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Ottoman BureaucracyPeople, places and careers in Ottoman public service

Official

Mehmet Asim Efendi

Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Istanbul (Dersaadet) in 1873/74 (AH 1290). On record 1900 to 1903, 3 annual entries.

Archive reference 114_157; 309

Compare Mehmet Asim Efendi with other officials

Life

Born in Istanbul in 1873/74 (AH 1290) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community, Mehmet Asim Efendi was the child of a tradesman (esnaf). Mehmet Asim had seven years of schooling, at a middle school (Rüşdiye Mektebi).

Work began in Istanbul in 1894/95, at about 21, with six unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 200 kuruş. The first annual entry, for 1900/01, places Mehmet Asim in Devebagirtan as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru). The last posts were in Istanbul in 1901/02 and Tarabya in 1902/03.

The salary never rose above the first in the lists, 200 kuruş a month in 1900/01, as Muhabere Memuru in Devebagirtan, when 8 per cent of paid officials earned less. Over three years the salaries add up to 5,400 kuruş, 30 per cent of what an official on the median salary earned. The last annual entry is for 1902/03.

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.

All 4 stops
birthplaceplace of annual entriesmove, with the year of the first entry there
1900/011901/021234IstanbulDevebagirtanTarabya

  1. Istanbul (Dersaadet)

    Born 1873/74 (AH 1290); First work 1894/95 (AH 1312)

  2. Devebagirtan

    1900/01 (AH 1318)

    Muhabere Memuru

    200 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year

  3. Istanbul (Dersaadet)

    1901/02 (AH 1319)

    Muhabere Memuru

    100 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year

  4. Tarabya

    1902/03 (AH 1320)

    Muhabere Memuru

    150 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year

Career and salary

Monthly salary by year, kuruşsalary of the yearyears with one job titleno annual entry
0501001502001900/01AH 13181901/02AH 13191902/03AH 1320200 kuruşMuhabere Memuru
Salary against the medians of the same year
1002005001900/01AH 13181901/02AH 13191902/03AH 1320This officialMedian, all officialsMedian, same title

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
Salary of Mehmet Asim Efendi against the medians of the same year, kuruş a month
YearSalaryMedian, all officialsMedian, same titlePaid less
1900/012005004008%
1901/021005004001%
1902/031505003805%

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.

Career of Mehmet Asim Efendi, one row per stage
YearsTitlePlaceSalary (kuruş a month)
1894/95AH 1312First workIstanbul (Dersaadet)200first-salary field
1900/01AH 1318Muhabere MemuruDevebagirtan200
1901/02AH 1319Muhabere MemuruIstanbul (Dersaadet)100
1902/03AH 1320Muhabere MemuruTarabya150

Record

Personal

Born
1873/74 (AH 1290)
Community
Muslim (Müslüman)
Nationality as recorded
Turkish
Father's occupation
Esnaf

Education

Rüşdiye
Rüşdiye Mektebi (7 years)rüşdiye school (middle school)
Unpaid years (mülazemet)
6 years
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

Turkish
Kitabetwriting

The glosses are cautious historical readings of the recorded words, not modern levels of proficiency.

First work

Year
1894/95 (AH 1312)
First salary field (kuruş a month)
200

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 2 officials with entries in Devebagirtan in the same years, Mehmet Asim Efendi had the lowest salary.

All 14 officials with entries in Devebagirtan

Same job title, same years

Of the 1,064 officials with the title Muhabere Memuru in the same years, Mehmet Asim Efendi had the 1,002nd highest salary.

All 3,162 officials with the title Muhabere Memuru

Same school

Of the 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi among their schools, 3,200 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Asim Efendi had the 2,739th highest salary of them.

All 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi

Same birthplace

Of the 1,999 officials born in Istanbul, 1,997 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Asim Efendi had the 1,627th highest salary of them.

The page of Istanbul, with the 1,999 officials born there

First annual entry in the same year

Of the 140 officials whose first annual entry is for 1900/01 (AH 1318), 139 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Asim Efendi had the 112th highest salary of them.

Full record

Annual entries (3)

Annual entries of Mehmet Asim Efendi
YearTitlePlaceKuruş a monthInstitutionSourceArchive reference
1900/01AH 1318Muhabere MemuruDevebagirtan200Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract114_157; 309
1901/02AH 1319Muhabere MemuruIstanbul (Dersaadet)100Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract114_157; 309
1902/03AH 1320Muhabere MemuruTarabya150Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract114_157; 309
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)

Recorded values of Mehmet Asim Efendi with their sources
FieldRecorded valueSource
Identity
NameMehmet Asim EfendiPersonnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Birth year (AH)1290Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
BirthplacedersaadetRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Province of birthdersaadetRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Father's occupationEsnafRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
ReligionMuslumanRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Nationality or communityTurkishRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Schooling
SchoolRusdiye MektebiRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Years of schooling7Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Years of apprenticeship (mülazemet)6Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
First work
First work: year (AH)1312Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
First work: Gregorian year as stored1894Recovered annual personnel extract
First work: placeistanbulRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
First salary field (kuruş a month)200Recovered 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.
  • 3 annual entries of 3 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