Official
Mehmet Zühtü Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Istanbul (Dersaadet) in 1856/57 (AH 1273). On record 1873 to 1893, 19 annual entries. Death recorded 1893/94.
Archive reference 0034_0120; 237
Life#
Born in Istanbul in 1856/57 (AH 1273) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community, Mehmet Zühtü Efendi was the child of a telegraph official (telgraf memuru). Mehmet Zühtü had seven years of schooling, at a middle school (Rüşdiye Mektebi), and attended the telegraph school as well.
Work began in Istanbul in 1871/72, at about 15, with two unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 380 kuruş. The first annual entry, for 1873/74, places Mehmet Zühtü in Çeşme as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru). Next came six places in eight years, from Izmir (İzmir) to Kırklareli, then a return to Edirne from 1881 to 1883, with a rise to assistant inspector (Müfettiş Muavini). The annual lists then follow Mehmet Zühtü to Kosova from 1883 to 1890. The last posts were in Edirne in 1890/91 and Istanbul in 1891/92 and Erzincan in 1892/93. Few officials served in as many places; fewer than 4 per cent of the 5,200 officials with a place of service did.
The salary went from 380 kuruş a month in 1873/74 to 2,000 in 1892/93, the peak, as Müfettiş in Erzincan, when 96 per cent of paid officials earned less. The last annual entry is for 1892/93; the list of 1893/94 (AH 1311) 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.
Born 1856/57 (AH 1273); First work 1871/72 (AH 1288)
1876/77 (AH 1293)
No annual entry for 1875/76 (AH 1292) before it.
500 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year
1878 (AH 1295)
No annual entry for 1877/78 (AH 1294) before it.
600 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year
Death recorded in the annual list of 1893/94 (AH 1311): 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1873/74 | 380 | 500 | 400 | 18% |
| 1874/75 | 450 | 535 | 450 | 32% |
| 1876/77 | 500 | 582.5 | 410 | 36% |
| 1878 | 600 | 600 | 600 | 46% |
| 1878/79 | 600 | 600 | 600 | 47% |
| 1879/80 | 475 | 500 | 42% | |
| 1880/81 | 500 | 500 | 600 | 47% |
| 1881/82 | 1,200 | 500 | 86% | |
| 1882/83 | 1,200 | 500 | 1,200 | 86% |
| 1883/84 | 1,200 | 500 | 1,200 | 86% |
| 1884/85 | 1,200 | 500 | 1,200 | 86% |
| 1885/86 | 1,200 | 500 | 1,200 | 87% |
| 1886/87 | 1,200 | 500 | 1,200 | 87% |
| 1887/88 | 1,200 | 500 | 1,200 | 87% |
| 1888/89 | 1,200 | 500 | 1,200 | 87% |
| 1889/90 | 1,200 | 500 | 1,200 | 88% |
| 1890/91 | 1,200 | 500 | 1,200 | 89% |
| 1891/92 | 1,750 | 500 | 1,200 | 95% |
| 1892/93 | 2,000 | 500 | 2,000 | 96% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1871/72AH 1288 | First work | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 380first-salary field |
| 1873/74AH 1290 | Muhabere Memuru | Çeşme | 380 |
| 1874/75AH 1291 | Muhabere Memuru | Izmir (İzmir) | 450 |
| No annual entry: 1875/76 (AH 1292) | |||
| 1876/77AH 1293 | Muhabere Memuru | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 500 |
| No annual entry: 1877/78 (AH 1294) | |||
| 1878AH 1295 | Seyyar Memur | Çatalca | 600 |
| 1878/79AH 1296 | Seyyar Memur | Edirne | 600 |
| 1879/80AH 1297 | Seyyar Memur | Pınarhisar | 475 |
| 1880/81AH 1298 | 3. Müdür | Kırklareli | 500 |
| 1881 to 1883AH 1299 to 1300 | Müfettiş Muavini | Edirne | 1,200 |
| 1883 to 1890AH 1301 to 1307 | Müfettiş Muavini | Kosova | 1,200 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Müfettiş Muavini | Edirne | 1,200 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Müfettiş Muavini | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,750 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Müfettiş | Erzincan | 2,000 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Death recorded | ||
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1856/57 (AH 1273)
- Birthplace
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- Telgraf Memuru
- Death recorded
- 1893/94 (AH 1311)the year of the annual list with the word Vefat, not a date of death
Education
- Rüşdiye
- Rüşdiye Mektebi (7 years)rüşdiye school (middle school)
- Higher or professional
- Telgraf Mektebitelegraph school; recorded as a code
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 2 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
- 1871/72 (AH 1288)
- Place
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 380
Legal records
- Legal record note as worded
- adem-i imtizacı / İzmir Telgrafhanesi'nden adem-i imtizacı sebebiyle azledilmiştir.; Memuriyete Uymayan Hal ve Hareketler
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 16 officials with entries in Kosova in the same years, Mehmet Zühtü Efendi had the 2nd highest salary.
- İbrahim Vehbi Efendi7 shared years; highest salary 1,480 kuruş
- Ahmet Cavit Bey6 shared years; highest salary 3,000 kuruş
- Adil Efendi6 shared years; highest salary 400 kuruş
- Cemil Efendi4 shared years; highest salary 900 kuruş
- Eyüp Sabri Efendi3 shared years; highest salary 650 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 30 officials with the title Müfettiş Muavini in the same years, Mehmet Zühtü Efendi had the 6th highest salary.
- Mehmet Şakir Efendi11 shared years; highest salary 2,700 kuruş
- Mustafa İsmet Efendi10 shared years; highest salary 1,350 kuruş
- Mustafa Tıfli Efendi10 shared years; highest salary 1,300 kuruş
- Mahmut Aziz Efendi10 shared years; highest salary 1,200 kuruş
- Mehmet İzzet Efendi10 shared years; highest salary 1,200 kuruş
Same school
Of the 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi among their schools, 3,200 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Zühtü Efendi had the 86th highest salary of them.
- Abdurrahman Rüştü Efendiborn 1856/57 (AH 1273); highest salary 760 kuruş
- Ahmet Bican Efendiborn 1856/57 (AH 1273); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Ahmet Efendiborn 1856/57 (AH 1273); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Ahmet Efendiborn 1856/57 (AH 1273); highest salary 200 kuruş
- Ahmet Hilmi Efendiborn 1856/57 (AH 1273); highest salary 400 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 1,999 officials born in Istanbul, 1,997 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Zühtü Efendi had the 139th highest salary of them.
- Abdurrahman Rüştü Efendiborn 1856/57 (AH 1273); highest salary 760 kuruş
- Ahmet Rifat Efendiborn 1856/57 (AH 1273); highest salary 400 kuruş
- Alfo Efendiborn 1856/57 (AH 1273); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Ali Beyborn 1856/57 (AH 1273); highest salary 1,400 kuruş
- Ali Nuri Efendiborn 1856/57 (AH 1273); highest salary 440 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 69 officials whose first annual entry is for 1873/74 (AH 1290), Mehmet Zühtü Efendi had the 9th highest salary.
- Dimitri Altunyadi Efendifirst entry in Çeşme; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Ali Beyfirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 1,400 kuruş
- Mehmet Halid Efendifirst entry in Yeniköy; highest salary 690 kuruş
- Mustafa Mazlum Efendifirst entry in Sivas; highest salary 380 kuruş
- Hasan Efendifirst entry in Basra; highest salary 900 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (19)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1873/74AH 1290 | Muhabere Memuru | Çeşme | 380 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0120; 237 |
| 1874/75AH 1291 | Muhabere Memuru | Izmir (İzmir) | 450 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0120; 237 |
| 1876/77AH 1293 | Muhabere Memuru | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0120; 237 |
| 1878AH 1295 | Seyyar Memur | Çatalca | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0120; 237 |
| 1878/79AH 1296 | Seyyar Memur | Edirne | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0120; 237 |
| 1879/80AH 1297 | Seyyar Memur | Pınarhisar | 475 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0120; 237 |
| 1880/81AH 1298 | 3. Müdür | Kırklareli | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0120; 237 |
| 1881/82AH 1299 | Müfettiş Muavini | Edirne | 1,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0120; 237 |
| 1882/83AH 1300 | Müfettiş Muavini | Edirne | 1,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0120; 237 |
| 1883/84AH 1301 | Müfettiş Muavini | Kosova | 1,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0120; 237 |
| 1884/85AH 1302 | Müfettiş Muavini | Kosova | 1,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0120; 237 |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Müfettiş Muavini | Kosova | 1,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0120; 237 |
| 1886/87AH 1304 | Müfettiş Muavini | Kosova | 1,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0120; 237 |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Müfettiş Muavini | Kosova | 1,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0120; 237 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Müfettiş Muavini | Kosova | 1,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0120; 237 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Müfettiş Muavini | Kosova | 1,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0120; 237 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Müfettiş Muavini | Edirne | 1,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0120; 237 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Müfettiş Muavini | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0120; 237 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Müfettiş | Erzincan | 2,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0120; 237 |
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 (18)
| Field | Recorded value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Name | Mehmet Zühtü Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1273 | 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 | telgraf memuru | 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 |
| Telegraph school (recorded code) | 1 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Years of apprenticeship (mülazemet) | 2 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work | ||
| First work: year (AH) | 1288 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1871 | 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) | 380 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Legal records | ||
| Legal record note as worded | adem-i imtizacı / İzmir Telgrafhanesi'nden adem-i imtizacı sebebiyle azledilmiştir. used on this page | Legal notes (earlier workbook copy); Legal notes (later workbook copy) |
| Legal record note as worded | Memuriyete Uymayan Hal ve Hareketler other value | Legal notes (earlier workbook copy); Legal notes (later workbook copy) |
| Status | ||
| Death recorded under the year (AH) | 1311 | Earlier annual personnel extract (original copy); Earlier annual personnel extract (parallel copy) |
What the sources named in this table are
- Legal notes (earlier workbook copy)
- A workbook of notes on legal records. The wording is kept as written. It may hold an accusation or an acquittal, it is not the finding of a court, and its year is the year of the record, not the date of an event.
- Legal notes (later workbook copy)
- A later copy of the workbook of notes on legal records. The same wording in both copies is one note, not two.
- 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.
- 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.
- The sources give more than one value for a marked field. Every value is listed.
- Origin of the record: Post and Telegraph personnel records.
- 19 annual entries of 19 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 Zühtü Efendi
- Assistant inspector (Müfettiş Muavini)
- Kosova
- 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)