Official
Mehmet Amil Bey
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Istanbul (Dersaadet) in 1856/57 (AH 1273). On record 1878 to 1904, 25 annual entries.
Archive reference 114_98; 191
Life#
Born in Istanbul in 1856/57 (AH 1273) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community, Mehmet Amil Bey was the child of a district governor or lieutenant colonel (kaymakam). Mehmet Amil had seven years of schooling, at a middle school (Rüşdiye Mektebi), and wrote Turkish and spoke Bosnian and Bulgarian. Few officials knew Bosnian; only 11 of the 5,211 officials did.
Work began in Preševo (Preşova) in 1878/79, at about 22, paid from the start, on 250 kuruş a month. The annual lists begin in 1878/79, with Mehmet Amil in the Asar 2. Kitabeti in Preševo. Next came six places in 13 years, from Peja (İpek) to Malatya, with a rise to registry clerk (Mukayyit) in 1880/81 and to communications official (Muhabere Memuru) in 1889/90, then Thessaloniki (Selanik) from 1893 to 1901. The last posts were in Eskişehir from 1901 to 1903 and Svilengrad (Cisr-i Mustafapaşa) in 1903/04. Ten places on two continents in all, a number reached by fewer than 4 per cent of the 5,200 officials with a place of service.
Pay rose from 250 kuruş a month in 1878/79 to a peak of 800 in 1889/90, as Muhabere Memuru in Gaziantep, when 78 per cent of paid officials earned less. In all, 25 years of salary come to 180,600 kuruş, 1.2 times what an official on the median salary earned in those years. 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 1856/57 (AH 1273)
First work 1878/79 (AH 1296); 1878/79 (AH 1296)
First work as Asar Kitabeti
250 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year
1880/81 (AH 1298)
No annual entry for 1879/80 (AH 1297) before it.
300 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year
1886 to 1889 (AH 1304 to 1306)
400 to 500 kuruş a month; entries in 3 years
1893 to 1901 (AH 1311 to 1318)
675 to 750 kuruş a month; entries in 8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1878/79 | 250 | 600 | 7% | |
| 1880/81 | 300 | 500 | 300 | 15% |
| 1881/82 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 31% |
| 1882/83 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 28% |
| 1883/84 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 27% |
| 1884/85 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 27% |
| 1885/86 | 600 | 500 | 400 | 58% |
| 1886/87 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 27% |
| 1887/88 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 41% |
| 1888/89 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 41% |
| 1889/90 | 800 | 500 | 400 | 78% |
| 1890/91 | 800 | 500 | 800 | 79% |
| 1891/92 | 800 | 500 | 800 | 79% |
| 1892/93 | 800 | 500 | 800 | 80% |
| 1893/94 | 750 | 500 | 600 | 76% |
| 1894/95 | 750 | 500 | 600 | 76% |
| 1895/96 | 750 | 500 | 675 | 76% |
| 1896/97 | 675 | 500 | 575 | 77% |
| 1897/98 | 675 | 500 | 600 | 77% |
| 1898/99 | 675 | 500 | 575 | 76% |
| 1899/1900 | 675 | 500 | 540 | 75% |
| 1900/01 | 675 | 500 | 600 | 74% |
| 1901/02 | 675 | 500 | 600 | 74% |
| 1902/03 | 700 | 500 | 600 | 75% |
| 1903/04 | 700 | 475 | 675 | 75% |
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 | Asar Kitabetifirst work | Preševo (Preşova) | 250first-salary field |
| 1878/79AH 1296 | Asar 2. Kitabeti | Preševo (Preşova) | 250 |
| No annual entry: 1879/80 (AH 1297) | |||
| 1880/81AH 1298 | Mukayyit | Peja (İpek) | 300 |
| 1881 to 1885AH 1299 to 1302 | Muhabere Memuru | Bihcova | 400 |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Muhabere Memuru | Skopje (Üsküp) | 600 |
| 1886 to 1889AH 1304 to 1306 | Pul Kitabeti | Yeni camii postanesi | 400 to 500 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Muhabere Memuru | Gaziantep (Antep) | 800 |
| 1890 to 1893AH 1308 to 1310 | 2. Müdür | Malatya | 800 |
| 1893 to 1901AH 1311 to 1318 | Seyyar Memur | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 750 to 675 |
| 1901 to 1903AH 1319 to 1320 | Seyyar Memur | Eskişehir | 675 to 700 |
| 1903/04AH 1321 | Seyyar Memur | Svilengrad (Cisr-i Mustafapaşa) | 700 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1856/57 (AH 1273)
- Birthplace
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- Kaymakam
Education
- Rüşdiye
- Rüşdiye Mektebi (7 years)rüşdiye school (middle school); place of the school as worded: Kocamustafapasa
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 0 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
- Bosnian
- Tekellumspeaking
- Bulgarian
- Tekellumspeaking
- 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
- Preševo (Preşova)
- First job as worded
- Asar Kitabeti
- Age at first work (workbook field)
- 23
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 250
- First-job salary of the original workbook (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 129 officials with entries in Thessaloniki (Selanik) in the same years, Mehmet Amil Bey had the 22nd highest salary.
- Esad Efendi8 shared years; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Salih Vasfi Bey8 shared years; highest salary 900 kuruş
- Berdos [Bedros] Efendi8 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Ömer Fevzi Efendi8 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Sadık Efendi8 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 176 officials with the title Seyyar Memur in the same years, Mehmet Amil Bey had the 25th highest salary.
- Mehmet İzzet Efendi11 shared years; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Osman Nuri Efendi11 shared years; highest salary 850 kuruş
- Ahmet Fazıl Bey11 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Ahmet Sami Efendi11 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Mehmet Sabri Efendi11 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
Same school
Of the 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi among their schools, 3,200 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Amil Bey had the 477th highest salary of them.
- Abdurrahman Rüştü Efendiborn 1856/57 (AH 1273); highest salary 760 kuruş
- Ahmet Bican Efendiborn 1856/57 (AH 1273); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Ahmet Efendiborn 1856/57 (AH 1273); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Ahmet Efendiborn 1856/57 (AH 1273); highest salary 200 kuruş
- Ahmet Hilmi Efendiborn 1856/57 (AH 1273); highest salary 400 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 1,999 officials born in Istanbul, 1,997 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Amil Bey had the 503rd highest salary of them.
- Abdurrahman Rüştü Efendiborn 1856/57 (AH 1273); highest salary 760 kuruş
- Ahmet Rifat Efendiborn 1856/57 (AH 1273); highest salary 400 kuruş
- Alfo Efendiborn 1856/57 (AH 1273); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Ali Beyborn 1856/57 (AH 1273); highest salary 1,400 kuruş
- Ali Nuri Efendiborn 1856/57 (AH 1273); highest salary 440 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 58 officials whose first annual entry is for 1878/79 (AH 1296), Mehmet Amil Bey had the 16th highest salary.
- Ahmet Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 500 kuruş
- Bedros Efendifirst entry in Edirne; highest salary 500 kuruş
- Beyovik Arif Efendifirst entry in Celebipazari; highest salary 1,400 kuruş
- Kazmir Efendifirst entry in Aleppo (Halep); highest salary 575 kuruş
- Mahmut Naci Efendifirst entry in Üsküdar; highest salary 780 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (25)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1878/79AH 1296 | Asar 2. Kitabeti | Preševo (Preşova) | 250 | Finance (Maliye) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 114_98; 191 |
| 1880/81AH 1298 | Mukayyit | Peja (İpek) | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_98; 191 |
| 1881/82AH 1299 | Muhabere Memuru | Bihcova | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_98; 191 |
| 1882/83AH 1300 | Muhabere Memuru | Bihcova | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_98; 191 |
| 1883/84AH 1301 | Muhabere Memuru | Bihcova | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_98; 191 |
| 1884/85AH 1302 | Muhabere Memuru | Bihcova | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_98; 191 |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Muhabere Memuru | Skopje (Üsküp) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_98; 191 |
| 1886/87AH 1304 | Pul Kitabeti | Yeni camii postanesi | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_98; 191 |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Pul Kitabeti | Yeni camii postanesi | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_98; 191 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Pul Kitabeti | Yeni camii postanesi | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_98; 191 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Muhabere Memuru | Gaziantep (Antep) | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_98; 191 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | 2. Müdür | Malatya | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_98; 191 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | 2. Müdür | Malatya | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_98; 191 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | 2. Müdür | Malatya | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_98; 191 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Seyyar Memur | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_98; 191 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Seyyar Memur | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_98; 191 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Seyyar Memur | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_98; 191 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Seyyar Memur | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 675 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_98; 191 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | Seyyar Memur | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 675 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_98; 191 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Seyyar Memur | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 675 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_98; 191 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | Seyyar Memur | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 675 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_98; 191 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | Seyyar Memur | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 675 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_98; 191 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | Seyyar Memur | Eskişehir | 675 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_98; 191 |
| 1902/03AH 1320 | Seyyar Memur | Eskişehir | 700 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_98; 191 |
| 1903/04AH 1321 | Seyyar Memur | Svilengrad (Cisr-i Mustafapaşa) | 700 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_98; 191 |
What the sources named in this table are
- Cross-ministry personnel workbook
- A personnel workbook with the annual entries in institutions other than the Post and Telegraph (justice, land registry, customs, police and others), with the same annual fields as the personnel workbook.
- 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 (25)
| Field | Recorded value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Name | Mehmet Amil Bey | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Linked personnel workbook |
| Birth year (AH) | 1273 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace | dersaadet used on this page | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birthplace | istanbul other value | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace: district (kaza) | istanbul | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace: sancak | istanbul | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace: province (vilayet) | istanbul | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Province of birth | dersaadet | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Father's occupation | Kaymakam | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Religion | Musluman | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Nationality or community | Turkish | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Schooling | ||
| School | Rusdiye Mektebi | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Place of the school | Kocamustafapasa | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Years of schooling | 7 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Years of apprenticeship (mülazemet) | 0 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work | ||
| First work: year (AH) | 1296 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Linked personnel workbook |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1879 | Recovered annual personnel extract |
| First work: place | Presova | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work: district (kaza) | Presova | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work: sancak | pristine | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work: province (vilayet) | kosova | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First job as worded | Asar Kitabeti | Linked personnel workbook; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Age at first work (workbook field) | 23 | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First salary field (kuruş a month) | 250 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First-job salary of the original workbook (kuruş a month) | 250 | Linked personnel workbook; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
What the sources named in this table are
- Cross-ministry personnel workbook
- A personnel workbook with the annual entries in institutions other than the Post and Telegraph (justice, land registry, customs, police and others), with the same annual fields as the personnel workbook.
- 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.
- Linked personnel workbook
- The original personnel workbook, from which selected fields on background and first work are taken.
- The sources give more than one value for a marked field. Every value is listed.
- Origin of the record: Post and Telegraph personnel records.
- 24 annual entries of 25 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 Amil Bey
- Travelling postal official (Seyyar Memur)
- Thessaloniki (Selanik)
- 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)