 1,250 kuruş
- Hasan Ruhi Efendi10 shared years; highest salary 1,200 kuruş
- Cevri Baha Efendi10 shared years; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
Same school
Of the 746 officials with Sıbyan Mektebi among their schools, 745 have a recorded salary; Mustafa Kafi Efendi had the 325th highest salary of them.
- Abdullah Efendiborn 1853/54 (AH 1270); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Abdurarhim Rahmi Efendiborn 1853/54 (AH 1270); highest salary 900 kuruş
- Agop Maryan Efendiborn 1853/54 (AH 1270); highest salary 750 kuruş
- Ahmet Canib Efendiborn 1853/54 (AH 1270); highest salary 590 kuruş
- Ahmet Fehmi Efendiborn 1853/54 (AH 1270); highest salary 1,200 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 15 officials born in Tokat, Mustafa Kafi Efendi had the 5th highest salary.
- Ali Rıza Efendiborn 1852/53 (AH 1269); highest salary 3,150 kuruş
- Mehmet Efendiborn 1855/56 (AH 1272); highest salary 380 kuruş
- İbrahim Edhem Efendiborn 1850/51 (AH 1267); highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Ahmet Hamdi Efendiborn 1861/62 (AH 1278); highest salary 400 kuruş
- Murad Efendiborn 1861/62 (AH 1278); highest salary 540 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 55 officials whose first annual entry is for 1874/75 (AH 1291), Mustafa Kafi Efendi had the 25th highest salary.
- Feyzullah Zihni Efendifirst entry in Nova Zagora (Yeni Zağra); highest salary 400 kuruş
- Mahmut Refet Efendifirst entry in Burgas (Burgaz); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Mehmet Arif Beyfirst entry in Sadaret; highest salary 700 kuruş
- Mehmet Ata Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 1,050 kuruş
- Mehmet Hayri Efendifirst entry in Çankırı; highest salary 380 kuruş
All 55 officials whose first annual entry is for 1874/75 (AH 1291)
Full record
Annual entries (21)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1874/75AH 1291 | Muhabere Memuru | Kirkuk (Kerkük) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58_0223;443 |
| 1875/76AH 1292 | Muhabere Memuru | Sulaymaniyah (Süleymaniye) | 380 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58_0223;443 |
| 1876/77AH 1293 | Muhabere Memuru | Sulaymaniyah (Süleymaniye) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58_0223;443 |
| 1880/81AH 1298 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Altun Kupri (Altınköprü) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58_0223;443 |
| 1881/82AH 1299 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Altun Kupri (Altınköprü) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58_0223;443 |
| 1882/83AH 1300 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Altun Kupri (Altınköprü) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58_0223;443 |
| 1883/84AH 1301 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Altun Kupri (Altınköprü) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58_0223;443 |
| 1884/85AH 1302 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Altun Kupri (Altınköprü) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58_0223;443 |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Altun Kupri (Altınköprü) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58_0223;443 |
| 1886/87AH 1304 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Altun Kupri (Altınköprü) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58_0223;443 |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Altun Kupri (Altınköprü) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58_0223;443 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | 2. Müdür | Rawanduz (Revanduz) | 760 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58_0223;443 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | 2. Müdür | Rawanduz (Revanduz) | 760 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58_0223;443 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | 2. Müdür | Rawanduz (Revanduz) | 760 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58_0223;443 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Muhabere Memuru | Niksar | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58_0223;443 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Muhabere Memuru | Niksar | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58_0223;443 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Muhabere Memuru | Niksar | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58_0223;443 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Muhabere Memuru | Niksar | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58_0223;443 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Muhabere Memuru | Niksar | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58_0223;443 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Muhabere Memuru | Niksar | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58_0223;443 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | Muhabere Memuru | Niksar | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58_0223;443 |
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 | Mustafa Kafi Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1270 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birthplace | tokat | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Province of birth | sivas | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Father's occupation | Esnaf | 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) | 5 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work | ||
| First work: year (AH) | 1286 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1869 | Recovered annual personnel extract |
| First work: place | Suleymaniye | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First salary field (kuruş a month) | 400 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Status | ||
| Death recorded under the year (AH) | 1316 | Earlier 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.
- 21 annual entries of 21 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
- Mustafa Kafi Efendi
- Communications official (Muhabere Memuru)
- Altun Kupri (Altınköprü)
- Tokat
- School for young children (Sıbyan 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)