Official
Mehmet Zeki Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Sofia (Sofya) in 1830/31 (AH 1246). On record 1856 to 1888, 29 annual entries. Death recorded 1888/89.
Archive reference 0001_0034; 66
Life#
Born in Sofia (Sofya) in 1830/31 (AH 1246), Mehmet Zeki Efendi came from the Muslim (Müslüman) community. Russian was rare in the service, known to 19 of the 5,211 officials.
Work began in the Zaptiye Kalemi in Sofia in 1848/49, at about 18, with one unpaid year as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 290 kuruş. The first annual entry, for 1856/57, places Mehmet Zeki in Kirim in the Zabita Kitabeti. Next came a return to Sofia, the birthplace, from 1857 to 1859, then Kavala from 1860 to 1863. The annual lists then follow Mehmet Zeki back to Sofia from 1863 to 1865, with a rise to director of the first grade (1. Müdür), then seven places in 15 years, with a rise to inspector (Müfettiş) in 1875/76. The last posts were in Konya from 1882 to 1888. In all, 11 places on two continents, a number reached by fewer than 3 per cent of the 5,200 officials with a place of service.
Pay rose from 290 kuruş a month in 1856/57 to a peak of 2,000 in 1882/83, as Müfettiş in Konya, when 92 per cent of paid officials earned less. The last annual entry is for 1887/88; the list of 1888/89 (AH 1306) 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.
Death recorded in the annual list of 1888/89 (AH 1306): 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1856/57 | 290 | 375 | 43% | |
| 1857/58 | 400 | 475 | 400 | 39% |
| 1858/59 | 400 | 500 | 500 | 41% |
| 1860/61 | 1,000 | 500 | 1,000 | 66% |
| 1861/62 | 1,000 | 600 | 1,000 | 61% |
| 1862/63 | 1,000 | 500 | 1,000 | 63% |
| 1863/64 | 1,200 | 500 | 1,500 | 75% |
| 1864/65 | 1,200 | 625 | 1,440 | 69% |
| 1865/66 | 1,200 | 650 | 1,320 | 71% |
| 1866/67 | 1,200 | 600 | 1,320 | 74% |
| 1867/68 | 1,200 | 600 | 1,200 | 76% |
| 1868/69 | 1,200 | 600 | 1,200 | 78% |
| 1869/70 | 1,200 | 600 | 1,200 | 80% |
| 1870/71 | 1,200 | 600 | 1,200 | 81% |
| 1871/72 | 1,200 | 550 | 1,200 | 85% |
| 1872/73 | 1,300 | 550 | 1,200 | 89% |
| 1873/74 | 1,300 | 500 | 1,290 | 88% |
| 1874/75 | 1,300 | 535 | 1,300 | 87% |
| 1875/76 | 1,750 | 530 | 2,500 | 92% |
| 1876/77 | 1,500 | 582.5 | 2,000 | 89% |
| 1877/78 | 1,200 | 560 | 2,000 | 85% |
| 1878 | 1,200 | 600 | 2,000 | 84% |
| 1878/79 | 1,200 | 600 | 2,000 | 84% |
| 1882/83 | 2,000 | 500 | 2,000 | 92% |
| 1883/84 | 2,000 | 500 | 2,000 | 92% |
| 1884/85 | 2,000 | 500 | 2,000 | 92% |
| 1885/86 | 2,000 | 500 | 2,000 | 93% |
| 1886/87 | 2,000 | 500 | 2,000 | 93% |
| 1887/88 | 2,000 | 500 | 2,000 | 93% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1848/49AH 1265 | Zaptiye Kalemifirst work | Sofia (Sofya) | 290first-salary field |
| 1856/57AH 1273 | Zabita Kitabeti | Kirim | 290 |
| 1857 to 1859AH 1274 to 1275 | Muhabere Memuru | Sofia (Sofya) | 400 |
| No annual entry: 1859/60 (AH 1276) | |||
| 1860 to 1863AH 1277 to 1279 | 2. Müdür | Kavala | 1,000 |
| 1863 to 1865AH 1280 to 1281 | 1. Müdür | Sofia (Sofya) | 1,200 |
| 1865 to 1867AH 1282 to 1283 | 1. Müdür | Skopje (Üsküp) | 1,200 |
| 1867 to 1872AH 1284 to 1288 | 1. Müdür | Pristina (Priştine) | 1,200 |
| 1872 to 1874AH 1289 to 1290 | 1. Müdür | Niš (Niş) | 1,300 |
| 1874/75AH 1291 | 1. Müdür | Ruse (Rusçuk) | 1,300 |
| 1875/76AH 1292 | Müfettiş | Erzurum | 1,750 |
| 1876/77AH 1293 | Müfettiş | Tuna | 1,500 |
| 1877 to 1879AH 1294 to 1296 | Müfettiş | Hudavendigar | 1,200 |
| No annual entry: 1879 to 1882 (AH 1297 to 1299) | |||
| 1882 to 1888AH 1300 to 1305 | Müfettiş | Konya | 2,000 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Death recorded | ||
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1830/31 (AH 1246)
- Birthplace
- Sofia (Sofya)
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Death recorded
- 1888/89 (AH 1306)the year of the annual list with the word Vefat, not a date of death
Education
- Other named school
- Adliye Mektebi (7 years)
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 1 year
- 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
- Bulgarian
- tekellumspeaking
- Russian
- tekellumspeaking
- Turkish
- Kitabetwriting
The glosses are cautious historical readings of the recorded words, not modern levels of proficiency.
First work
- Year
- 1848/49 (AH 1265)
- Place
- Sofia (Sofya)
- First job as worded
- Zaptiye Kalemi
- Age at first work (workbook field)
- 19
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 290
- First-job salary of the original workbook (kuruş a month)
- 290
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 23 officials with entries in Konya in the same years, Mehmet Zeki Efendi had the 5th highest salary.
- Abdülkerim Efendi6 shared years; highest salary 4,500 kuruş
- Odi Efendi6 shared years; highest salary 4,000 kuruş
- İsmail Hakkı Efendi6 shared years; highest salary 1,200 kuruş
- Şekip Feyzi Efendi6 shared years; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Lazari John Efendi6 shared years; highest salary 600 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 44 officials with the title 1. Müdür in the same years, Mehmet Zeki Efendi had the 25th highest salary.
- Mehmet Rasim Efendi8 shared years; highest salary 2,500 kuruş
- Ethem Efendi7 shared years; highest salary 3,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Talat Efendi7 shared years; highest salary 3,000 kuruş
- Süleyman Fevzi Efendi7 shared years; highest salary 3,000 kuruş
- Abdürrahim Efendi7 shared years; highest salary 2,500 kuruş
Same school
Of the 5 officials with Adliye Mektebi among their schools, Mehmet Zeki Efendi had the 2nd highest salary.
- Dokmecizade Haci Osman Efendiborn 1824/25 (AH 1240); highest salary 950 kuruş
- Mehmet Talat Efendiborn 1839/40 (AH 1255); highest salary 3,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Şerif Efendiborn 1846/47 (AH 1263); highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Cemil Efendiborn 1852/53 (AH 1269); highest salary 300 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 20 officials born in Sofia (Sofya), Mehmet Zeki Efendi had the 2nd highest salary.
- Ahmet Tevfik Efendiborn 1848/49 (AH 1265); highest salary 950 kuruş
- Yusuf Efendiborn 1849/50 (AH 1266); highest salary 2,500 kuruş
- Ahmet Cevdet Efendiborn 1851/52 (AH 1268); highest salary 450 kuruş
- Hasan Sezai Efendiborn 1851/52 (AH 1268); highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Hasan Hami Efendiborn 1853/54 (AH 1270); highest salary 1,200 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 19 officials whose first annual entry is for 1856/57 (AH 1273), Mehmet Zeki Efendi had the 12th highest salary.
- Mehmet Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 1,820 kuruş
- Ayvazoğlu Dimitraki Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 4,500 kuruş
- Hüseyin Lebib Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 4,000 kuruş
- Asaf Beyfirst entry in Plovdiv (Filibe); highest salary 3,000 kuruş
- Hüsnü Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 2,600 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (29)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1856/57AH 1273 | Zabita Kitabeti | Kirim | 290 | Other | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 0001_0034; 66 |
| 1857/58AH 1274 | Muhabere Memuru | Sofia (Sofya) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0001_0034; 66 |
| 1858/59AH 1275 | Muhabere Memuru | Sofia (Sofya) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0001_0034; 66 |
| 1860/61AH 1277 | 2. Müdür | Kavala | 1,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0001_0034; 66 |
| 1861/62AH 1278 | 2. Müdür | Kavala | 1,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0001_0034; 66 |
| 1862/63AH 1279 | 2. Müdür | Kavala | 1,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0001_0034; 66 |
| 1863/64AH 1280 | 1. Müdür | Sofia (Sofya) | 1,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0001_0034; 66 |
| 1864/65AH 1281 | 1. Müdür | Sofia (Sofya) | 1,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0001_0034; 66 |
| 1865/66AH 1282 | 1. Müdür | Skopje (Üsküp) | 1,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0001_0034; 66 |
| 1866/67AH 1283 | 1. Müdür | Skopje (Üsküp) | 1,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0001_0034; 66 |
| 1867/68AH 1284 | 1. Müdür | Pristina (Priştine) | 1,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0001_0034; 66 |
| 1868/69AH 1285 | 1. Müdür | Pristina (Priştine) | 1,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0001_0034; 66 |
| 1869/70AH 1286 | 1. Müdür | Pristina (Priştine) | 1,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0001_0034; 66 |
| 1870/71AH 1287 | 1. Müdür | Pristina (Priştine) | 1,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0001_0034; 66 |
| 1871/72AH 1288 | 1. Müdür | Pristina (Priştine) | 1,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0001_0034; 66 |
| 1872/73AH 1289 | 1. Müdür | Niš (Niş) | 1,300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0001_0034; 66 |
| 1873/74AH 1290 | 1. Müdür | Niš (Niş) | 1,300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0001_0034; 66 |
| 1874/75AH 1291 | 1. Müdür | Ruse (Rusçuk) | 1,300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0001_0034; 66 |
| 1875/76AH 1292 | Müfettiş | Erzurum | 1,750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0001_0034; 66 |
| 1876/77AH 1293 | Müfettiş | Tuna | 1,500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0001_0034; 66 |
| 1877/78AH 1294 | Müfettiş | Hudavendigar | 1,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0001_0034; 66 |
| 1878AH 1295 | Müfettiş | Hudavendigar | 1,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0001_0034; 66 |
| 1878/79AH 1296 | Müfettiş | Hudavendigar | 1,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0001_0034; 66 |
| 1882/83AH 1300 | Müfettiş | Konya | 2,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0001_0034; 66 |
| 1883/84AH 1301 | Müfettiş | Konya | 2,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0001_0034; 66 |
| 1884/85AH 1302 | Müfettiş | Konya | 2,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0001_0034; 66 |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Müfettiş | Konya | 2,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0001_0034; 66 |
| 1886/87AH 1304 | Müfettiş | Konya | 2,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0001_0034; 66 |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Müfettiş | Konya | 2,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0001_0034; 66 |
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 (23)
| Field | Recorded value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Name | Mehmet Zeki Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Linked personnel workbook |
| Birth year (AH) | 1246 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace | sofya | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace: district (kaza) | Sofya | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace: sancak | Ruscuk | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace: province (vilayet) | Tuna | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Province of birth | tuna | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| 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 | adliye mektebi | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Years of schooling | 7 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Years of apprenticeship (mülazemet) | 1 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work | ||
| First work: year (AH) | 1265 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Linked personnel workbook |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1849 | Recovered annual personnel extract |
| First work: place | Sofya | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work: district (kaza) | Sofya | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work: sancak | ruscuk | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work: province (vilayet) | tuna | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First job as worded | Zaptiye Kalemi | Linked personnel workbook; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Age at first work (workbook field) | 19 | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First salary field (kuruş a month) | 290 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First-job salary of the original workbook (kuruş a month) | 290 | Linked personnel workbook; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Status | ||
| Death recorded under the year (AH) | 1306 | 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.
- Origin of the record: Post and Telegraph personnel records.
- 16 annual entries of 29 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 Zeki Efendi
- Director of the first grade (1. Müdür)
- Konya
- Sofia (Sofya)
- Adliye Mektebi
- Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- 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)