Official
Kostantin Kotovili
Greek Orthodox Christian (Rum). Born in Istanbul (Dersaadet) in 1850/51 (AH 1267). On record 1866 to 1900, 25 annual entries.
Archive reference 0074_0108; 213
Life#
Born in Istanbul in 1850/51 (AH 1267) into the Greek Orthodox Christian (Rum) community, Kostantin Kotovili was the child of a tithe official (aşar memuru). Schooling took four years, at a community school (Millet Mektebi); Kostantin Kotovili also attended the telegraph school, and wrote Greek (Rum), Persian and Turkish.
Kostantin Kotovili began work in Istanbul in 1864/65, at about 14, with two unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 480 kuruş. The first annual entry, for 1866/67, places Kostantin Kotovili in Ayvalık as an official for foreign communications (Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti). Kostantin Kotovili then moved to Çanakkale, Istanbul and Büyükada from 1867 to 1879, then Beyoğlu from 1879 to 1886. Next came Jaffa (Yafa), Acre (Akka) and Mersin from 1886 to 1890, then Adana from 1892 to 1898. The last posts were in Mudanya in 1898/99 and Adana again in 1899/1900. 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.
The salary went from 480 kuruş a month in 1866/67 to 800 in 1889/90, the peak, as a central office official (Merkez Memuru) in Mersin, when 78 per cent of paid officials earned less. Over 25 years the salaries add up to 154,200 kuruş, about what an official on the median salary earned. The final annual entry is for 1899/1900.
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 1850/51 (AH 1267); First work 1864/65 (AH 1281)
1876/77 (AH 1293)
No annual entry for 1868 to 1876 (AH 1285 to 1292) before it.
300 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year
1892 to 1898 (AH 1310 to 1315)
No annual entry for 1890 to 1892 (AH 1308 to 1309) before it.
720 to 800 kuruş a month; entries in 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1866/67 | 480 | 600 | 600 | 29% |
| 1867/68 | 480 | 600 | 600 | 32% |
| 1876/77 | 300 | 582.5 | 500 | 9% |
| 1877/78 | 300 | 560 | 550 | 8% |
| 1878 | 300 | 600 | 550 | 8% |
| 1878/79 | 300 | 600 | 600 | 9% |
| 1879/80 | 285 | 500 | 500 | 11% |
| 1880/81 | 325 | 500 | 475 | 19% |
| 1881/82 | 325 | 500 | 520 | 18% |
| 1882/83 | 400 | 500 | 585 | 28% |
| 1883/84 | 400 | 500 | 540 | 27% |
| 1884/85 | 400 | 500 | 550 | 27% |
| 1885/86 | 400 | 500 | 560 | 27% |
| 1886/87 | 600 | 500 | 540 | 59% |
| 1887/88 | 600 | 500 | 570 | 58% |
| 1888/89 | 575 | 500 | 575 | 58% |
| 1889/90 | 800 | 500 | 600 | 78% |
| 1892/93 | 800 | 500 | 600 | 80% |
| 1893/94 | 800 | 500 | 600 | 80% |
| 1894/95 | 800 | 500 | 600 | 81% |
| 1895/96 | 800 | 500 | 675 | 80% |
| 1896/97 | 720 | 500 | 575 | 81% |
| 1897/98 | 720 | 500 | 600 | 81% |
| 1898/99 | 400 | 500 | 495 | 31% |
| 1899/1900 | 540 | 500 | 500 | 60% |
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 | First work | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 480first-salary field |
| 1866/67AH 1283 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Ayvalık | 480 |
| 1867/68AH 1284 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Çanakkale | 480 |
| No annual entry: 1868 to 1876 (AH 1285 to 1292) | |||
| 1876/77AH 1293 | Merkez Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 300 |
| 1877 to 1879AH 1294 to 1296 | Merkez Memuru | Büyükada | 300 |
| 1879 to 1886AH 1297 to 1303 | Merkez Memuru | Beyoğlu | 285 to 400 |
| 1886 to 1888AH 1304 to 1305 | Merkez Memuru | Jaffa (Yafa) | 600 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Merkez Memuru | Acre (Akka) | 575 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Merkez Memuru | Mersin | 800 |
| No annual entry: 1890 to 1892 (AH 1308 to 1309) | |||
| 1892 to 1898AH 1310 to 1315 | Seyyar Memur | Adana | 800 to 720 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Mudanya | 400 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Adana | 540 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1850/51 (AH 1267)
- Birthplace
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Community
- Greek Orthodox Christian (Rum)
- Nationality as recorded
- Rum
- Father's occupation
- Asar Memuru
Education
- Community school
- Millet Mektebi (4 years)community school (school of a non-Muslim community)
- Higher or professional
- Telgraf Mektebitelegraph school; recorded as a code
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 2 years
- Preparation route (classification of the paper)
- Low
- Qualification (diploma, certificate, training or nişan)
- NoShown as in the flag of the paper. The qualification column of the recovered extract gives yes.
The years count all schooling up to that school, as the record gives them.
Languages
- Persian
- Kitabetwriting
- Greek (Rum)
- Kitabetwriting. Rum is the word of the records for Greek as spoken by the Orthodox Christians of the empire. It is kept apart from the column Greek, which the records also have
- 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 salary field (kuruş a month)
- 480
Legal records
- Legal record note as worded
- Zimmet / varidatı zimmetine geçirmesinden dolayı taht-ı muhakemeye alınıp memuriyetinden tardıyla üç mah hapsine bidayeten hükmedilmiş ve istinafen ru’yet olunan muhakemesinde yalnız bir aylık maaşının katıyla memuriyetine iadesine; Zimmet
- Years (AH) with a criminal-record mark in the annual records
- 1310; 1311; 1312; 1313; 1314; 1315; 1316; 1317
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 124 officials with entries in Beyoğlu in the same years, Kostantin Kotovili had the 63rd highest salary.
- Mustafa Habip Efendi7 shared years; highest salary 15,000 kuruş
- Yorkiyadi Yorkiyadi Efendi7 shared years; highest salary 6,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Methi Efendi (7 shared years; highest salary 5,000 kuruş
- Esperdiyon Diloti Efendi7 shared years; highest salary 3,360 kuruş
- Paskal Mıgırdıç Kazancıyan Efendi7 shared years; highest salary 2,905 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 54 officials with the title Merkez Memuru in the same years, Kostantin Kotovili had the 31st highest salary.
- İbrahim Vehbi Efendi14 shared years; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Edvar Konunyan Efendi14 shared years; highest salary 975 kuruş
- Rasim Efendi13 shared years; highest salary 730 kuruş
- Bekir Feyzi Efendi11 shared years; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Yorgaki Vasilyadi Efendi11 shared years; highest salary 750 kuruş
Same school
Of the 263 officials with Millet Mektebi among their schools, Kostantin Kotovili had the 36th highest salary.
- Kirkor Efendiborn 1850/51 (AH 1267); highest salary 875 kuruş
- David Efendiborn 1851/52 (AH 1268); highest salary 820 kuruş
- Kayser Ferid Efendiborn 1851/52 (AH 1268); highest salary 630 kuruş
- Necip Efendiborn 1851/52 (AH 1268); highest salary 750 kuruş
- Yusuf Raci Efendiborn 1851/52 (AH 1268); highest salary 1,500 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 1,999 officials born in Istanbul, 1,997 have a recorded salary; Kostantin Kotovili had the 503rd highest salary of them.
- Abdullah Tevfik Efendiborn 1850/51 (AH 1267); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Ahmet Nail Efendiborn 1850/51 (AH 1267); highest salary 400 kuruş
- Ahmet Şemsettin Efendiborn 1850/51 (AH 1267); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Andon Tomasyan Efendiborn 1850/51 (AH 1267); highest salary 800 kuruş
- Dikran Yüzbaşıyan Efendiborn 1850/51 (AH 1267); highest salary 750 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 46 officials whose first annual entry is for 1866/67 (AH 1283), Kostantin Kotovili had the 35th highest salary.
- Ali Rıza Efendifirst entry in Svishtov (Ziştovi); highest salary 910 kuruş
- İbrahim Vehbi Efendifirst entry in Beypazarı; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Ali Faik Efendifirst entry in Basra; highest salary 1,200 kuruş
- Hasan Tahsin Efendifirst entry in Edessa (Vodina); highest salary 800 kuruş
- Hacı İsmail Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 1,560 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (25)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1866/67AH 1283 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Ayvalık | 480 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0074_0108; 213 |
| 1867/68AH 1284 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Çanakkale | 480 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0074_0108; 213 |
| 1876/77AH 1293 | Merkez Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0074_0108; 213 |
| 1877/78AH 1294 | Merkez Memuru | Büyükada | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0074_0108; 213 |
| 1878AH 1295 | Merkez Memuru | Büyükada | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0074_0108; 213 |
| 1878/79AH 1296 | Merkez Memuru | Büyükada | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0074_0108; 213 |
| 1879/80AH 1297 | Merkez Memuru | Beyoğlu | 285 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0074_0108; 213 |
| 1880/81AH 1298 | Merkez Memuru | Beyoğlu | 325 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0074_0108; 213 |
| 1881/82AH 1299 | Merkez Memuru | Beyoğlu | 325 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0074_0108; 213 |
| 1882/83AH 1300 | Merkez Memuru | Beyoğlu | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0074_0108; 213 |
| 1883/84AH 1301 | Merkez Memuru | Beyoğlu | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0074_0108; 213 |
| 1884/85AH 1302 | Merkez Memuru | Beyoğlu | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0074_0108; 213 |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Merkez Memuru | Beyoğlu | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0074_0108; 213 |
| 1886/87AH 1304 | Merkez Memuru | Jaffa (Yafa) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0074_0108; 213 |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Merkez Memuru | Jaffa (Yafa) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0074_0108; 213 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Merkez Memuru | Acre (Akka) | 575 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0074_0108; 213 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Merkez Memuru | Mersin | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0074_0108; 213 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Seyyar Memur | Adana | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0074_0108; 213 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Seyyar Memur | Adana | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0074_0108; 213 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Seyyar Memur | Adana | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0074_0108; 213 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Seyyar Memur | Adana | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0074_0108; 213 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Seyyar Memur | Adana | 720 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0074_0108; 213 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | Seyyar Memur | Adana | 720 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0074_0108; 213 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Mudanya | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0074_0108; 213 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Adana | 540 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0074_0108; 213 |
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 (18)
| Field | Recorded value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Name | Kostantin Kotovili | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1267 | 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 | Asar Memuru | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Religion | Hristiyan | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Nationality or community | Rum | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Schooling | ||
| School | Millet Mektebi | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Years of schooling | 4 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Telegraph school (recorded code) | 1 | 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) | 1281 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| 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 |
| First salary field (kuruş a month) | 480 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Legal records | ||
| Legal record note as worded | Zimmet / varidatı zimmetine geçirmesinden dolayı taht-ı muhakemeye alınıp memuriyetinden tardıyla üç mah hapsine bidayeten hükmedilmiş ve istinafen ru’yet olunan muhakemesinde yalnız bir aylık maaşının katıyla memuriyetine iadesine used on this page | Legal notes (earlier workbook copy); Legal notes (later workbook copy) |
| Legal record note as worded | Zimmet other value | Legal notes (earlier workbook copy); Legal notes (later workbook copy) |
| Years (AH) with a criminal-record mark in the annual records | 1310; 1311; 1312; 1313; 1314; 1315; 1316; 1317 | Later annual personnel extract |
What the sources named in this table are
- Legal notes (earlier workbook copy)
- A workbook of notes on legal records. The wording is kept as written. It may hold an accusation or an acquittal, it is not the finding of a court, and its year is the year of the record, not the date of an event.
- Legal notes (later workbook copy)
- A later copy of the workbook of notes on legal records. The same wording in both copies is one note, not two.
- Later annual personnel extract
- The detailed annual personnel file of October 2025. It marks single annual entries with a criminal-record flag and holds status words such as Vefat. For a death, the year is the year of the annual list in which the status word stands.
- 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.
- The sources give more than one value for a marked field. Every value is listed.
- Origin of the record: Post and Telegraph personnel records.
- 23 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
- Kostantin Kotovili
- Central office official (Merkez Memuru)
- Beyoğlu
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Community school (Millet Mektebi)
- Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)
- Greek Orthodox Christian (Rum)
- 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)