Official
Kosta Efendi
Greek Orthodox Christian (Rum). Born in Gelibolu in 1847/48 (AH 1264). On record 1868 to 1890, 22 annual entries. Death recorded 1894/95.
Archive reference 0034_0231; 459
Life#
Born in Gelibolu in 1847/48 (AH 1264), Kosta Efendi came from the Greek Orthodox Christian (Rum) community. Schooling took four years, at a Greek Orthodox school (Rum Mektebi); Kosta also wrote Greek (Rum) and spoke French.
Kosta began work in the telegraph service (Telgraf) in Gelibolu in 1865/66, at about 17, with three unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 480 kuruş. The annual lists begin in 1868/69, with Kosta as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru) in Vlorë (Avlonya), where the entries run to 1872/73. Next came Beyoğlu in 1873/74, then a return to Gelibolu, the birthplace, from 1874 to 1876. Kosta then moved to Keşan from 1876 to 1889, with a rise to chief official for foreign communications (Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Başmemuru) in 1883/84. The last entry, for 1889/90, names neither a title nor a place.
The salary went from 480 kuruş a month in 1868/69 to 800 in 1877/78, the peak, as Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Başmemuru in Keşan, when 68 per cent of paid officials earned less. The last annual entry is for 1889/90; the list of 1894/95 (AH 1312) 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.
Not on the map, as no position is recorded: stop 6 (Place not recorded).
1868 to 1873 (AH 1285 to 1289)
480 to 600 kuruş a month; entries in 5 years
1876 to 1889 (AH 1293 to 1306)
Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti 1876 to 1883 (AH 1293 to 1300); Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Başmemuru 1877 to 1889 (AH 1294 to 1306)
400 to 800 kuruş a month; entries in 13 years
No annual entry for 1880/81 (AH 1298).
Place not recorded not on the map
1889/90 (AH 1307)
entries in 1 year
Death recorded in the annual list of 1894/95 (AH 1312): 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1868/69 | 480 | 600 | 480 | 32% |
| 1869/70 | 480 | 600 | 400 | 34% |
| 1870/71 | 600 | 600 | 400 | 49% |
| 1871/72 | 570 | 550 | 400 | 50% |
| 1872/73 | 570 | 550 | 400 | 50% |
| 1873/74 | 500 | 500 | 570 | 44% |
| 1874/75 | 455 | 535 | 650 | 37% |
| 1875/76 | 455 | 530 | 700 | 38% |
| 1876/77 | 500 | 582.5 | 600 | 36% |
| 1877/78 | 800 | 560 | 68% | |
| 1878 | 800 | 600 | 65% | |
| 1878/79 | 800 | 600 | 66% | |
| 1879/80 | 760 | 500 | 74% | |
| 1881/82 | 400 | 500 | 500 | 31% |
| 1882/83 | 400 | 500 | 500 | 28% |
| 1883/84 | 760 | 500 | 760 | 73% |
| 1884/85 | 760 | 500 | 760 | 73% |
| 1885/86 | 760 | 500 | 760 | 75% |
| 1886/87 | 760 | 500 | 760 | 75% |
| 1887/88 | 760 | 500 | 760 | 74% |
| 1888/89 | 760 | 500 | 760 | 75% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1865/66AH 1282 | Telgraffirst work | Gelibolu | 480first-salary field |
| 1868 to 1873AH 1285 to 1289 | Muhabere Memuru | Vlorë (Avlonya) | 480 to 570 |
| 1873/74AH 1290 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Beyoğlu | 500 |
| 1874 to 1876AH 1291 to 1292 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Gelibolu | 455 |
| 1876/77AH 1293 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Keşan | 500 |
| 1877 to 1880AH 1294 to 1297 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Başmemuru | Keşan | 800 to 760 |
| No annual entry: 1880/81 (AH 1298) | |||
| 1881 to 1883AH 1299 to 1300 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Keşan | 400 |
| 1883 to 1889AH 1301 to 1306 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Başmemuru | Keşan | 760 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | |||
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Death recorded | ||
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1847/48 (AH 1264)
- Birthplace
- Gelibolu
- Community
- Greek Orthodox Christian (Rum)
- Nationality as recorded
- Rum
- Death recorded
- 1894/95 (AH 1312)the year of the annual list with the word Vefat, not a date of death
Education
- Community school
- Rum Mektebi (4 years)Greek Orthodox (Rum) school
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 3 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
- French
- Tekellumspeaking
- 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
The glosses are cautious historical readings of the recorded words, not modern levels of proficiency.
First work
- Year
- 1865/66 (AH 1282)
- Place
- Gelibolu
- First job as worded
- Telgraf
- Age at first work (workbook field)
- 18
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 480
- First-job salary of the original workbook (kuruş a month)
- 480
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 27 officials with entries in Keşan in the same years, Kosta Efendi had the 6th highest salary.
- Mehmed Ferid Efendi6 shared years; highest salary 500 kuruş
- Ahmed Muhtar Efendi5 shared years; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Yanko Efendi5 shared years; highest salary 400 kuruş
- Mehmet Ali Efendi4 shared years; highest salary 900 kuruş
- Ahmet Efendi4 shared years; highest salary 500 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 15 officials with the title Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Başmemuru in the same years, Kosta Efendi had the 10th highest salary.
- Yorgi Vasilyadi Efendi9 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Mihr Tavikyan Efendi7 shared years; highest salary 1,250 kuruş
- Ohannes Bogosyan Efendi6 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Mihail Deveciyanis Efendi6 shared years; highest salary 660 kuruş
- Kostantin De Martin Efendi5 shared years; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
All 51 officials with the title Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Başmemuru
Same school
Of the 61 officials with Rum Mektebi among their schools, Kosta Efendi had the 16th highest salary.
- Yorgaki Vasilyadi Efendiborn 1847/48 (AH 1264); highest salary 750 kuruş
- Anderya Papa Dopli Efendiborn 1848/49 (AH 1265); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Edvar Galyar Efendiborn 1848/49 (AH 1265); highest salary 800 kuruş
- Vasil Karolidi Efendiborn 1848/49 (AH 1265); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Agop Efendiborn 1845/46 (AH 1262); highest salary 2,000 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 31 officials born in Gelibolu, Kosta Efendi had the 5th highest salary.
- Anderya Papa Dopli Efendiborn 1848/49 (AH 1265); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Aristidi Efendiborn 1845/46 (AH 1262); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Erkri Hristro Efendiborn 1845/46 (AH 1262); highest salary 800 kuruş
- Yanko Efendiborn 1850/51 (AH 1267); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Mehmet Haşim Efendiborn 1844/45 (AH 1260); highest salary 1,500 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 89 officials whose first annual entry is for 1868/69 (AH 1285), Kosta Efendi had the 45th highest salary.
- Hamparsom Akna Efendifirst entry in Beyoğlu; highest salary 500 kuruş
- Hazarusyan Misbak Efendifirst entry in Beyoğlu; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Mehmet Cemal Efendifirst entry in Baghdad (Bağdat); highest salary 750 kuruş
- Mehmet Efendifirst entry in Antakya; highest salary 1,800 kuruş
- Mehmet Faik Efendifirst entry in Cizre; highest salary 600 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (22)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1868/69AH 1285 | Muhabere Memuru | Vlorë (Avlonya) | 480 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0231; 459 |
| 1869/70AH 1286 | Muhabere Memuru | Vlorë (Avlonya) | 480 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0231; 459 |
| 1870/71AH 1287 | Muhabere Memuru | Vlorë (Avlonya) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0231; 459 |
| 1871/72AH 1288 | Muhabere Memuru | Vlorë (Avlonya) | 570 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0231; 459 |
| 1872/73AH 1289 | Muhabere Memuru | Vlorë (Avlonya) | 570 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0231; 459 |
| 1873/74AH 1290 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Beyoğlu | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0231; 459 |
| 1874/75AH 1291 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Gelibolu | 455 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0231; 459 |
| 1875/76AH 1292 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Gelibolu | 455 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0231; 459 |
| 1876/77AH 1293 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Keşan | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0231; 459 |
| 1877/78AH 1294 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Başmemuru | Keşan | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0231; 459 |
| 1878AH 1295 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Başmemuru | Keşan | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0231; 459 |
| 1878/79AH 1296 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Başmemuru | Keşan | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0231; 459 |
| 1879/80AH 1297 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Başmemuru | Keşan | 760 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0231; 459 |
| 1881/82AH 1299 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Keşan | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0231; 459 |
| 1882/83AH 1300 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Keşan | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0231; 459 |
| 1883/84AH 1301 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Başmemuru | Keşan | 760 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0231; 459 |
| 1884/85AH 1302 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Başmemuru | Keşan | 760 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0231; 459 |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Başmemuru | Keşan | 760 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0231; 459 |
| 1886/87AH 1304 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Başmemuru | Keşan | 760 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0231; 459 |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Başmemuru | Keşan | 760 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0231; 459 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Başmemuru | Keşan | 760 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0231; 459 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Other | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 0034_0231; 459 |
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 (24)
| Field | Recorded value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Name | Kosta Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Linked personnel workbook |
| Birth year (AH) | 1264 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace | gelibolu | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace: district (kaza) | Gelibolu | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace: sancak | Gelibolu | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace: province (vilayet) | Edirne | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Province of birth | edirne | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Religion | Hristiyan | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Nationality or community | Rum | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Schooling | ||
| School | Rum Mektebi | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Years of schooling | 4 used on this page | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Years of schooling | 7 other value | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Years of apprenticeship (mülazemet) | 3 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work | ||
| First work: year (AH) | 1282 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Linked personnel workbook |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1865 | 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) | 480 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First-job salary of the original workbook (kuruş a month) | 480 | Linked personnel workbook; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Status | ||
| Death recorded under the year (AH) | 1312 | 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.
- 19 annual entries of 22 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
- Kosta Efendi
- Chief official for foreign communications (Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Başmemuru)
- Keşan
- Gelibolu
- Greek Orthodox (Rum) school (Rum 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)