Official
Mehmet Kemal Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Istanbul (Dersaadet) in 1868/69 (AH 1285). On record 1885 to 1906, 20 annual entries.
Archive reference 0095_0037; 071
Life#
Born in Istanbul in 1868/69 (AH 1285), Mehmet Kemal Efendi came from the Muslim (Müslüman) community; the father was a soldier (asker). Schooling took seven years, at a middle school (Rüşdiye Mektebi).
Work began in Thessaloniki (Selanik) in 1883/84, at about 16, with two unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 285 kuruş. The first annual entry, for 1885/86, places Mehmet Kemal in Serres (Siroz) as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru). Mehmet Kemal then moved to eight places in 18 years, from Edirne to Enez (İnoz), with a rise to registered mail official (Taahhüt Memuru) in 1887/88. The last post was in İpsala in 1905/06. Ten places in all, a number reached by fewer than 4 per cent of the 5,200 officials with a place of service.
Pay rose from 285 kuruş a month in 1885/86 to a peak of 600 in 1894/95, as a director of the third grade (3. Müdür) in Tamras, when 60 per cent of paid officials earned less. In all, 20 years of salary come to 115,380 kuruş, about what an official on the median salary earned in those years. The last annual entry is for 1905/06.
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 1868/69 (AH 1285)
First work 1883/84 (AH 1301)
1887 to 1890 (AH 1305 to 1307)
Taahhüt Memuru 1887/88 (AH 1305); Muhabere Memuru 1888 to 1890 (AH 1306 to 1307)
380 kuruş a month; entries in 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1885/86 | 285 | 500 | 400 | 9% |
| 1886/87 | 285 | 500 | 400 | 9% |
| 1887/88 | 380 | 500 | 19% | |
| 1888/89 | 380 | 500 | 400 | 21% |
| 1889/90 | 380 | 500 | 400 | 21% |
| 1890/91 | 475 | 500 | 400 | 41% |
| 1891/92 | 475 | 500 | 400 | 42% |
| 1892/93 | 475 | 500 | 400 | 43% |
| 1894/95 | 600 | 500 | 600 | 60% |
| 1895/96 | 600 | 500 | 600 | 59% |
| 1896/97 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 49% |
| 1897/98 | 540 | 500 | 540 | 61% |
| 1898/99 | 500 | 500 | 520 | 48% |
| 1899/1900 | 500 | 500 | 540 | 47% |
| 1900/01 | 540 | 500 | 540 | 59% |
| 1901/02 | 540 | 500 | 540 | 60% |
| 1902/03 | 540 | 500 | 540 | 60% |
| 1903/04 | 540 | 475 | 540 | 61% |
| 1904/05 | 540 | 450 | 540 | 61% |
| 1905/06 | 540 | 475 | 540 | 62% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1883/84AH 1301 | First work | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 285first-salary field |
| 1885 to 1887AH 1303 to 1304 | Muhabere Memuru | Serres (Siroz) | 285 |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Taahhüt Memuru | Edirne | 380 |
| 1888 to 1890AH 1306 to 1307 | Muhabere Memuru | Edirne | 380 |
| 1890 to 1893AH 1308 to 1310 | Muhabere Memuru | Ardino (Eğridere) | 475 |
| No annual entry: 1893/94 (AH 1311) | |||
| 1894 to 1896AH 1312 to 1313 | 3. Müdür | Tamras | 600 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Muhabere Memuru | Svilengrad (Cisr-i Mustafapaşa) | 500 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | 3. Müdür | Kosukavak | 540 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Merkez Memuru | Edirne | 500 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | 3. Müdür | Malkoclar | 500 |
| 1900 to 1904AH 1318 to 1321 | 3. Müdür | Feres (Ferecik) | 540 |
| 1904/05AH 1322 | 3. Müdür | Enez (İnoz) | 540 |
| 1905/06AH 1323 | 3. Müdür | İpsala | 540 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1868/69 (AH 1285)
- Birthplace
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- Asker
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
- Turkish
- Kitabetwriting
The glosses are cautious historical readings of the recorded words, not modern levels of proficiency.
First work
- Year
- 1883/84 (AH 1301)
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 285
Legal records
- Legal record note as worded
- işret / vazife-i memuriyetine adem-i devamla serkeşane harekatta bulunarak muhaberat-ı mühimme-i telgrafiyeyi tehire düşürdüğü ve ol babda edilen tenbihat-ı mükerrereyi dahi ısga eyleyerek bazı İslam familyalarına harf-endazlık etmek ve fuhşiyata tahrik ve esbab-ı husulünü teshile çalışmak gibi fiillerinden dolayı taht-ı muhakemeye alınıp azil edilmiştir.; İşret
- Years (AH) with a criminal-record mark in the annual records
- 1312; 1313; 1314; 1315; 1316; 1317; 1318; 1319; 1320; 1321; 1322; 1323
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 62 officials with entries in Edirne in the same years, Mehmet Kemal Efendi had the 37th highest salary.
- Yusuf Efendi4 shared years; highest salary 2,500 kuruş
- Mehmet Tevfik Efendi4 shared years; highest salary 1,300 kuruş
- Osep Parladı Efendi4 shared years; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Nuri Efendi4 shared years; highest salary 900 kuruş
- Salih Hulusi Efendi4 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 583 officials with the title 3. Müdür in the same years, Mehmet Kemal Efendi had the 220th highest salary.
- İsmail Sabri Efendi10 shared years; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Osman Efendi10 shared years; highest salary 650 kuruş
- Mehmet Şevket Efendi10 shared years; highest salary 640 kuruş
- Ahmet Kâşif Efendi10 shared years; highest salary 600 kuruş
- Hacı Ali Efendi10 shared years; highest salary 600 kuruş
Same school
Of the 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi among their schools, 3,200 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Kemal Efendi had the 852nd highest salary of them.
- Ahmed Tevfik Efendiborn 1868/69 (AH 1285); highest salary 594 kuruş
- Ahmet Hamdi Efendiborn 1868/69 (AH 1285); highest salary 450 kuruş
- Ahmet Rifat Efendiborn 1868/69 (AH 1285); highest salary 540 kuruş
- Ahmet Sami Efendiborn 1868/69 (AH 1285); highest salary 200 kuruş
- Ahmet Sami Efendiborn 1868/69 (AH 1285); highest salary 800 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 1,999 officials born in Istanbul, 1,997 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Kemal Efendi had the 789th highest salary of them.
- Ahmet Sami Efendiborn 1868/69 (AH 1285); highest salary 200 kuruş
- Ali Ekrem Beyborn 1868/69 (AH 1285); highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Hafız Ahmet Hamdi Efendiborn 1868/69 (AH 1285); highest salary 200 kuruş
- Hafız Mahmut Nazif Efendiborn 1868/69 (AH 1285); highest salary 330 kuruş
- Hafız Yusuf Hüsamettin Efendiborn 1868/69 (AH 1285); highest salary 495 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 93 officials whose first annual entry is for 1885/86 (AH 1303), Mehmet Kemal Efendi had the 38th highest salary.
- Ahmed Tevfik Efendifirst entry in Serres (Siroz); highest salary 594 kuruş
- Hasan Şevket Efendifirst entry in Skopje (Üsküp); highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Hasan Tahsin Efendifirst entry in Thessaloniki (Selanik); highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Hasan Tahsin Efendifirst entry in Tarsus; highest salary 1,200 kuruş
- Mahmut Celalettin Beyfirst entry in Bursa; highest salary 750 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (20)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Muhabere Memuru | Serres (Siroz) | 285 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0095_0037; 071 |
| 1886/87AH 1304 | Muhabere Memuru | Serres (Siroz) | 285 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0095_0037; 071 |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Taahhüt Memuru | Edirne | 380 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0095_0037; 071 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Muhabere Memuru | Edirne | 380 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0095_0037; 071 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Muhabere Memuru | Edirne | 380 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0095_0037; 071 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Muhabere Memuru | Ardino (Eğridere) | 475 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0095_0037; 071 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Muhabere Memuru | Ardino (Eğridere) | 475 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0095_0037; 071 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Muhabere Memuru | Ardino (Eğridere) | 475 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0095_0037; 071 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | 3. Müdür | Tamras | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0095_0037; 071 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | 3. Müdür | Tamras | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0095_0037; 071 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Muhabere Memuru | Svilengrad (Cisr-i Mustafapaşa) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0095_0037; 071 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | 3. Müdür | Kosukavak | 540 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0095_0037; 071 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Merkez Memuru | Edirne | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0095_0037; 071 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | 3. Müdür | Malkoclar | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0095_0037; 071 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | 3. Müdür | Feres (Ferecik) | 540 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0095_0037; 071 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | 3. Müdür | Feres (Ferecik) | 540 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0095_0037; 071 |
| 1902/03AH 1320 | 3. Müdür | Feres (Ferecik) | 540 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0095_0037; 071 |
| 1903/04AH 1321 | 3. Müdür | Feres (Ferecik) | 540 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0095_0037; 071 |
| 1904/05AH 1322 | 3. Müdür | Enez (İnoz) | 540 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0095_0037; 071 |
| 1905/06AH 1323 | 3. Müdür | İpsala | 540 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0095_0037; 071 |
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 (17)
| Field | Recorded value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Name | Mehmet Kemal Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1285 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birthplace | dersaadet | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Province of birth | dersaadet | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Father's occupation | asker | 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) | 1301 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1884 | Recovered annual personnel extract |
| First work: place | Selanik | 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 |
| Legal records | ||
| Legal record note as worded | işret / vazife-i memuriyetine adem-i devamla serkeşane harekatta bulunarak muhaberat-ı mühimme-i telgrafiyeyi tehire düşürdüğü ve ol babda edilen tenbihat-ı mükerrereyi dahi ısga eyleyerek bazı İslam familyalarına harf-endazlık etmek ve fuhşiyata tahrik ve esbab-ı husulünü teshile çalışmak gibi fiillerinden dolayı taht-ı muhakemeye alınıp azil edilmiştir. used on this page | Legal notes (earlier workbook copy); Legal notes (later workbook copy) |
| Legal record note as worded | İşret other value | Legal notes (earlier workbook copy); Legal notes (later workbook copy) |
| Years (AH) with a criminal-record mark in the annual records | 1312; 1313; 1314; 1315; 1316; 1317; 1318; 1319; 1320; 1321; 1322; 1323 | Later annual personnel extract |
What the sources named in this table are
- Legal notes (earlier workbook copy)
- A workbook of notes on legal records. The wording is kept as written. It may hold an accusation or an acquittal, it is not the finding of a court, and its year is the year of the record, not the date of an event.
- Legal notes (later workbook copy)
- A later copy of the workbook of notes on legal records. The same wording in both copies is one note, not two.
- Later annual personnel extract
- The detailed annual personnel file of October 2025. It marks single annual entries with a criminal-record flag and holds status words such as Vefat. For a death, the year is the year of the annual list in which the status word stands.
- 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.
- The sources give more than one value for a marked field. Every value is listed.
- Origin of the record: Post and Telegraph personnel records.
- 20 annual entries of 20 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 Kemal Efendi
- Director of the third grade (3. Müdür)
- Edirne
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- 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)