Mehmed Şemseddin Bey

Mehmed Şemseddin Bey was born in Obenic in 1854/55 (AH 1271). At about 23, in 1878, Mehmed Şemseddin began work in Istanbul, on a first salary of 350 kuruş. The first annual entry, for 1878, places Mehmed Şemseddin in Istanbul as Mekteb-i Sultânî ihtiyat sınıfları Türkçe öğretmeni. Alongside, the lists for 1882/83 give a second post, in a post with no place named as Mâbeyn-i Hümâyun kâtibi (İnfisal). Mehmed Şemseddin then moved to Pazar (Atina) from 1885 to 1888. Alongside, the lists for 1885 to 1895 give a second post, in a post with no place named as Hariciye memur kabul imtihan komisyonu üyesi. Alongside, the lists for 1891/92 give a second post, in Misir as Abbas Hilmi Paşa'nın hidivlik fermanını tebliğ heyeti üyesi. Next came Van in 1896/97. The last entries, from 1897 to 1910, name Mehmed Şemseddin as Tahran sefiri, with no place. The posts lie on three continents, Africa, Asia and Europe, as for only 37 of the 6,605 officials with a place of service.

Pay rose from 750 kuruş a month in 1878 to a peak of 30,000 in 1900/01, when 99 per cent of paid officials earned less. Over the years with a salary, pay stood on average in the top 2.7 per cent of each year's paid officials, a standing reached by 15 of the 4,381 officials paid for five years or more. The last annual entry is for 1909/10.