Official
Mehmet Vehbi Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Istanbul (Dersaadet) in 1846/47 (AH 1263). On record 1870 to 1909, 40 annual entries.
Archive reference 8_29; 53_54
Life#
Born in Istanbul in 1846/47 (AH 1263), Mehmet Vehbi Efendi came from the Muslim (Müslüman) community; the father was an imam. Mehmet Vehbi had seven years of schooling, at a middle school (Rüşdiye Mektebi), and held a qualification (a diploma, certificate, training or decoration).
Work began in Istanbul in 1865/66, at about 18, paid from the start, on 350 kuruş a month. The first annual entry, for 1870/71, places Mehmet Vehbi in Istanbul, the birthplace, in the dispatch office (Sevk Kalemi), where the entries run to 1878/79. From 1879 to 1909 the annual entries place Mehmet Vehbi in Mabeyni humayun, first as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru), from 1882/83 as Mabeyni Humayun Telgraf Muduru.
The salary went from 150 kuruş a month in 1870/71 to 6,400 in 1908/09, the peak, as Mabeyni Humayun Telgraf Muduru in Mabeyni humayun, when 99 per cent of paid officials earned less. Over 40 years the salaries add up to 1,418,220 kuruş, 5.9 times what an official on the median salary earned, a level reached by 34 of the 3,805 officials paid for five years or more. Pay rose to 42.7 times the first salary; only 43 of the 2,859 officials paid for ten years or more rose as far. The last annual entry is for 1908/09.
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 1846/47 (AH 1263); First work 1865/66 (AH 1282); 1870 to 1879 (AH 1287 to 1296)
150 to 800 kuruş a month; entries in 10 years
1879 to 1909 (AH 1297 to 1326)
Muhabere Memuru 1879 to 1882 (AH 1297 to 1299); Mabeyni Humayun Telgraf Muduru 1882 to 1909 (AH 1300 to 1326)
760 to 6,400 kuruş a month; entries in 30 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.
The numbers of the chart
| Year | Salary | Median, all officials | Median, same title | Paid less |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870/71 | 150 | 600 | 467 | 2% |
| 1871/72 | 200 | 550 | 560 | 6% |
| 1872/73 | 500 | 550 | 600 | 44% |
| 1873/74 | 500 | 500 | 375 | 44% |
| 1874/75 | 695 | 535 | 400 | 60% |
| 1875/76 | 750 | 530 | 350 | 64% |
| 1876/77 | 800 | 582.5 | 375 | 67% |
| 1877/78 | 800 | 560 | 400 | 68% |
| 1878 | 800 | 600 | 400 | 65% |
| 1878/79 | 800 | 600 | 400 | 66% |
| 1879/80 | 760 | 500 | 380 | 74% |
| 1880/81 | 1,000 | 500 | 400 | 84% |
| 1881/82 | 1,000 | 500 | 400 | 84% |
| 1882/83 | 2,000 | 500 | 92% | |
| 1883/84 | 2,000 | 500 | 92% | |
| 1884/85 | 2,000 | 500 | 92% | |
| 1885/86 | 2,000 | 500 | 93% | |
| 1886/87 | 2,000 | 500 | 93% | |
| 1887/88 | 2,000 | 500 | 93% | |
| 1888/89 | 2,750 | 500 | 97% | |
| 1889/90 | 2,750 | 500 | 97% | |
| 1890/91 | 3,000 | 500 | 97% | |
| 1891/92 | 3,000 | 500 | 97% | |
| 1892/93 | 3,000 | 500 | 98% | |
| 1893/94 | 3,000 | 500 | 98% | |
| 1894/95 | 3,500 | 500 | 98% | |
| 1895/96 | 4,150 | 500 | 99% | |
| 1896/97 | 3,915 | 500 | 99% | |
| 1897/98 | 3,915 | 500 | 99% | |
| 1898/99 | 5,000 | 500 | 99% | |
| 1899/1900 | 5,000 | 500 | 99% | |
| 1900/01 | 5,000 | 500 | 99% | |
| 1901/02 | 6,150 | 500 | 99% | |
| 1902/03 | 6,150 | 500 | 99% | |
| 1903/04 | 6,150 | 475 | 99% | |
| 1904/05 | 6,150 | 450 | 99% | |
| 1905/06 | 6,150 | 475 | 99% | |
| 1906/07 | 6,150 | 450 | 99% | |
| 1907/08 | 6,150 | 300 | 99% | |
| 1908/09 | 6,400 | 350 | 99% |
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 | First work | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 350first-salary field |
| 1870 to 1879AH 1287 to 1296 | Sevk Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 150 to 800 |
| 1879 to 1882AH 1297 to 1299 | Muhabere Memuru | Mabeyni humayun | 760 to 1,000 |
| 1882 to 1909AH 1300 to 1326 | Mabeyni Humayun Telgraf Muduru | Mabeyni humayun | 2,000 to 6,400 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1846/47 (AH 1263)
- Birthplace
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- imam
Education
- Rüşdiye
- Rüşdiye Mektebi (7 years)rüşdiye school (middle school)
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 0 years
- Preparation route (classification of the paper)
- Middle
- Qualification (diploma, certificate, training or nişan)
- Yes
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
- 1865/66 (AH 1282)
- Place
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 350
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 20 officials with entries in Mabeyni humayun in the same years, Mehmet Vehbi Efendi had the highest salary.
- Mehmet Arif Efendi29 shared years; highest salary 3,600 kuruş
- Mehmet Hulusi Bey27 shared years; highest salary 2,600 kuruş
- Ahmet Hakki Efendi22 shared years; highest salary 2,500 kuruş
- Hasan Tevfik Efendi18 shared years; highest salary 1,600 kuruş
- Ali Şevket Efendi18 shared years; highest salary 1,450 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 30 officials with the title Sevk Kalemi in the same years, Mehmet Vehbi Efendi had the highest salary.
- Mehmet Reşit Efendi10 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Bekir Efendi10 shared years; highest salary 750 kuruş
- Mehmet Şükrü Bey9 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Mehmet Cemal Efendi8 shared years; highest salary 750 kuruş
- Ahmet Şakir Efendi7 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
Same school
Of the 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi among their schools, 3,200 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Vehbi Efendi had the 7th highest salary of them.
- Abdullah Hilmi Efendiborn 1846/47 (AH 1263); highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Abdullah Hilmi Efendiborn 1846/47 (AH 1263); highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Ahmet Besim Efendiborn 1846/47 (AH 1263); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Ahmet Hamdi Efendiborn 1846/47 (AH 1263); highest salary 800 kuruş
- Ahmet Reşid Beyborn 1846/47 (AH 1263); highest salary 1,200 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 1,999 officials born in Istanbul, 1,997 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Vehbi Efendi had the 19th highest salary of them.
- Ahmet Faik Efendiborn 1846/47 (AH 1263); highest salary 1,170 kuruş
- Ahmet Hamdi Efendiborn 1846/47 (AH 1263); highest salary 800 kuruş
- Ahmet Reşid Beyborn 1846/47 (AH 1263); highest salary 1,200 kuruş
- Avadis Şalcıyan Efendiborn 1846/47 (AH 1263); highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Cemal Efendiborn 1846/47 (AH 1263); highest salary 1,000 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 66 officials whose first annual entry is for 1870/71 (AH 1287), Mehmet Vehbi Efendi had the highest salary.
- David Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 975 kuruş
- Afif Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Enver Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 950 kuruş
- İbrahim Sarim Beyfirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 3,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Şükrü Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 2,500 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (40)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870/71AH 1287 | Sevk Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 150 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_29; 53_54 |
| 1871/72AH 1288 | Sevk Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_29; 53_54 |
| 1872/73AH 1289 | Sevk Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_29; 53_54 |
| 1873/74AH 1290 | Sevk Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_29; 53_54 |
| 1874/75AH 1291 | Sevk Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 695 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_29; 53_54 |
| 1875/76AH 1292 | Sevk Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_29; 53_54 |
| 1876/77AH 1293 | Sevk Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_29; 53_54 |
| 1877/78AH 1294 | Sevk Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_29; 53_54 |
| 1878AH 1295 | Sevk Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_29; 53_54 |
| 1878/79AH 1296 | Sevk Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_29; 53_54 |
| 1879/80AH 1297 | Muhabere Memuru | Mabeyni humayun | 760 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_29; 53_54 |
| 1880/81AH 1298 | Muhabere Memuru | Mabeyni humayun | 1,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_29; 53_54 |
| 1881/82AH 1299 | Muhabere Memuru | Mabeyni humayun | 1,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_29; 53_54 |
| 1882/83AH 1300 | Mabeyni Humayun Telgraf Muduru | Mabeyni humayun | 2,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_29; 53_54 |
| 1883/84AH 1301 | Mabeyni Humayun Telgraf Muduru | Mabeyni humayun | 2,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_29; 53_54 |
| 1884/85AH 1302 | Mabeyni Humayun Telgraf Muduru | Mabeyni humayun | 2,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_29; 53_54 |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Mabeyni Humayun Telgraf Muduru | Mabeyni humayun | 2,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_29; 53_54 |
| 1886/87AH 1304 | Mabeyni Humayun Telgraf Muduru | Mabeyni humayun | 2,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_29; 53_54 |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Mabeyni Humayun Telgraf Muduru | Mabeyni humayun | 2,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_29; 53_54 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Mabeyni Humayun Telgraf Muduru | Mabeyni humayun | 2,750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_29; 53_54 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Mabeyni Humayun Telgraf Muduru | Mabeyni humayun | 2,750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_29; 53_54 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Mabeyni Humayun Telgraf Muduru | Mabeyni humayun | 3,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_29; 53_54 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Mabeyni Humayun Telgraf Muduru | Mabeyni humayun | 3,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_29; 53_54 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Mabeyni Humayun Telgraf Muduru | Mabeyni humayun | 3,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_29; 53_54 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Mabeyni Humayun Telgraf Muduru | Mabeyni humayun | 3,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_29; 53_54 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Mabeyni Humayun Telgraf Muduru | Mabeyni humayun | 3,500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_29; 53_54 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Mabeyni Humayun Telgraf Muduru | Mabeyni humayun | 4,150 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_29; 53_54 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Mabeyni Humayun Telgraf Muduru | Mabeyni humayun | 3,915 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_29; 53_54 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | Mabeyni Humayun Telgraf Muduru | Mabeyni humayun | 3,915 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_29; 53_54 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Mabeyni Humayun Telgraf Muduru | Mabeyni humayun | 5,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_29; 53_54 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | Mabeyni Humayun Telgraf Muduru | Mabeyni humayun | 5,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_29; 53_54 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | Mabeyni Humayun Telgraf Muduru | Mabeyni humayun | 5,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_29; 53_54 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | Mabeyni Humayun Telgraf Muduru | Mabeyni humayun | 6,150 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_29; 53_54 |
| 1902/03AH 1320 | Mabeyni Humayun Telgraf Muduru | Mabeyni humayun | 6,150 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_29; 53_54 |
| 1903/04AH 1321 | Mabeyni Humayun Telgraf Muduru | Mabeyni humayun | 6,150 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_29; 53_54 |
| 1904/05AH 1322 | Mabeyni Humayun Telgraf Muduru | Mabeyni humayun | 6,150 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_29; 53_54 |
| 1905/06AH 1323 | Mabeyni Humayun Telgraf Muduru | Mabeyni humayun | 6,150 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_29; 53_54 |
| 1906/07AH 1324 | Mabeyni Humayun Telgraf Muduru | Mabeyni humayun | 6,150 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_29; 53_54 |
| 1907/08AH 1325 | Mabeyni Humayun Telgraf Muduru | Mabeyni humayun | 6,150 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_29; 53_54 |
| 1908/09AH 1326 | Mabeyni Humayun Telgraf Muduru | Mabeyni humayun | 6,400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_29; 53_54 |
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 (14)
| Field | Recorded value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Name | Mehmet Vehbi Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1263 | 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 | imam | 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 |
| Years of apprenticeship (mülazemet) | 0 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work | ||
| First work: year (AH) | 1282 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1865 | 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) | 350 | 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.
- 37 annual entries of 40 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 Vehbi Efendi
- Mabeyni Humayun Telgraf Muduru
- Mabeyni humayun
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Rüşdiye school (Rüşdiye 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)