Skip to content
Ottoman BureaucracyPeople, places and careers in Ottoman public service

Official

Mehmet Efendi

Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Trikala (Tırhala) in 1883/84 (AH 1301). On record 1902 to 1905, 3 annual entries.

Archive reference 116_127; 251

Compare Mehmet Efendi with other officials

Life

Mehmet Efendi was born in Trikala (Tırhala) in 1883/84 (AH 1301) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community; the father was a district governor or lieutenant colonel (kaymakam). Schooling took seven years, at a middle school (Rüşdiye Mektebi); Mehmet also held a qualification (a diploma, certificate, training or decoration).

At about 18, in 1902/03, Mehmet began work in Istanbul, paid from the start, on 100 kuruş a month. Every annual entry from 1902/03 to 1904/05 places Mehmet in the same office, control office (Kontrol Kalemi), in Istanbul.

Pay rose from 100 kuruş a month in 1902/03 to a peak of 150 in 1903/04, in the Kontrol Kalemi in Istanbul, when 4 per cent of paid officials earned less. In all, three years of salary come to 4,800 kuruş, 28 per cent of what an official on the median salary earned in those years. The last annual entry is for 1904/05.

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 2 stops
birthplacefirst workplace of annual entriesmove, with the year of the first entry there
1902/0312TrikalaIstanbul

  1. Trikala (Tırhala)

    Born 1883/84 (AH 1301)

  2. Istanbul (Dersaadet)

    First work 1902/03 (AH 1320); 1902 to 1905 (AH 1320 to 1322)

    Kontrol Kalemi

    100 to 150 kuruş a month; entries in 3 years

Career and salary

Monthly salary by year, kuruşsalary of the yearyears with one job titleno annual entry
0501001501902/03AH 13201903/04AH 13211904/05AH 1322150 kuruşKontrol Kalemi
Salary against the medians of the same year
1002005001902/03AH 13201903/04AH 13211904/05AH 1322This 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 Efendi against the medians of the same year, kuruş a month
YearSalaryMedian, all officialsMedian, same titlePaid less
1902/031005003001%
1903/041504752604%
1904/051504502105%

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 Efendi, one row per stage
YearsTitlePlaceSalary (kuruş a month)
1902/03AH 1320First workIstanbul (Dersaadet)100first-salary field
1902 to 1905AH 1320 to 1322Kontrol Kalemi
3 entries
YearSalary
1902/03100
1903/04150
1904/05150
Istanbul (Dersaadet)100 to 150

Record

Personal

Born
1883/84 (AH 1301)
Community
Muslim (Müslüman)
Nationality as recorded
Turkish
Father's occupation
Kaymakam

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
1902/03 (AH 1320)
First salary field (kuruş a month)
100

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 724 officials with entries in Istanbul in the same years, Mehmet Efendi had the 625th highest salary.

All 1,750 officials with entries in Istanbul

Same job title, same years

Of the 40 officials with the title Kontrol Kalemi in the same years, Mehmet Efendi had the 34th highest salary.

All 104 officials with the title Kontrol Kalemi

Same school

Of the 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi among their schools, 3,200 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Efendi had the 2,922nd highest salary of them.

All 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi

Same birthplace

Of the 9 officials born in Trikala (Tırhala), Mehmet Efendi had the lowest salary.

The page of Trikala (Tırhala), with the 9 officials born there

First annual entry in the same year

Of the 168 officials whose first annual entry is for 1902/03 (AH 1320), Mehmet Efendi had the 140th highest salary.

Full record

Annual entries (3)

Annual entries of Mehmet Efendi
YearTitlePlaceKuruş a monthInstitutionSourceArchive reference
1902/03AH 1320Kontrol KalemiIstanbul (Dersaadet)100Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract116_127; 251
1903/04AH 1321Kontrol KalemiIstanbul (Dersaadet)150Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract116_127; 251
1904/05AH 1322Kontrol KalemiIstanbul (Dersaadet)150Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract116_127; 251
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 Efendi with their sources
FieldRecorded valueSource
Identity
NameMehmet EfendiPersonnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Birth year (AH)1301Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
BirthplacetirhalaRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Province of birthyanyaRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Father's occupationKaymakamRecovered 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)0Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
First work
First work: year (AH)1320Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
First work: Gregorian year as stored1902Recovered annual personnel extract
First work: placeistanbulRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
First salary field (kuruş a month)100Recovered 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