Official
Mehmet Saim Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Istanbul (Dersaadet) in 1864/65 (AH 1281). On record 1882 to 1904, 22 annual entries.
Archive reference 0062_0036; 69
Life#
Mehmet Saim Efendi was born in Istanbul in 1864/65 (AH 1281) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community. Schooling took seven years, at a middle school (Rüşdiye Mektebi).
Mehmet Saim began work in Istanbul in 1878/79, at about 15, with four unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 285 kuruş. The first annual entry, for 1882/83, places Mehmet Saim in Damascus (Şam) as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru). Next came Havran, Bursa, Kıyıköy (Midye) and Kandıra, four places in eight years, then Şile from 1891 to 1900. Mehmet Saim then moved to Eşme in 1900/01, as a director of the third grade (3. Müdür). The last posts were in Sirkeci from 1901 to 1904. Few officials served in as many provinces; fewer than 7 per cent of the 5,200 officials with a place of service did.
Pay rose from 285 kuruş a month in 1882/83 to a peak of 662 in 1903/04, as Muhabere Memuru in Sirkeci, when three in four paid officials earned less. Over 22 years the salaries add up to 137,052 kuruş, about what an official on the median salary earned. The final 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 1864/65 (AH 1281); First work 1878/79 (AH 1296)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1882/83 | 285 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 8% |
| 1883/84 | 285 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 9% |
| 1884/85 | 380 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 18% |
| 1885/86 | 475 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 39% |
| 1886/87 | 475 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 39% |
| 1887/88 | 475 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 38% |
| 1888/89 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 41% |
| 1889/90 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 520 | 42% |
| 1890/91 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 43% |
| 1891/92 | 600 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 59% |
| 1892/93 | 600 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 59% |
| 1893/94 | 600 | 500 | 400 | 480 | 60% |
| 1894/95 | 600 | 500 | 400 | 450 | 60% |
| 1895/96 | 600 | 500 | 400 | 440 | 59% |
| 1896/97 | 540 | 500 | 400 | 425 | 61% |
| 1897/98 | 540 | 500 | 400 | 425 | 61% |
| 1898/99 | 540 | 500 | 400 | 440 | 61% |
| 1899/1900 | 540 | 500 | 400 | 450 | 60% |
| 1900/01 | 600 | 500 | 540 | 500 | 67% |
| 1901/02 | 562 | 500 | 400 | 440 | 66% |
| 1902/03 | 562 | 500 | 380 | 450 | 66% |
| 1903/04 | 662 | 475 | 350 | 450 | 74% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1878/79AH 1296 | First work | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 285first-salary field |
| 1882/83AH 1300 | Muhabere Memuru | Damascus (Şam) | 285 |
| 1883/84AH 1301 | Muhabere Memuru | Havran | 285 |
| 1884/85AH 1302 | Muhabere Memuru | Bursa | 380 |
| 1885 to 1888AH 1303 to 1305 | Muhabere Memuru | Kıyıköy (Midye) | 475 |
| 1888 to 1891AH 1306 to 1308 | Muhabere Memuru | Kandıra | 500 |
| 1891 to 1900AH 1309 to 1317 | Muhabere Memuru | Şile | 600 to 540 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | 3. Müdür | Eşme | 600 |
| 1901 to 1904AH 1319 to 1321 | Muhabere Memuru | Sirkeci | 562 to 662 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1864/65 (AH 1281)
- Birthplace
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
Education
- Rüşdiye
- Rüşdiye Mektebi (7 years)rüşdiye school (middle school)
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 4 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
- 1878/79 (AH 1296)
- Place
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- 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 post (job title and place), same years
Of the 2 officials who held Muhabere Memuru in Şile in the same years, Mehmet Saim Efendi had the highest salary.
- Yusuf Ziya Efendi3 shared years; highest salary 278 kuruş
Same place, same years
Of the 4 officials with entries in Şile in the same years, Mehmet Saim Efendi had the 2nd highest salary.
- Yusuf Ziya Efendi3 shared years; highest salary 278 kuruş
- Hafız Ali Efendi1 shared year; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Mahmut Vehbi Efendi1 shared year; highest salary 200 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 2,252 officials with the title Muhabere Memuru in the same years, Mehmet Saim Efendi had the 653rd highest salary.
- Mehmet Hulusi Bey21 shared years; highest salary 2,600 kuruş
- Nikola Yunani Efendi21 shared years; highest salary 1,350 kuruş
- Şarl Laze Efendi21 shared years; highest salary 1,250 kuruş
- Hasan Ruhi Efendi21 shared years; highest salary 1,200 kuruş
- Mehmet Tahsin Efendi21 shared years; highest salary 1,100 kuruş
Same school
Of the 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi among their schools, 3,200 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Saim Efendi had the 807th highest salary of them.
- Abdullah Hamdi Efendiborn 1864/65 (AH 1281); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Abdurrahman Efendiborn 1864/65 (AH 1281); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Abdüssabur Sabri Efendiborn 1864/65 (AH 1281); highest salary 700 kuruş
- Ahmet Efendiborn 1864/65 (AH 1281); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Ahmet Ferit Efendiborn 1864/65 (AH 1281); highest salary 800 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 1,999 officials born in Istanbul, 1,997 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Saim Efendi had the 754th highest salary of them.
- Ahmet Kadri Efendiborn 1864/65 (AH 1281); highest salary 540 kuruş
- Ahmet Servet Efendiborn 1864/65 (AH 1281); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Ali Abdi Efendiborn 1864/65 (AH 1281); highest salary 475 kuruş
- Ali Rıza Efendiborn 1864/65 (AH 1281); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Ali Rıza Efendiborn 1864/65 (AH 1281); highest salary 575 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 88 officials whose first annual entry is for 1882/83 (AH 1300), Mehmet Saim Efendi had the 36th highest salary.
- Ahmet Efendifirst entry in Beyoğlu; highest salary 500 kuruş
- Ahmet Ferit Efendifirst entry in Bandırma; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Artin Zeki Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 750 kuruş
- Besim Efendifirst entry in Haifa (Hayfa); highest salary 800 kuruş
- İbrahim Hakkı Efendifirst entry in Skopje (Üsküp); highest salary 400 kuruş
All 88 officials whose first annual entry is for 1882/83 (AH 1300)
Full record
Annual entries (22)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1882/83AH 1300 | Muhabere Memuru | Damascus (Şam) | 285 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0036; 69 |
| 1883/84AH 1301 | Muhabere Memuru | Havran | 285 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0036; 69 |
| 1884/85AH 1302 | Muhabere Memuru | Bursa | 380 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0036; 69 |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Muhabere Memuru | Kıyıköy (Midye) | 475 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0036; 69 |
| 1886/87AH 1304 | Muhabere Memuru | Kıyıköy (Midye) | 475 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0036; 69 |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Muhabere Memuru | Kıyıköy (Midye) | 475 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0036; 69 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Muhabere Memuru | Kandıra | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0036; 69 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Muhabere Memuru | Kandıra | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0036; 69 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Muhabere Memuru | Kandıra | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0036; 69 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Muhabere Memuru | Şile | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0036; 69 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Muhabere Memuru | Şile | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0036; 69 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Muhabere Memuru | Şile | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0036; 69 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Muhabere Memuru | Şile | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0036; 69 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Muhabere Memuru | Şile | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0036; 69 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Muhabere Memuru | Şile | 540 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0036; 69 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | Muhabere Memuru | Şile | 540 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0036; 69 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Muhabere Memuru | Şile | 540 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0036; 69 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | Muhabere Memuru | Şile | 540 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0036; 69 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | 3. Müdür | Eşme | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0036; 69 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | Muhabere Memuru | Sirkeci | 562 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0036; 69 |
| 1902/03AH 1320 | Muhabere Memuru | Sirkeci | 562 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0036; 69 |
| 1903/04AH 1321 | Muhabere Memuru | Sirkeci | 662 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0036; 69 |
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 Saim Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1281 | 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 |
| 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) | 4 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work | ||
| First work: year (AH) | 1296 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1879 | Recovered annual personnel extract |
| First work: place | istanbul | 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.
- 22 annual entries of 22 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 Saim Efendi
- Communications official (Muhabere Memuru)
- Şile
- 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)