Official
Mehmet Ali Bey
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Istanbul (Dersaadet) in 1852/53 (AH 1269). On record 1877 to 1909, 33 annual entries.
Archive reference 37_26; 49
Life#
Mehmet Ali Bey was born in Istanbul in 1852/53 (AH 1269) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community; the father was an official (memur). At about 20, in 1873/74, Mehmet Ali began work in Istanbul, with four unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 60 kuruş. The annual lists begin in 1877/78, with Mehmet Ali as an official (Memur) in Istanbul, the birthplace, where the entries run to 1895/96. From 1896 to 1909 the annual entries place Mehmet Ali in Babiali, first as a director of the second grade (2. Müdür), from 1897/98 as a director of the first grade (1. Müdür) and from 1899/1900 as a director (Müdür).
The salary went from 100 kuruş a month in 1877/78 to 2,200 in 1901/02, the peak, as Müdür in Babiali, when 97 per cent of paid officials earned less. In all, 33 years of salary come to 448,200 kuruş, 2.3 times what an official on the median salary earned in those years, a level reached by fewer than 7 per cent of the 3,805 officials paid for five years or more. Pay rose to 22 times the first salary; fewer than 4 per cent of the 2,859 officials paid for ten years or more rose as far. The final 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 1852/53 (AH 1269); First work 1873/74 (AH 1290); 1877 to 1896 (AH 1294 to 1313)
Memur 1877 to 1895 (AH 1294 to 1312); Müdür Muavini 1895/96 (AH 1313)
100 to 1,050 kuruş a month; entries in 20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1877/78 | 100 | 560 | 400 | 0% |
| 1878 | 300 | 600 | 450 | 8% |
| 1878/79 | 300 | 600 | 500 | 9% |
| 1879/80 | 240 | 500 | 380 | 9% |
| 1880/81 | 300 | 500 | 350 | 15% |
| 1881/82 | 450 | 500 | 390 | 40% |
| 1882/83 | 450 | 500 | 400 | 37% |
| 1883/84 | 550 | 500 | 425 | 57% |
| 1884/85 | 550 | 500 | 400 | 56% |
| 1885/86 | 650 | 500 | 500 | 70% |
| 1886/87 | 650 | 500 | 400 | 71% |
| 1887/88 | 800 | 500 | 300 | 76% |
| 1888/89 | 800 | 500 | 375 | 77% |
| 1889/90 | 800 | 500 | 300 | 78% |
| 1890/91 | 800 | 500 | 285 | 79% |
| 1891/92 | 800 | 500 | 200 | 79% |
| 1892/93 | 850 | 500 | 200 | 85% |
| 1893/94 | 950 | 500 | 225 | 87% |
| 1894/95 | 950 | 500 | 268.5 | 87% |
| 1895/96 | 1,050 | 500 | 1,025 | 89% |
| 1896/97 | 1,035 | 500 | 765 | 90% |
| 1897/98 | 1,325 | 500 | 1,350 | 94% |
| 1898/99 | 1,500 | 500 | 1,350 | 95% |
| 1899/1900 | 1,650 | 500 | 1,900 | 96% |
| 1900/01 | 1,900 | 500 | 2,000 | 96% |
| 1901/02 | 2,200 | 500 | 2,000 | 97% |
| 1902/03 | 2,200 | 500 | 2,000 | 97% |
| 1903/04 | 2,200 | 475 | 1,750 | 97% |
| 1904/05 | 2,200 | 450 | 2,000 | 97% |
| 1905/06 | 2,200 | 475 | 2,200 | 96% |
| 1906/07 | 2,200 | 450 | 2,225 | 95% |
| 1907/08 | 2,200 | 300 | 93% | |
| 1908/09 | 2,200 | 350 | 91% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1873/74AH 1290 | First work | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 60first-salary field |
| 1877 to 1895AH 1294 to 1312 | Memur | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 100 to 950 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Müdür Muavini | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,050 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | 2. Müdür | Babiali | 1,035 |
| 1897 to 1899AH 1315 to 1316 | 1. Müdür | Babiali | 1,325 to 1,500 |
| 1899 to 1909AH 1317 to 1326 | Müdür | Babiali | 1,650 to 2,200 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1852/53 (AH 1269)
- Birthplace
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- Memur
Education
- Rüşdiye
- Rüşdiye Mektebi (7 years)rüşdiye school (middle school)
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 4 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
- French
- Kitabetwriting
- Turkish
- Kitabetwriting
The glosses are cautious historical readings of the recorded words, not modern levels of proficiency.
First work
- Year
- 1873/74 (AH 1290)
- Place
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 60
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 1,009 officials with entries in Istanbul in the same years, Mehmet Ali Bey had the 147th highest salary.
- Emil Efendi20 shared years; highest salary 9,000 kuruş
- Salahattin Bey20 shared years; highest salary 7,800 kuruş
- Suleyman Resat Bey20 shared years; highest salary 7,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Hayri Bey20 shared years; highest salary 5,500 kuruş
- Melkok Efendi20 shared years; highest salary 5,000 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 169 officials with the title Memur in the same years, Mehmet Ali Bey had the 7th highest salary.
- Mehmet Safvet Efendi19 shared years; highest salary 650 kuruş
- Ohannes Papasyan Efendi18 shared years; highest salary 2,000 kuruş
- Hasan Sıtkı Efendi18 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Hüseyin Hüsnü Efendi16 shared years; highest salary 900 kuruş
- Mehmet Raif Efendi16 shared years; highest salary 650 kuruş
Same school
Of the 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi among their schools, 3,200 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Ali Bey had the 81st highest salary of them.
- Abdülhamit Efendiborn 1852/53 (AH 1269); highest salary 440 kuruş
- Ali Galip Efendiborn 1852/53 (AH 1269); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Ali Raif Efendiborn 1852/53 (AH 1269); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Ali Rıza Efendiborn 1852/53 (AH 1269); highest salary 3,150 kuruş
- Ali Riza Efendiborn 1852/53 (AH 1269); highest salary 400 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 1,999 officials born in Istanbul, 1,997 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Ali Bey had the 135th highest salary of them.
- Abdurrahman Serafettin Efendiborn 1852/53 (AH 1269); highest salary 25,000 kuruş
- Ahmet Muhtar Efendiborn 1852/53 (AH 1269); highest salary 2,500 kuruş
- Ahmet Refet Efendiborn 1852/53 (AH 1269); highest salary 3,000 kuruş
- Ali Galip Efendiborn 1852/53 (AH 1269); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Ali Rıza Efendiborn 1852/53 (AH 1269); highest salary 1,200 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 118 officials whose first annual entry is for 1877/78 (AH 1294), Mehmet Ali Bey had the 4th highest salary.
- Abdülhamit Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 440 kuruş
- Mehmet Ziya Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 450 kuruş
- Mustafa Asim Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 1,200 kuruş
- Mehmet Enver Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Mehmet Sait Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 1,250 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (33)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1877/78AH 1294 | Memur | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 100 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_26; 49 |
| 1878AH 1295 | Memur | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_26; 49 |
| 1878/79AH 1296 | Memur | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_26; 49 |
| 1879/80AH 1297 | Memur | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 240 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_26; 49 |
| 1880/81AH 1298 | Memur | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_26; 49 |
| 1881/82AH 1299 | Memur | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 450 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_26; 49 |
| 1882/83AH 1300 | Memur | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 450 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_26; 49 |
| 1883/84AH 1301 | Memur | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 550 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_26; 49 |
| 1884/85AH 1302 | Memur | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 550 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_26; 49 |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Memur | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 650 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_26; 49 |
| 1886/87AH 1304 | Memur | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 650 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_26; 49 |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Memur | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_26; 49 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Memur | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_26; 49 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Memur | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_26; 49 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Memur | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_26; 49 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Memur | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_26; 49 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Memur | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 850 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_26; 49 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Memur | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 950 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_26; 49 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Memur | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 950 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_26; 49 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Müdür Muavini | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,050 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_26; 49 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | 2. Müdür | Babiali | 1,035 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_26; 49 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | 1. Müdür | Babiali | 1,325 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_26; 49 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | 1. Müdür | Babiali | 1,500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_26; 49 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | Müdür | Babiali | 1,650 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_26; 49 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | Müdür | Babiali | 1,900 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_26; 49 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | Müdür | Babiali | 2,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_26; 49 |
| 1902/03AH 1320 | Müdür | Babiali | 2,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_26; 49 |
| 1903/04AH 1321 | Müdür | Babiali | 2,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_26; 49 |
| 1904/05AH 1322 | Müdür | Babiali | 2,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_26; 49 |
| 1905/06AH 1323 | Müdür | Babiali | 2,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_26; 49 |
| 1906/07AH 1324 | Müdür | Babiali | 2,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_26; 49 |
| 1907/08AH 1325 | Müdür | Babiali | 2,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_26; 49 |
| 1908/09AH 1326 | Müdür | Babiali | 2,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_26; 49 |
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 Ali Bey | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1269 | 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 | Memur | 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) | 4 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work | ||
| First work: year (AH) | 1290 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1873 | 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) | 60 | 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.
- 30 annual entries of 33 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
- Official (Memur)
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Rüşdiye school (Rüşdiye Mektebi)
- Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Director (Müdür)
- 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)