Official
Mehmet Şakir Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Istanbul (Dersaadet) in 1867/68 (AH 1284). On record 1881 to 1899, 15 annual entries.
Archive reference 37_70; 137
Life#
Mehmet Şakir Efendi was born in Istanbul in 1867/68 (AH 1284) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community; the father was a teacher (muallim). Schooling took seven years, at a middle school (Rüşdiye Mektebi); Mehmet Şakir also attended the telegraph school.
Mehmet Şakir began work in Istanbul in 1879/80, at about 13, with two unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 200 kuruş. Of the 5,128 officials whose age at first work is known, fewer than 6 per cent started at 13 or younger. The annual lists begin in 1881/82, with Mehmet Şakir as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru) in Istanbul, the birthplace, where the entries run to 1883/84. Next came nine places in 13 years, from Edirne to Adana. The last posts were in Izmir (İzmir) from 1897 to 1899. Few officials served in as many provinces; fewer than 3 per cent of the 5,200 officials with a place of service did.
Pay rose from 200 kuruş a month in 1881/82 to a peak of 500 in 1889/90, as Muhabere Memuru in Bursa, when 42 per cent of paid officials earned less. The last annual entry is for 1898/99.
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 1867/68 (AH 1284); First work 1879/80 (AH 1297); 1881 to 1884 (AH 1299 to 1301)
200 kuruş a month; entries in 3 years
1887/88 (AH 1305)
No annual entry for 1886/87 (AH 1304) before it.
380 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year
1889/90 (AH 1307)
No annual entry for 1888/89 (AH 1306) before it.
500 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year
1892/93 (AH 1310)
No annual entry for 1891/92 (AH 1309) before it.
500 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1881/82 | 200 | 500 | 400 | 5% |
| 1882/83 | 200 | 500 | 400 | 3% |
| 1883/84 | 200 | 500 | 400 | 4% |
| 1884/85 | 380 | 500 | 400 | 18% |
| 1885/86 | 380 | 500 | 400 | 19% |
| 1887/88 | 380 | 500 | 400 | 19% |
| 1889/90 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 42% |
| 1890/91 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 28% |
| 1892/93 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 44% |
| 1893/94 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 30% |
| 1894/95 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 30% |
| 1895/96 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 30% |
| 1896/97 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 49% |
| 1897/98 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 32% |
| 1898/99 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 31% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1879/80AH 1297 | First work | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 200first-salary field |
| 1881 to 1884AH 1299 to 1301 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 200 |
| 1884/85AH 1302 | Muhabere Memuru | Edirne | 380 |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Muhabere Memuru | Tekirdağ | 380 |
| No annual entry: 1886/87 (AH 1304) | |||
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Muhabere Memuru | Rhodes (Rodos) | 380 |
| No annual entry: 1888/89 (AH 1306) | |||
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Muhabere Memuru | Bursa | 500 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Muhabere Memuru | Kurukavak | 400 |
| No annual entry: 1891/92 (AH 1309) | |||
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Muhabere Memuru | Trabzon | 500 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Muhabere Memuru | Kırklareli | 400 |
| 1894 to 1896AH 1312 to 1313 | Muhabere Memuru | Elazığ | 400 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Muhabere Memuru | Adana | 500 |
| 1897 to 1899AH 1315 to 1316 | Muhabere Memuru | Izmir (İzmir) | 400 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1867/68 (AH 1284)
- Birthplace
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- Muallim
Education
- Rüşdiye
- Rüşdiye Mektebi (7 years)rüşdiye school (middle school)
- 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)
- 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
- 1879/80 (AH 1297)
- Place
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 200
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 385 officials with entries in Istanbul in the same years, Mehmet Şakir Efendi had the 333rd highest salary.
- Hasan Ali Efendi3 shared years; highest salary 15,000 kuruş
- İbrahim Selim Susa Efendi3 shared years; highest salary 15,000 kuruş
- Emil Efendi3 shared years; highest salary 9,000 kuruş
- Salahattin Bey3 shared years; highest salary 7,800 kuruş
- Mehmet Mazhar Bey3 shared years; highest salary 7,125 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 1,790 officials with the title Muhabere Memuru in the same years, Mehmet Şakir Efendi had the 1,031st highest salary.
- Mehmet Arif Efendi15 shared years; highest salary 3,600 kuruş
- Mehmet Hulusi Bey15 shared years; highest salary 2,600 kuruş
- Ömer Nuri Efendi15 shared years; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- İbrahim Vehbi Efendi15 shared years; highest salary 1,480 kuruş
- Nikola Yunani Efendi15 shared years; highest salary 1,350 kuruş
Same school
Of the 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi among their schools, 3,200 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Şakir Efendi had the 1,253rd highest salary of them.
- Ahmet Efendiborn 1867/68 (AH 1284); highest salary 380 kuruş
- Ahmet Ferit Efendiborn 1867/68 (AH 1284); highest salary 540 kuruş
- Ahmet Nazif Efendiborn 1867/68 (AH 1284); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Ali Avni Efendiborn 1867/68 (AH 1284); highest salary 800 kuruş
- Ali Enver Efendiborn 1867/68 (AH 1284); highest salary 500 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 1,999 officials born in Istanbul, 1,997 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Şakir Efendi had the 986th highest salary of them.
- Ahmet Efendiborn 1867/68 (AH 1284); highest salary 380 kuruş
- Ahmet Ferit Efendiborn 1867/68 (AH 1284); highest salary 540 kuruş
- Ahmet Nazif Efendiborn 1867/68 (AH 1284); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Ali Ferit Efendiborn 1867/68 (AH 1284); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Ali Galip Beyborn 1867/68 (AH 1284); highest salary 1,000 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 86 officials whose first annual entry is for 1881/82 (AH 1299), Mehmet Şakir Efendi had the 56th highest salary.
- Ziya Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 720 kuruş
- Mahmut Aziz Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 550 kuruş
- Salih Zeki Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 2,500 kuruş
- Şarl Mikorski Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 200 kuruş
- İbrahim Ethem Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 2,000 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (15)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1881/82AH 1299 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_70; 137 |
| 1882/83AH 1300 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_70; 137 |
| 1883/84AH 1301 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_70; 137 |
| 1884/85AH 1302 | Muhabere Memuru | Edirne | 380 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_70; 137 |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Muhabere Memuru | Tekirdağ | 380 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_70; 137 |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Muhabere Memuru | Rhodes (Rodos) | 380 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_70; 137 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Muhabere Memuru | Bursa | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_70; 137 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Muhabere Memuru | Kurukavak | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_70; 137 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Muhabere Memuru | Trabzon | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_70; 137 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Muhabere Memuru | Kırklareli | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_70; 137 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Muhabere Memuru | Elazığ | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_70; 137 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Muhabere Memuru | Elazığ | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_70; 137 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Muhabere Memuru | Adana | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_70; 137 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | Muhabere Memuru | Izmir (İzmir) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_70; 137 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Muhabere Memuru | Izmir (İzmir) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_70; 137 |
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 (15)
| Field | Recorded value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Name | Mehmet Şakir Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1284 | 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 | Muallim | 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 |
| 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) | 1297 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1880 | 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) | 200 | 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.
- 15 annual entries of 15 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 Şakir Efendi
- Communications official (Muhabere Memuru)
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Rüşdiye school (Rüşdiye Mektebi)
- Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Elazığ
- 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)