Official
Mehmet Behçet Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Istanbul (Dersaadet) in 1869/70 (AH 1286). On record 1890 to 1906, 16 annual entries.
Archive reference 0065_0027; 51
Life#
Born in Istanbul in 1869/70 (AH 1286) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community, Mehmet Behçet Efendi was the child of a telegraph official (telgraf memuru). Mehmet Behçet had seven years of schooling, at a middle school (Rüşdiye Mektebi), wrote French as well as Turkish, and held a qualification (a diploma, certificate, training or decoration).
Work began in Istanbul in 1888/89, at about 19, with two unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 700 kuruş. The first annual entry, for 1890/91, places Mehmet Behçet in Cide as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru). Next came Edremit, Kastamonu and Bolu from 1892 to 1896, then Benghazi (Bingazi) from 1896 to 1905, with a rise to postal official (Posta Memuru). In 1905/06 the lists place Mehmet Behçet in Derna (Derne), with a rise to official for foreign communications (Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti).
Pay rose from 700 kuruş a month in 1890/91 to a peak of 1,000 in 1905/06, as Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti in Derna, when 86 per cent of paid officials earned less. 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 1869/70 (AH 1286); First work 1888/89 (AH 1306)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1890/91 | 700 | 500 | 400 | 73% |
| 1891/92 | 700 | 500 | 400 | 73% |
| 1892/93 | 380 | 500 | 400 | 24% |
| 1893/94 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 30% |
| 1894/95 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 30% |
| 1895/96 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 30% |
| 1896/97 | 500 | 500 | 350 | 49% |
| 1897/98 | 500 | 500 | 350 | 49% |
| 1898/99 | 500 | 500 | 387.5 | 48% |
| 1899/1900 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 47% |
| 1900/01 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 47% |
| 1901/02 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 49% |
| 1902/03 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 49% |
| 1903/04 | 500 | 475 | 400 | 51% |
| 1904/05 | 500 | 450 | 400 | 52% |
| 1905/06 | 1,000 | 475 | 445 | 86% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1888/89AH 1306 | First work | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 700first-salary field |
| 1890 to 1892AH 1308 to 1309 | Muhabere Memuru | Cide | 700 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Muhabere Memuru | Edremit | 380 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Muhabere Memuru | Kastamonu | 400 |
| 1894 to 1896AH 1312 to 1313 | Muhabere Memuru | Bolu | 400 |
| 1896 to 1905AH 1314 to 1322 | Posta Memuru | Benghazi (Bingazi) | 500 |
| 1905/06AH 1323 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Derna (Derne) | 1,000 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1869/70 (AH 1286)
- Birthplace
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- Telgraf Memuru
Education
- Rüşdiye
- Rüşdiye Mektebi (7 years)rüşdiye school (middle school)
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 2 years
- Preparation route (classification of the paper)
- Middle
- Qualification (diploma, certificate, training or nişan)
- Yes
The years count all schooling up to that school, as the record gives them.
Languages
- French
- Kitabetwriting
- Turkish
- Kitabetwriting
The glosses are cautious historical readings of the recorded words, not modern levels of proficiency.
First work
- Year
- 1888/89 (AH 1306)
- Place
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 700
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 4 officials with entries in Benghazi (Bingazi) in the same years, Mehmet Behçet Efendi had the 2nd highest salary.
- Mehmet Tevfik Efendi1 shared year; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- MEHMET MUHYİTTİN EFENDİ1 shared year; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Mehmet Zühtü Efendi1 shared year; highest salary 600 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 240 officials with the title Posta Memuru in the same years, Mehmet Behçet Efendi had the 6th highest salary.
- Mehmed Zülfikar Efendi9 shared years; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Ruantuvan Efendi9 shared years; highest salary 750 kuruş
- Abdullah Fikri Efendi9 shared years; highest salary 600 kuruş
- Ali Rıza Efendi9 shared years; highest salary 600 kuruş
- Mehmet Eşref Efendi9 shared years; highest salary 540 kuruş
Same school
Of the 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi among their schools, 3,200 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Behçet Efendi had the 289th highest salary of them.
- Abbas Zihni Efendiborn 1869/70 (AH 1286); highest salary 540 kuruş
- Abdülkerim Efendiborn 1869/70 (AH 1286); highest salary 800 kuruş
- Ahmet Akif Efendiborn 1869/70 (AH 1286); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Ahmet Efendiborn 1869/70 (AH 1286); highest salary 750 kuruş
- Ahmet Efendiborn 1869/70 (AH 1286); highest salary 260 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 1,999 officials born in Istanbul, 1,997 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Behçet Efendi had the 354th highest salary of them.
- Ahmet Efendiborn 1869/70 (AH 1286); highest salary 260 kuruş
- Ahmet Ragıp Efendiborn 1869/70 (AH 1286); highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Ahmet Raşit Efendiborn 1869/70 (AH 1286); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Ahmet Selahattin Efendiborn 1869/70 (AH 1286); highest salary 700 kuruş
- Ali Fuat Efendiborn 1869/70 (AH 1286); highest salary 400 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 102 officials whose first annual entry is for 1890/91 (AH 1308), Mehmet Behçet Efendi had the 14th highest salary.
- Ahmet Ragıp Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Garofalidi Efendifirst entry in Beyoğlu; highest salary 100 kuruş
- Hacı Ahmet Lütfü Efendifirst entry in Tripoli (Trablusgarp); highest salary 350 kuruş
- Mehmet Efendifirst entry in Beypazarı; highest salary 470 kuruş
- Mehmet Sadık Efendifirst entry in Thessaloniki (Selanik); highest salary 900 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (16)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Muhabere Memuru | Cide | 700 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0027; 51 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Muhabere Memuru | Cide | 700 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0027; 51 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Muhabere Memuru | Edremit | 380 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0027; 51 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Muhabere Memuru | Kastamonu | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0027; 51 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Muhabere Memuru | Bolu | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0027; 51 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Muhabere Memuru | Bolu | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0027; 51 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Posta Memuru | Benghazi (Bingazi) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0027; 51 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | Posta Memuru | Benghazi (Bingazi) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0027; 51 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Posta Memuru | Benghazi (Bingazi) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0027; 51 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | Posta Memuru | Benghazi (Bingazi) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0027; 51 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | Posta Memuru | Benghazi (Bingazi) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0027; 51 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | Posta Memuru | Benghazi (Bingazi) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0027; 51 |
| 1902/03AH 1320 | Posta Memuru | Benghazi (Bingazi) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0027; 51 |
| 1903/04AH 1321 | Posta Memuru | Benghazi (Bingazi) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0027; 51 |
| 1904/05AH 1322 | Posta Memuru | Benghazi (Bingazi) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0027; 51 |
| 1905/06AH 1323 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Derna (Derne) | 1,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0027; 51 |
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 (14)
| Field | Recorded value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Name | Mehmet Behçet Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1286 | 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 | Telgraf Memuru | 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) | 1306 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1889 | 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) | 700 | 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.
- 16 annual entries of 16 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 Behçet Efendi
- Postal official (Posta Memuru)
- Benghazi (Bingazi)
- 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)