Official
İsmail Zühdü Bey
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Istanbul (Dersaadet) in 1839/40 (AH 1255). On record 1861 to 1895, 35 annual entries. Death recorded 1895/96.
Archive reference 0002_0214; 434
Life#
Born in Istanbul in 1839/40 (AH 1255) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community, İsmail Zühdü Bey was the child of an official of the civil administration (mülkiye memuru). Of the 5,146 officials with a school, no other studied at Muhendishane-i Berri Humayun.
At about 17, in 1856/57, İsmail Zühdü began work in the telegraph service (Telgraf) in Gelibolu, with five unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 500 kuruş. The first annual entry, for 1861/62, places İsmail Zühdü in Gelibolu as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru). The annual lists then follow İsmail Zühdü back to Istanbul, the birthplace, from 1862 to 1871, then Izmir in 1871/72, as an assistant inspector (Müfettiş Muavini). From 1872 to 1895 every annual entry places İsmail Zühdü again in Istanbul, first in the accounts office (Muhasebe Kalemi), from 1876/77 as Icmal Kitabeti Basmukayyidi and from 1888/89 as Esya Kalemi Muduru.
The salary went from 500 kuruş a month in 1861/62 to 2,800 in 1892/93, the peak, as Esya Kalemi Muduru in Istanbul, when 98 per cent of paid officials earned less. Over 35 years the salaries add up to 694,800 kuruş, 3.1 times what an official on the median salary earned, a level reached by fewer than 5 per cent of the 3,805 officials paid for five years or more. The last annual entry is for 1894/95; the list of 1895/96 (AH 1313) gives the status word Vefat (death).
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 1839/40 (AH 1255)
First work 1856/57 (AH 1273); 1861/62 (AH 1278)
First work as Telgraf
500 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year
1862 to 1871 (AH 1279 to 1287)
Sevk Kalemi 1862/63 (AH 1279); Ruznamce Kalemi 1863 to 1870 (AH 1280 to 1286); Esya Kalemi Mudur Muavini 1870/71 (AH 1287)
450 to 1,300 kuruş a month; entries in 9 years
1872 to 1895 (AH 1289 to 1312)
Muhasebe Kalemi 1872 to 1876 (AH 1289 to 1292); Icmal Kitabeti Basmukayyidi 1876 to 1888 (AH 1293 to 1305); Esya Kalemi Muduru 1888 to 1895 (AH 1306 to 1312)
1,000 to 2,800 kuruş a month; entries in 24 years
Death recorded in the annual list of 1895/96 (AH 1313): the word Vefat, not a date of death.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1861/62 | 500 | 600 | 500 | 34% |
| 1862/63 | 450 | 500 | 31% | |
| 1863/64 | 500 | 500 | 32% | |
| 1864/65 | 600 | 625 | 48% | |
| 1865/66 | 700 | 650 | 50% | |
| 1866/67 | 800 | 600 | 62% | |
| 1867/68 | 1,000 | 600 | 68% | |
| 1868/69 | 1,100 | 600 | 77% | |
| 1869/70 | 1,200 | 600 | 600 | 80% |
| 1870/71 | 1,300 | 600 | 85% | |
| 1871/72 | 1,900 | 550 | 2,000 | 92% |
| 1872/73 | 1,000 | 550 | 632.5 | 80% |
| 1873/74 | 1,150 | 500 | 450 | 85% |
| 1874/75 | 1,250 | 535 | 340 | 87% |
| 1875/76 | 1,250 | 530 | 280 | 87% |
| 1876/77 | 1,750 | 582.5 | 91% | |
| 1877/78 | 1,750 | 560 | 91% | |
| 1878 | 1,750 | 600 | 90% | |
| 1878/79 | 1,750 | 600 | 90% | |
| 1879/80 | 1,200 | 500 | 87% | |
| 1880/81 | 1,200 | 500 | 87% | |
| 1881/82 | 1,600 | 500 | 91% | |
| 1882/83 | 2,000 | 500 | 92% | |
| 1883/84 | 2,000 | 500 | 92% | |
| 1884/85 | 2,000 | 500 | 92% | |
| 1885/86 | 2,500 | 500 | 95% | |
| 1886/87 | 2,500 | 500 | 95% | |
| 1887/88 | 2,500 | 500 | 96% | |
| 1888/89 | 2,500 | 500 | 96% | |
| 1889/90 | 2,600 | 500 | 97% | |
| 1890/91 | 2,600 | 500 | 97% | |
| 1891/92 | 2,600 | 500 | 97% | |
| 1892/93 | 2,800 | 500 | 98% | |
| 1893/94 | 2,800 | 500 | 98% | |
| 1894/95 | 2,800 | 500 | 98% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1856/57AH 1273 | Telgraffirst work | Gelibolu | 500first-salary field |
| 1861/62AH 1278 | Muhabere Memuru | Gelibolu | 500 |
| 1862/63AH 1279 | Sevk Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 450 |
| 1863 to 1870AH 1280 to 1286 | Ruznamce Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 500 to 1,200 |
| 1870/71AH 1287 | Esya Kalemi Mudur Muavini | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,300 |
| 1871/72AH 1288 | Müfettiş Muavini | Izmir (İzmir) | 1,900 |
| 1872 to 1876AH 1289 to 1292 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,000 to 1,250 |
| 1876 to 1888AH 1293 to 1305 | Icmal Kitabeti Basmukayyidi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,750 to 2,500 |
| 1888 to 1895AH 1306 to 1312 | Esya Kalemi Muduru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 2,500 to 2,800 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Death recorded | ||
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1839/40 (AH 1255)
- Birthplace
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- Mulkiye memuru
- Death recorded
- 1895/96 (AH 1313)the year of the annual list with the word Vefat, not a date of death
Education
- Higher or professional
- Muhendishane-i Berri Humayun (12 years)
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 5 years
- Preparation route (classification of the paper)
- Other High
- 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
- 1856/57 (AH 1273)
- Place
- Gelibolu
- First job as worded
- Telgraf
- Age at first work (workbook field)
- 18
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 500
- First-job salary of the original workbook (kuruş a month)
- 500
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 1,052 officials with entries in Istanbul in the same years, İsmail Zühdü Bey had the 118th highest salary.
- Emil Efendi33 shared years; highest salary 9,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Nurettin Efendi33 shared years; highest salary 4,500 kuruş
- Mehmet Salim Bey33 shared years; highest salary 3,000 kuruş
- Ali Kaya Bey33 shared years; highest salary 2,500 kuruş
- Hüseyin Hüsnü Efendi33 shared years; highest salary 1,750 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 41 officials with the title Muhasebe Kalemi in the same years, İsmail Zühdü Bey had the 2nd highest salary.
- Karabet Efendi4 shared years; highest salary 2,400 kuruş
- Ahmet Tevfik Bey4 shared years; highest salary 1,750 kuruş
- Mehmet Celalettin Efendi4 shared years; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Hacı Osman Nuri Efendi4 shared years; highest salary 1,250 kuruş
- Mehmet Kamil Bey4 shared years; highest salary 1,250 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 1,999 officials born in Istanbul, 1,997 have a recorded salary; İsmail Zühdü Bey had the 93rd highest salary of them.
- Ahmet Hamdi Efendiborn 1839/40 (AH 1255); highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Apostolaki Cizli Efendiborn 1839/40 (AH 1255); highest salary 1,440 kuruş
- Hacı Mehmet Efendiborn 1839/40 (AH 1255); highest salary 550 kuruş
- Haci Mehmet Sezayi Beyborn 1839/40 (AH 1255); highest salary 2,000 kuruş
- Hacı Osman Nuri Efendiborn 1839/40 (AH 1255); highest salary 1,250 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 18 officials whose first annual entry is for 1861/62 (AH 1278), İsmail Zühdü Bey had the 3rd highest salary.
- Mehmet Tevfik Efendifirst entry in Gelibolu; highest salary 1,200 kuruş
- Antuvan Jean Daliço Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 1,750 kuruş
- Kadri Efendifirst entry in Üsküdar; highest salary 2,500 kuruş
- Osman Efendifirst entry in Tekirdağ; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Mustafa Bahri Efendifirst entry in Tripoli (Trablusşam); highest salary 1,750 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (35)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1861/62AH 1278 | Muhabere Memuru | Gelibolu | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0002_0214; 434 |
| 1862/63AH 1279 | Sevk Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 450 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0002_0214; 434 |
| 1863/64AH 1280 | Ruznamce Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 500 | Finance (Maliye) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 0002_0214; 434 |
| 1864/65AH 1281 | Ruznamce Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 600 | Finance (Maliye) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 0002_0214; 434 |
| 1865/66AH 1282 | Ruznamce Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 700 | Finance (Maliye) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 0002_0214; 434 |
| 1866/67AH 1283 | Ruznamce Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 800 | Finance (Maliye) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 0002_0214; 434 |
| 1867/68AH 1284 | Ruznamce Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,000 | Finance (Maliye) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 0002_0214; 434 |
| 1868/69AH 1285 | Ruznamce Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,100 | Finance (Maliye) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 0002_0214; 434 |
| 1869/70AH 1286 | Ruznamce Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,200 | Finance (Maliye) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 0002_0214; 434 |
| 1870/71AH 1287 | Esya Kalemi Mudur Muavini | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0002_0214; 434 |
| 1871/72AH 1288 | Müfettiş Muavini | Izmir (İzmir) | 1,900 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0002_0214; 434 |
| 1872/73AH 1289 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0002_0214; 434 |
| 1873/74AH 1290 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,150 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0002_0214; 434 |
| 1874/75AH 1291 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,250 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0002_0214; 434 |
| 1875/76AH 1292 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,250 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0002_0214; 434 |
| 1876/77AH 1293 | Icmal Kitabeti Basmukayyidi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0002_0214; 434 |
| 1877/78AH 1294 | Icmal Kitabeti Basmukayyidi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0002_0214; 434 |
| 1878AH 1295 | Icmal Kitabeti Basmukayyidi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0002_0214; 434 |
| 1878/79AH 1296 | Icmal Kitabeti Basmukayyidi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0002_0214; 434 |
| 1879/80AH 1297 | Icmal Kitabeti Basmukayyidi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0002_0214; 434 |
| 1880/81AH 1298 | Icmal Kitabeti Basmukayyidi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0002_0214; 434 |
| 1881/82AH 1299 | Icmal Kitabeti Basmukayyidi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0002_0214; 434 |
| 1882/83AH 1300 | Icmal Kitabeti Basmukayyidi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 2,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0002_0214; 434 |
| 1883/84AH 1301 | Icmal Kitabeti Basmukayyidi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 2,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0002_0214; 434 |
| 1884/85AH 1302 | Icmal Kitabeti Basmukayyidi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 2,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0002_0214; 434 |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Icmal Kitabeti Basmukayyidi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 2,500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0002_0214; 434 |
| 1886/87AH 1304 | Icmal Kitabeti Basmukayyidi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 2,500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0002_0214; 434 |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Icmal Kitabeti Basmukayyidi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 2,500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0002_0214; 434 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Esya Kalemi Muduru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 2,500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0002_0214; 434 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Esya Kalemi Muduru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 2,600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0002_0214; 434 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Esya Kalemi Muduru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 2,600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0002_0214; 434 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Esya Kalemi Muduru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 2,600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0002_0214; 434 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Esya Kalemi Muduru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 2,800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0002_0214; 434 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Esya Kalemi Muduru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 2,800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0002_0214; 434 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Esya Kalemi Muduru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 2,800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0002_0214; 434 |
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 | İsmail Zühdü Bey | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Linked personnel workbook |
| Birth year (AH) | 1255 | 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 | mulkiye memuru | 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 | Muhendishane-i Berri Humayun | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Years of schooling | 12 | 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) | 1273 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Linked personnel workbook |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1857 | Recovered annual personnel extract |
| First work: place | Gelibolu | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work: district (kaza) | Gelibolu | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work: sancak | Gelibolu | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work: province (vilayet) | edirne | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First job as worded | Telgraf | Linked personnel workbook; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Age at first work (workbook field) | 18 | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First salary field (kuruş a month) | 500 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First-job salary of the original workbook (kuruş a month) | 500 | Linked personnel workbook; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Status | ||
| Death recorded under the year (AH) | 1313 | Earlier annual personnel extract (original copy); Earlier annual personnel extract (parallel copy) |
What the sources named in this table are
- Earlier annual personnel extract (original copy)
- A copy of the earlier annual personnel file, read for the title wording of each year. A death taken from it is the status word Vefat in the title field of one annual list: the year is the year of that list, not a date of death.
- Earlier annual personnel extract (parallel copy)
- A second copy of the earlier annual personnel file, read in the same way. A death taken from it is the status word Vefat in the title field of one annual list: the year is the year of that list, not a date of death. Two copies that agree are one piece of evidence, not two.
- 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.
- 26 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
- İsmail Zühdü Bey
- Icmal Kitabeti Basmukayyidi
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Muhendishane-i Berri Humayun
- Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Ruznamce Kalemi
- 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)