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Ottoman BureaucracyPeople, places and careers in Ottoman public service

Official

Mahmut Efendi

Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Karakarye in 1868/69 (AH 1285). On record 1902 to 1905, 3 annual entries.

Archive reference 121-116-227

Compare Mahmut Efendi with other officials

Life

Mahmut Efendi was born in Karakarye in 1868/69 (AH 1285) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community; the father was a tradesman (esnaf). Schooling took seven years, at a middle school (Rüşdiye Mektebi).

Work began in Thessaloniki (Selanik) in 1897/98, at about 29, with five unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 300 kuruş. Fewer than 5 per cent of the 5,128 officials whose age at first work is known began work at 29 or older. From the first annual entry, for 1902/03, to 1904/05, every annual entry places Mahmut in the same post, communications official (Muhabere Memuru), in Aleppo (Halep).

The salary never rose above the first in the lists, 300 kuruş a month in 1902/03, as Muhabere Memuru in Aleppo, when 21 per cent of paid officials earned less. Over three years the salaries add up to 10,800 kuruş, 63 per cent of what an official on the median salary earned. 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 3 stops
birthplacefirst workplace of annual entriesmove, with the year of the first entry there
1897/981902/03123KarakaryeThessalonikiAleppo

  1. Karakarye

    Born 1868/69 (AH 1285)

  2. Thessaloniki (Selanik)

    First work 1897/98 (AH 1315)

  3. Aleppo (Halep)

    1902 to 1905 (AH 1320 to 1322)

    Muhabere Memuru

    300 kuruş a month; entries in 3 years

Career and salary

Monthly salary by year, kuruşsalary of the yearyears with one job titleno annual entry
01002003001902/03AH 13201903/04AH 13211904/05AH 1322300 kuruşMuhabere Memuru
Salary against the medians of the same year
2005001902/03AH 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 Mahmut Efendi against the medians of the same year, kuruş a month
YearSalaryMedian, all officialsMedian, same titlePaid less
1902/0330050038021%
1903/0430047535023%
1904/0530045035023%

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 Mahmut Efendi, one row per stage
YearsTitlePlaceSalary (kuruş a month)
1897/98AH 1315First workThessaloniki (Selanik)300first-salary field
1902 to 1905AH 1320 to 1322Muhabere Memuru
3 entries
YearSalary
1902/03300
1903/04300
1904/05300
Aleppo (Halep)300

Record

Personal

Born
1868/69 (AH 1285)
Birthplace
Karakarye
Community
Muslim (Müslüman)
Nationality as recorded
Turkish
Father's occupation
Esnaf

Education

Rüşdiye
Rüşdiye Mektebi (7 years)rüşdiye school (middle school)
Unpaid years (mülazemet)
5 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
1897/98 (AH 1315)
First salary field (kuruş a month)
300

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 46 officials with entries in Aleppo (Halep) in the same years, Mahmut Efendi had the 38th highest salary.

All 221 officials with entries in Aleppo (Halep)

Same job title, same years

Of the 1,128 officials with the title Muhabere Memuru in the same years, Mahmut Efendi had the 801st 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; Mahmut Efendi had the 2,211th highest salary of them.

All 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi

First annual entry in the same year

Of the 168 officials whose first annual entry is for 1902/03 (AH 1320), Mahmut Efendi had the 74th highest salary.

Full record

Annual entries (3)

Annual entries of Mahmut Efendi
YearTitlePlaceKuruş a monthInstitutionSourceArchive reference
1902/03AH 1320Muhabere MemuruAleppo (Halep)300Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract121-116-227
1903/04AH 1321Muhabere MemuruAleppo (Halep)300Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract121-116-227
1904/05AH 1322Muhabere MemuruAleppo (Halep)300Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract121-116-227
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 Mahmut Efendi with their sources
FieldRecorded valueSource
Identity
NameMahmut EfendiPersonnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Birth year (AH)1285Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
BirthplacekarakaryeRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Province of birthselanikRecovered 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)5Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
First work
First work: year (AH)1315Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
First work: Gregorian year as stored1897Recovered annual personnel extract
First work: placeSelanikRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
First salary field (kuruş a month)300Recovered 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