Official
Ahmet Kemal Bey
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Ohrid (Ohri) in 1847/48 (AH 1264). On record 1869 to 1903, 35 annual entries.
Archive reference 8_84; 163
Life#
Born in Ohrid (Ohri) in 1847/48 (AH 1264) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community, Ahmet Kemal Bey was the child of an army major (binbaşı). Ahmet Kemal had nine years of schooling, at a preparatory secondary school (İdadi Mektebi).
Work began in Istanbul in 1864/65, at about 16, with five unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 150 kuruş. The annual lists begin in 1869/70, with Ahmet Kemal as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru) in Üsküdar. Ahmet Kemal then moved to four places in nine years, with a rise to director of the second grade (2. Müdür) in 1872/73. From 1879 to 1903 the annual entries place Ahmet Kemal again in Istanbul, first in the dispatch office (Sevk Kalemi), from 1889/90 in the control office (Kontrol Kalemi).
The salary went from 250 kuruş a month in 1869/70 to 1,000 in 1877/78, the peak, as an official of a telegraph or post office (Merkez Memuru) in Mostar, when four in five paid officials earned less. In all, 34 years of salary come to 311,400 kuruş, 1.5 times what an official on the median salary earned in those years. The last annual entry is for 1902/03. Ahmet Kemal probably has an entry in "II. Abdülhamid döneminde sicill-i ahvâl kayıtlarına göre Osmanlı Devleti'nde Ohri ..." by ÖMER ÖĞÜT (2026) (the name and the birthplace agree).
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 1847/48 (AH 1264)
1871 to 1873 (AH 1288 to 1289)
Muhabere Memuru 1871/72 (AH 1288); 2. Müdür 1872/73 (AH 1289)
350 to 850 kuruş a month; entries in 2 years
1879 to 1903 (AH 1297 to 1320)
Sevk Kalemi 1879 to 1889 (AH 1297 to 1306); Kontrol Kalemi 1889 to 1903 (AH 1307 to 1320)
700 to 800 kuruş a month; entries in 24 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1869/70 | 250 | 600 | 400 | 9% |
| 1870/71 | 300 | 600 | 400 | 12% |
| 1871/72 | 350 | 550 | 400 | 18% |
| 1872/73 | 850 | 550 | 850 | 73% |
| 1874/75 | 900 | 535 | 400 | 75% |
| 1875/76 | 900 | 530 | 350 | 75% |
| 1876/77 | 900 | 582.5 | 500 | 75% |
| 1877/78 | 1,000 | 560 | 550 | 79% |
| 1878 | 1,000 | 600 | 550 | 76% |
| 1878/79 | 1,000 | 600 | 600 | 77% |
| 1879/80 | 800 | 500 | 382.5 | 77% |
| 1880/81 | 800 | 500 | 380 | 76% |
| 1881/82 | 800 | 500 | 385 | 77% |
| 1882/83 | 800 | 500 | 437.5 | 76% |
| 1883/84 | 800 | 500 | 400 | 76% |
| 1884/85 | 800 | 500 | 400 | 76% |
| 1885/86 | 800 | 500 | 437.5 | 77% |
| 1886/87 | 800 | 500 | 475 | 77% |
| 1887/88 | 800 | 500 | 477.5 | 76% |
| 1888/89 | 800 | 500 | 500 | 77% |
| 1889/90 | 800 | 500 | 600 | 78% |
| 1890/91 | 800 | 500 | 600 | 79% |
| 1891/92 | 800 | 500 | 465 | 79% |
| 1892/93 | 800 | 500 | 430 | 80% |
| 1893/94 | 800 | 500 | 350 | 80% |
| 1894/95 | 800 | 500 | 250 | 81% |
| 1895/96 | 800 | 500 | 150 | 80% |
| 1896/97 | 700 | 500 | 250 | 80% |
| 1897/98 | 700 | 500 | 240 | 81% |
| 1898/99 | 700 | 500 | 240 | 80% |
| 1899/1900 | 700 | 500 | 300 | 77% |
| 1900/01 | 700 | 500 | 300 | 76% |
| 1901/02 | 700 | 500 | 425 | 76% |
| 1902/03 | 700 | 500 | 300 | 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1864/65AH 1281 | Enderunu Humayunfirst work | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 150first-salary field |
| 1869 to 1871AH 1286 to 1287 | Muhabere Memuru | Üsküdar | 250 to 300 |
| 1871/72AH 1288 | Muhabere Memuru | Mabeyni humayun | 350 |
| 1872/73AH 1289 | 2. Müdür | Mabeyni humayun | 850 |
| 1873/74AH 1290 | Üsküdar | ||
| 1874 to 1876AH 1291 to 1292 | Sevk Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 900 |
| 1876 to 1879AH 1293 to 1296 | Merkez Memuru | Mostar | 900 to 1,000 |
| 1879 to 1889AH 1297 to 1306 | Sevk Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 800 |
| 1889 to 1903AH 1307 to 1320 | Kontrol Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 800 to 700 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1847/48 (AH 1264)
- Birthplace
- Ohrid (Ohri)
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- Binbasi
Education
- Idadi
- İdadi Mektebi (9 years)idadi school (preparatory secondary school)
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 5 years
- Preparation route (classification of the paper)
- Other High
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
- 1864/65 (AH 1281)
- Place
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- First job as worded
- Enderunu Humayun
- Age at first work (workbook field)
- 17
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 150
- First-job salary of the original workbook (kuruş a month)
- 150
Named in scholarly works#
No link between a work and an official has been accepted. Each entry was found by fixed rules on the name and the recorded fields, and says what it rests on.
II. Abdülhamid döneminde sicill-i ahvâl kayıtlarına göre Osmanlı Devleti'nde Ohri doğumlu memurlar (ÖMER ÖĞÜT, 2026). Name as printed: AHMED KEMAL BEY. PDF pages 120 and 121.
Probable link: same name and birthplace
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 1,322 officials with entries in Istanbul in the same years, Ahmet Kemal Bey had the 361st highest salary.
- Salahattin Bey26 shared years; highest salary 7,800 kuruş
- Suleyman Resat Bey26 shared years; highest salary 7,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Hayri Bey26 shared years; highest salary 5,500 kuruş
- Melkok Efendi26 shared years; highest salary 5,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Salim Bey26 shared years; highest salary 3,000 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 64 officials with the title Kontrol Kalemi in the same years, Ahmet Kemal Bey had the 6th highest salary.
- Bekir Efendi14 shared years; highest salary 750 kuruş
- Mustafa Kâmil Bey13 shared years; highest salary 750 kuruş
- Hüseyin Adil Efendi13 shared years; highest salary 730 kuruş
- Zennub Kapamacıyan Efendi12 shared years; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Hafız İsmail Hakkı Efendi11 shared years; highest salary 630 kuruş
Same school
Of the 136 officials with İdadi Mektebi among their schools, Ahmet Kemal Bey had the 12th highest salary.
- Albert Karol Efendiborn 1848/49 (AH 1265); highest salary 9,028 kuruş
- Osman Nuri Beyborn 1849/50 (AH 1266); highest salary 3,150 kuruş
- Ali Rıza Efendiborn 1844/45 (AH 1260); highest salary 700 kuruş
- Mahmut Hilmi Efendiborn 1843/44 (AH 1259); highest salary 3,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Bahaettin Beyborn 1852/53 (AH 1269); highest salary 430 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 6 officials born in Ohrid (Ohri), Ahmet Kemal Bey had the highest salary.
- Mehmet Salih Efendiborn 1849/50 (AH 1266); highest salary 650 kuruş
- Selim Sabit Efendiborn 1863/64 (AH 1280); highest salary 285 kuruş
- Hasan Vasıf Efendiborn 1868/69 (AH 1285); highest salary 250 kuruş
- Ahmet Hamdi Efendiborn 1870/71 (AH 1287); highest salary 800 kuruş
- İBRAHİM HAKKI EFENDİborn 1880/81 (AH 1298); highest salary 350 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 116 officials whose first annual entry is for 1869/70 (AH 1286), Ahmet Kemal Bey had the 37th highest salary.
- Ahmet Refet Efendifirst entry in Üsküdar; highest salary 3,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Tevfik Mazhar Efendifirst entry in Üsküdar; highest salary 1,100 kuruş
- Mehmet Nazım Efendifirst entry in Üsküdar; highest salary 1,300 kuruş
- Abdullah Vehbi Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 500 kuruş
- Acemyan Dikran Efendifirst entry in Beyoğlu; highest salary 1,100 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (35)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1869/70AH 1286 | Muhabere Memuru | Üsküdar | 250 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_84; 163 |
| 1870/71AH 1287 | Muhabere Memuru | Üsküdar | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_84; 163 |
| 1871/72AH 1288 | Muhabere Memuru | Mabeyni humayun | 350 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_84; 163 |
| 1872/73AH 1289 | 2. Müdür | Mabeyni humayun | 850 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_84; 163 |
| 1873/74AH 1290 | Üsküdar | Other | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 8_84; 163 | ||
| 1874/75AH 1291 | Sevk Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 900 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_84; 163 |
| 1875/76AH 1292 | Sevk Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 900 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_84; 163 |
| 1876/77AH 1293 | Merkez Memuru | Mostar | 900 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_84; 163 |
| 1877/78AH 1294 | Merkez Memuru | Mostar | 1,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_84; 163 |
| 1878AH 1295 | Merkez Memuru | Mostar | 1,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_84; 163 |
| 1878/79AH 1296 | Merkez Memuru | Mostar | 1,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_84; 163 |
| 1879/80AH 1297 | Sevk Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_84; 163 |
| 1880/81AH 1298 | Sevk Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_84; 163 |
| 1881/82AH 1299 | Sevk Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_84; 163 |
| 1882/83AH 1300 | Sevk Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_84; 163 |
| 1883/84AH 1301 | Sevk Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_84; 163 |
| 1884/85AH 1302 | Sevk Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_84; 163 |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Sevk Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_84; 163 |
| 1886/87AH 1304 | Sevk Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_84; 163 |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Sevk Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_84; 163 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Sevk Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_84; 163 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Kontrol Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_84; 163 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Kontrol Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_84; 163 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Kontrol Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_84; 163 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Kontrol Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_84; 163 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Kontrol Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_84; 163 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Kontrol Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_84; 163 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Kontrol Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_84; 163 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Kontrol Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 700 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_84; 163 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | Kontrol Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 700 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_84; 163 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Kontrol Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 700 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_84; 163 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | Kontrol Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 700 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_84; 163 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | Kontrol Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 700 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_84; 163 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | Kontrol Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 700 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_84; 163 |
| 1902/03AH 1320 | Kontrol Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 700 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_84; 163 |
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 (23)
| Field | Recorded value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Name | Ahmet Kemal Bey | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Linked personnel workbook |
| Birth year (AH) | 1264 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace | ohri | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace: district (kaza) | Ohri | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace: sancak | Manastir | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace: province (vilayet) | Manastir | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Province of birth | manastir | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Father's occupation | binbasi | 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 | idadi Mektebi | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Years of schooling | 9 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Years of apprenticeship (mülazemet) | 5 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work | ||
| First work: year (AH) | 1281 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Linked personnel workbook |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1864 | Recovered annual personnel extract |
| First work: place | istanbul | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work: district (kaza) | istanbul | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work: sancak | istanbul | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work: province (vilayet) | istanbul | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First job as worded | Enderunu Humayun | Linked personnel workbook; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Age at first work (workbook field) | 17 | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First salary field (kuruş a month) | 150 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First-job salary of the original workbook (kuruş a month) | 150 | 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.
- Origin of the record: Post and Telegraph personnel records.
- 33 annual entries of 35 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
- Ahmet Kemal Bey
- Control office (Kontrol Kalemi)
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Ohrid (Ohri)
- Idadi school (İdadi 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)