Official
Mehmet Ali Bey
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Istanbul (Dersaadet) in 1862/63 (AH 1279). On record 1881 to 1910, 27 annual entries.
Archive reference 0066_0230; 457
Life#
Born in Istanbul in 1862/63 (AH 1279) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community, Mehmet Ali Bey was the child of a clerk (ketebe). At about 19, in 1881/82, Mehmet Ali began work in Istanbul, paid from the start, on 350 kuruş a month. The annual lists begin in 1881/82, with Mehmet Ali as Mektebi Sultani Muallimi in Istanbul, the birthplace, where the entries run to 1889/90. For 1885 to 1887 the lists have no entry. The annual lists then follow Mehmet Ali to Izmir (İzmir) from 1890 to 1892, then back to Istanbul from 1892 to 1894. Next came Beyoğlu from 1894 to 1898, with a rise to assistant inspector (Müfettiş Muavini) in 1895/96. From 1898 to 1910 every annual entry places Mehmet Ali again in Istanbul, first as a director (Müdür), from 1909/10 as Kalem Muduru.
Pay rose from 350 kuruş a month in 1881/82 to a peak of 4,000 in 1907/08, as Müdür in Istanbul, when 98 per cent of paid officials earned less. In all, 27 years of salary come to 708,888 kuruş, 4.6 times what an official on the median salary earned in those years, a level reached by fewer than 2 per cent of the 3,805 officials paid for five years or more. The final annual entry is for 1909/10. Mehmet Ali received a rank (rütbe).
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 1862/63 (AH 1279); First work 1881/82 (AH 1299); 1881 to 1890 (AH 1299 to 1307)
First work as Muallim
Mektebi Sultani Muallimi 1881/82 (AH 1299); Fen Kalemi 1882 to 1885 (AH 1300 to 1302); Muhendis Kalemi 1887 to 1890 (AH 1305 to 1307)
350 to 1,200 kuruş a month; entries in 7 years
No annual entry for 1885 to 1887 (AH 1303 to 1304).
1894 to 1898 (AH 1312 to 1315)
Müdür Muavini 1894/95 (AH 1312); Müfettiş Muavini 1895 to 1898 (AH 1313 to 1315)
1,500 to 2,350 kuruş a month; entries in 4 years
1898 to 1910 (AH 1316 to 1327)
Müdür 1898 to 1909 (AH 1316 to 1326); Kalem Muduru 1909/10 (AH 1327)
2,500 to 4,000 kuruş a month; entries in 12 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, and the median of the same province for the years in which at least 5 officials were paid in the province of the official's salary that year.
The numbers of the chart
| Year | Salary | Median, all officials | Median, same title | Median, same province | Paid less |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1881/82 | 350 | 500 | 500 | 18% | |
| 1882/83 | 350 | 500 | 300 | 500 | 17% |
| 1883/84 | 400 | 500 | 300 | 500 | 27% |
| 1884/85 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 27% |
| 1887/88 | 750 | 500 | 500 | 73% | |
| 1888/89 | 1,000 | 500 | 500 | 84% | |
| 1889/90 | 1,200 | 500 | 100 | 500 | 88% |
| 1890/91 | 1,272 | 500 | 600 | 92% | |
| 1891/92 | 1,272 | 500 | 575 | 93% | |
| 1892/93 | 1,350 | 500 | 2,000 | 500 | 93% |
| 1893/94 | 1,350 | 500 | 2,000 | 480 | 93% |
| 1894/95 | 1,500 | 500 | 950 | 450 | 94% |
| 1895/96 | 2,350 | 500 | 1,200 | 440 | 97% |
| 1896/97 | 2,115 | 500 | 1,080 | 425 | 97% |
| 1897/98 | 2,115 | 500 | 1,080 | 425 | 97% |
| 1898/99 | 3,000 | 500 | 2,000 | 440 | 99% |
| 1899/1900 | 3,000 | 500 | 1,900 | 450 | 98% |
| 1900/01 | 3,500 | 500 | 2,000 | 450 | 99% |
| 1901/02 | 3,500 | 500 | 2,000 | 440 | 99% |
| 1902/03 | 3,500 | 500 | 2,000 | 450 | 99% |
| 1903/04 | 3,500 | 475 | 1,750 | 450 | 99% |
| 1904/05 | 3,500 | 450 | 2,000 | 450 | 99% |
| 1905/06 | 3,500 | 475 | 2,200 | 425 | 99% |
| 1906/07 | 3,800 | 450 | 2,225 | 470 | 99% |
| 1907/08 | 4,000 | 300 | 300 | 98% | |
| 1908/09 | 4,000 | 350 | 400 | 97% | |
| 1909/10 | 2,500 | 462.5 | 500 | 89% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1881/82AH 1299 | Muallimfirst work | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 350first-salary field |
| 1881/82AH 1299 | Mektebi Sultani Muallimi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 350 |
| 1882 to 1885AH 1300 to 1302 | Fen Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 350 to 400 |
| No annual entry: 1885 to 1887 (AH 1303 to 1304) | |||
| 1887 to 1890AH 1305 to 1307 | Muhendis Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 750 to 1,200 |
| 1890 to 1892AH 1308 to 1309 | Teftis Memuru | Izmir (İzmir) | 1,272 |
| 1892 to 1894AH 1310 to 1311 | Müfettiş | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,350 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Müdür Muavini | Beyoğlu | 1,500 |
| 1895 to 1898AH 1313 to 1315 | Müfettiş Muavini | Beyoğlu | 2,350 to 2,115 |
| 1898 to 1909AH 1316 to 1326 | Müdür | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 3,000 to 4,000 |
| 1909/10AH 1327 | Kalem Muduru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 2,500 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1862/63 (AH 1279)
- Birthplace
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- Ketebe
Education
- Darüşşafaka
- Darüşşafaka (12 years)Darüşşafaka (school for orphans in Istanbul)
- Higher or professional
- Telgraf Mektebitelegraph school; recorded as a code
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 0 years
- Preparation route (classification of the paper)
- Darüşşafaka
- Qualification (diploma, certificate, training or nişan)
- Yes
The years count all schooling up to that school, as the record gives them.
Languages
- English
- Kitabetwriting
- French
- Kitabetwriting
- Turkish
- Kitabetwriting
The glosses are cautious historical readings of the recorded words, not modern levels of proficiency.
First work
- Year
- 1881/82 (AH 1299)
- Place
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- First job as worded
- Muallim
- Age at first work (workbook field)
- 20
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 350
- First-job salary of the original workbook (kuruş a month)
- 350
Honours and ranks
- Rank (recorded code)
- 3
Notes from the record
- Merit and competence grade (recorded code)
- 1
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 post (job title and place), same years
Of the 2 officials who held Müdür in Istanbul in the same years, Mehmet Ali Bey had the highest salary.
- Ahmet Refet Efendi8 shared years; highest salary 3,000 kuruş
Same place, same years
Of the 1,476 officials with entries in Istanbul in the same years, Mehmet Ali Bey had the 42nd highest salary.
- Melkok Efendi21 shared years; highest salary 5,000 kuruş
- Salih Tevfik Efendi21 shared years; highest salary 2,600 kuruş
- Mehmet Şükrü Efendi21 shared years; highest salary 2,500 kuruş
- Ali Galip Efendi21 shared years; highest salary 2,250 kuruş
- Mustafa İsmet Efendi21 shared years; highest salary 2,000 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 32 officials with the title Müdür in the same years, Mehmet Ali Bey had the 2nd highest salary.
- Mehmet Ali Bey10 shared years; highest salary 2,200 kuruş
- Ahmet Refet Efendi8 shared years; highest salary 3,000 kuruş
- Ali Bey7 shared years; highest salary 2,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Raif Efendi7 shared years; highest salary 2,000 kuruş
- Ali Ramiz Efendi6 shared years; highest salary 2,200 kuruş
Same school
Of the 203 officials with Darüşşafaka among their schools, Mehmet Ali Bey had the 6th highest salary.
- İbrahim Ethem Efendiborn 1862/63 (AH 1279); highest salary 2,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Rüştü Efendiborn 1862/63 (AH 1279); highest salary 950 kuruş
- Mehmet Şevki Efendiborn 1862/63 (AH 1279); highest salary 3,000 kuruş
- Mustafa Nesimi Efendiborn 1862/63 (AH 1279); highest salary 3,250 kuruş
- Fahri Efendiborn 1861/62 (AH 1278); highest salary 5,000 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 1,999 officials born in Istanbul, 1,997 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Ali Bey had the 45th highest salary of them.
- Ali Galib Efendiborn 1862/63 (AH 1279); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Ali Galip Efendiborn 1862/63 (AH 1279); highest salary 2,250 kuruş
- Ali Haydar Efendiborn 1862/63 (AH 1279); highest salary 450 kuruş
- Arif Cemil Efendiborn 1862/63 (AH 1279); highest salary 400 kuruş
- Asım Efendiborn 1862/63 (AH 1279); highest salary 600 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 86 officials whose first annual entry is for 1881/82 (AH 1299), Mehmet Ali Bey had the 2nd highest salary.
- İbrahim Ethem Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 2,000 kuruş
- Mahmut Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 150 kuruş
- Mehmet Ziyauttin Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Rifat Beyfirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 70 kuruş
- Mehmet İhsan Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (27)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1881/82AH 1299 | Mektebi Sultani Muallimi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 350 | Other | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 0066_0230; 457 |
| 1882/83AH 1300 | Fen Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 350 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0066_0230; 457 |
| 1883/84AH 1301 | Fen Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0066_0230; 457 |
| 1884/85AH 1302 | Fen Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0066_0230; 457 |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Muhendis Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0066_0230; 457 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Muhendis Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0066_0230; 457 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Muhendis Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0066_0230; 457 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Teftis Memuru | Izmir (İzmir) | 1,272 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0066_0230; 457 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Teftis Memuru | Izmir (İzmir) | 1,272 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0066_0230; 457 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Müfettiş | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,350 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0066_0230; 457 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Müfettiş | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,350 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0066_0230; 457 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Müdür Muavini | Beyoğlu | 1,500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0066_0230; 457 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Müfettiş Muavini | Beyoğlu | 2,350 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0066_0230; 457 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Müfettiş Muavini | Beyoğlu | 2,115 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0066_0230; 457 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | Müfettiş Muavini | Beyoğlu | 2,115 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0066_0230; 457 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Müdür | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 3,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0066_0230; 457 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | Müdür | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 3,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0066_0230; 457 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | Müdür | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 3,500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0066_0230; 457 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | Müdür | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 3,500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0066_0230; 457 |
| 1902/03AH 1320 | Müdür | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 3,500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0066_0230; 457 |
| 1903/04AH 1321 | Müdür | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 3,500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0066_0230; 457 |
| 1904/05AH 1322 | Müdür | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 3,500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0066_0230; 457 |
| 1905/06AH 1323 | Müdür | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 3,500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0066_0230; 457 |
| 1906/07AH 1324 | Müdür | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 3,800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0066_0230; 457 |
| 1907/08AH 1325 | Müdür | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 4,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0066_0230; 457 |
| 1908/09AH 1326 | Müdür | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 4,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0066_0230; 457 |
| 1909/10AH 1327 | Kalem Muduru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 2,500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0066_0230; 457 |
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 (28)
| Field | Recorded value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Name | Mehmet Ali Bey | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Linked personnel workbook |
| Birth year (AH) | 1279 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace | dersaadet used on this page | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birthplace | istanbul other value | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace: district (kaza) | istanbul | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace: sancak | istanbul | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace: province (vilayet) | istanbul | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Province of birth | dersaadet | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Father's occupation | ketebe | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Religion | musluman | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Nationality or community | Turkish | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Schooling | ||
| School | darussafaka | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Years of schooling | 14 used on this page | Recovered annual personnel extract |
| Years of schooling | 12 other value | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Telegraph school (recorded code) | 1 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Years of apprenticeship (mülazemet) | 0 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work | ||
| First work: year (AH) | 1299 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Linked personnel workbook |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1882 | Recovered annual personnel extract |
| First work: place | istanbul | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work: district (kaza) | istanbul | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work: sancak | istanbul | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work: province (vilayet) | istanbul | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First job as worded | Muallim | Linked personnel workbook; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Age at first work (workbook field) | 20 | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First salary field (kuruş a month) | 350 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First-job salary of the original workbook (kuruş a month) | 350 | Linked personnel workbook; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Honours | ||
| Rank (recorded code) | 3 | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Other recorded values | ||
| Merit and competence grade (recorded code) | 1 | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
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.
- 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.
- 22 annual entries of 27 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 Ali Bey
- Director (Müdür)
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Darüşşafaka
- Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Fen Kalemi
- 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)