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Ottoman BureaucracyPeople, places and careers in Ottoman public service

Official

Mahmut Nedim Efendi

Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Istanbul (Dersaadet) in 1878/79 (AH 1296). On record 1897 to 1903, 6 annual entries.

Archive reference 0085_0138: 271

Life

Born in Istanbul in 1878/79 (AH 1296) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community, Mahmut Nedim Efendi was the child of a clerk (ketebe). Mahmut Nedim had seven years of schooling, at a middle school (Rüşdiye Mektebi).

At about 17, in 1896/97, Mahmut Nedim began work in Istanbul, with one unpaid year as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 50 kuruş. From the first annual entry, for 1897/98, to 1902/03, every annual entry places Mahmut Nedim in the same post, official for outgoing items (Mersule Memuru), in Istanbul, the birthplace.

Pay rose from 50 kuruş a month in 1897/98 to a peak of 200 in 1902/03, as Mersule Memuru in Istanbul, when one in ten paid officials earned less. Over six years the salaries add up to 9,720 kuruş, 27 per cent of what an official on the median salary earned. The final annual entry is for 1902/03.

Career and salary

Monthly salary by year, kuruşsalary of the yearyears with one job titleno annual entry
0501001502001897/98AH 13151898/99AH 13161899/1900AH 13171900/01AH 13181901/02AH 13191902/03AH 1320200 kuruşMersule Memuru
Salary against the medians of the same year
501002005001897/98AH 13151898/99AH 13161899/1900AH 13171900/01AH 13181901/02AH 13191902/03AH 1320This officialMedian, all officialsMedian, same title

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
Salary of Mahmut Nedim Efendi against the medians of the same year, kuruş a month
YearSalaryMedian, all officialsMedian, same titlePaid less
1897/98505001350%
1898/991105001704%
1899/19001505002004%
1900/011505002504%
1901/021505002505%
1902/032005002509%

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.

Career of Mahmut Nedim Efendi, one row per stage
YearsTitlePlaceSalary (kuruş a month)
1896/97AH 1314First workIstanbul (Dersaadet)50first-salary field
1897 to 1903AH 1315 to 1320Mersule Memuru
6 entries
YearSalary
1897/9850
1898/99110
1899/1900150
1900/01150
1901/02150
1902/03200
Istanbul (Dersaadet)50 to 200

Record

Personal

Born
1878/79 (AH 1296)
Community
Muslim (Müslüman)
Nationality as recorded
Turkish
Father's occupation
Ketebe

Education

Rüşdiye
Rüşdiye Mektebi (7 years)rüşdiye school (middle school)
Unpaid years (mülazemet)
1 year
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
1896/97 (AH 1314)
First salary field (kuruş a month)
50

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 847 officials with entries in Istanbul in the same years, Mahmut Nedim Efendi had the 727th highest salary.

All 1,750 officials with entries in Istanbul

Same job title, same years

Of the 54 officials with the title Mersule Memuru in the same years, Mahmut Nedim Efendi had the 41st highest salary.

All 109 officials with the title Mersule Memuru

Same school

Of the 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi among their schools, 3,200 have a recorded salary; Mahmut Nedim Efendi had the 2,739th highest salary of them.

All 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi

Same birthplace

Of the 1,999 officials born in Istanbul, 1,997 have a recorded salary; Mahmut Nedim Efendi had the 1,627th highest salary of them.

The page of Istanbul, with the 1,999 officials born there

First annual entry in the same year

Of the 88 officials whose first annual entry is for 1897/98 (AH 1315), Mahmut Nedim Efendi had the 72nd highest salary.

Full record

Annual entries (6)

Annual entries of Mahmut Nedim Efendi
YearTitlePlaceKuruş a monthInstitutionSourceArchive reference
1897/98AH 1315Mersule MemuruIstanbul (Dersaadet)50Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract0085_0138: 271
1898/99AH 1316Mersule MemuruIstanbul (Dersaadet)110Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract0085_0138: 271
1899/1900AH 1317Mersule MemuruIstanbul (Dersaadet)150Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract0085_0138: 271
1900/01AH 1318Mersule MemuruIstanbul (Dersaadet)150Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract0085_0138: 271
1901/02AH 1319Mersule MemuruIstanbul (Dersaadet)150Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract0085_0138: 271
1902/03AH 1320Mersule MemuruIstanbul (Dersaadet)200Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract0085_0138: 271
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)

Recorded values of Mahmut Nedim Efendi with their sources
FieldRecorded valueSource
Identity
NameMahmut Nedim EfendiPersonnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Birth year (AH)1296Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
BirthplacedersaadetRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Province of birthdersaadetRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Father's occupationKetebeRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
ReligionMuslumanRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Nationality or communityTurkishRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Schooling
SchoolRusdiye MektebiRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Years of schooling7Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Years of apprenticeship (mülazemet)1Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
First work
First work: year (AH)1314Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
First work: Gregorian year as stored1896Recovered annual personnel extract
First work: placeistanbulRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
First salary field (kuruş a month)50Recovered 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.
  • 6 annual entries of 6 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