Official
Mehmet Behçet Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Cerkezistan in 1859/60 (AH 1276). On record 1879 to 1904, 24 annual entries.
Archive reference 5_110; 217
Life#
Mehmet Behçet Efendi was born in Cerkezistan in 1859/60 (AH 1276), into the Muslim (Müslüman) community, and the father's occupation was "Beylerbeyi". Schooling took seven years, at a middle school (Rüşdiye Mektebi); Mehmet Behçet also attended the telegraph school.
At about 19, in 1878/79, Mehmet Behçet began work in Istanbul, with one unpaid year as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 285 kuruş. The first annual entry, for 1879/80, places Mehmet Behçet in Kastamonu as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru). The annual lists then follow Mehmet Behçet to six places in ten years, from Samsun to Heraklion (Kandiye), with a rise to official (Memur) in 1888/89, then Kutuk from 1891 to 1901, with a rise to director of the third grade (3. Müdür). The last posts were in Adilcevaz from 1901 to 1904. Few officials served in as many places; fewer than 6 per cent of the 5,200 officials with a place of service did.
The salary went from 285 kuruş a month in 1879/80 to 600 in 1891/92, the peak, as 3. Müdür in Kutuk, when 59 per cent of paid officials earned less. Over 24 years the salaries add up to 143,100 kuruş, about what an official on the median salary earned. The last annual entry is for 1903/04.
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.
Not on the map, as no position is recorded: birthplace Cerkezistan.
First work 1878/79 (AH 1296)
1888 to 1890 (AH 1306 to 1307)
No annual entry for 1887/88 (AH 1305) before it.
400 kuruş a month; entries in 2 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, and the median of the same province for the years in which at least 5 officials were paid in the province of the official's salary that year.
The numbers of the chart
| Year | Salary | Median, all officials | Median, same title | Median, same province | Paid less |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1879/80 | 285 | 500 | 380 | 475 | 11% |
| 1880/81 | 285 | 500 | 400 | 475 | 11% |
| 1881/82 | 380 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 20% |
| 1882/83 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 43% |
| 1883/84 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 43% |
| 1884/85 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 42% |
| 1885/86 | 475 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 39% |
| 1886/87 | 380 | 500 | 400 | 487.5 | 19% |
| 1888/89 | 400 | 500 | 375 | 500 | 27% |
| 1889/90 | 400 | 500 | 300 | 500 | 27% |
| 1890/91 | 500 | 500 | 285 | 550 | 43% |
| 1891/92 | 600 | 500 | 600 | 550 | 59% |
| 1892/93 | 600 | 500 | 600 | 500 | 59% |
| 1893/94 | 600 | 500 | 600 | 500 | 60% |
| 1894/95 | 600 | 500 | 600 | 500 | 60% |
| 1895/96 | 600 | 500 | 600 | 600 | 59% |
| 1896/97 | 540 | 500 | 540 | 500 | 61% |
| 1897/98 | 540 | 500 | 540 | 500 | 61% |
| 1898/99 | 540 | 500 | 540 | 540 | 61% |
| 1899/1900 | 540 | 500 | 540 | 500 | 60% |
| 1900/01 | 540 | 500 | 540 | 500 | 59% |
| 1901/02 | 540 | 500 | 540 | 500 | 60% |
| 1902/03 | 540 | 500 | 540 | 500 | 60% |
| 1903/04 | 540 | 475 | 540 | 500 | 61% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1878/79AH 1296 | First work | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 285first-salary field |
| 1879 to 1881AH 1297 to 1298 | Muhabere Memuru | Kastamonu | 285 |
| 1881/82AH 1299 | Muhabere Memuru | Samsun | 380 |
| 1882 to 1885AH 1300 to 1302 | Muhabere Memuru | Kavak | 500 |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Muhabere Memuru | Görele | 475 |
| 1886/87AH 1304 | Muhabere Memuru | Trabzon | 380 |
| No annual entry: 1887/88 (AH 1305) | |||
| 1888 to 1890AH 1306 to 1307 | Memur | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 400 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Memur | Heraklion (Kandiye) | 500 |
| 1891 to 1901AH 1309 to 1318 | 3. Müdür | Kutuk | 600 to 540 |
| 1901 to 1904AH 1319 to 1321 | 3. Müdür | Adilcevaz | 540 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1859/60 (AH 1276)
- Birthplace
- Cerkezistan
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- Beylerbeyi
Education
- Rüşdiye
- Rüşdiye Mektebi (7 years)rüşdiye school (middle school)
- Higher or professional
- Telgraf Mektebitelegraph school; recorded as a code
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 1 year
- 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
- 1878/79 (AH 1296)
- Place
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 285
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 post (job title and place), same years
Of the 9 officials who held Muhabere Memuru in Kastamonu in the same years, Mehmet Behçet Efendi had the 6th highest salary.
- Mustafa Eşref Efendi2 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Ahmet Tevfik Efendi2 shared years; highest salary 500 kuruş
- Ahmet Vasfi Efendi1 shared year; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Cevri Baha Efendi1 shared year; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Ali Efendi1 shared year; highest salary 800 kuruş
Same place, same years
Of the 15 officials with entries in Kastamonu in the same years, Mehmet Behçet Efendi had the 11th highest salary.
- Martir Efendi2 shared years; highest salary 2,500 kuruş
- Ali Rıza Efendi2 shared years; highest salary 2,000 kuruş
- Ahmet Vasfi Efendi2 shared years; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Mustafa Eşref Efendi2 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Ahmet Tevfik Efendi2 shared years; highest salary 500 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 564 officials with the title 3. Müdür in the same years, Mehmet Behçet Efendi had the 227th highest salary.
- İsmail Hakkı Efendi13 shared years; highest salary 1,080 kuruş
- İsmail Sabri Efendi13 shared years; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Nebil Efendi13 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Hafız Hamdi Efendi13 shared years; highest salary 720 kuruş
- Mehmet Cemal Efendi13 shared years; highest salary 600 kuruş
Same school
Of the 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi among their schools, 3,200 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Behçet Efendi had the 852nd highest salary of them.
- Ahmed Hamdi Efendiborn 1859/60 (AH 1276); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Ali Rıza Efendiborn 1859/60 (AH 1276); highest salary 800 kuruş
- Ali Rıza Efendiborn 1859/60 (AH 1276); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Ali Rıza Efendiborn 1859/60 (AH 1276); highest salary 440 kuruş
- Ali Saib Beyborn 1859/60 (AH 1276); highest salary 2,000 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 17 officials born in Cerkezistan, Mehmet Behçet Efendi had the 9th highest salary.
- Yusuf Cemal Efendiborn 1857/58 (AH 1274); highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Hafız Hilmi Efendiborn 1854/55 (AH 1271); highest salary 2,700 kuruş
- Haci Mehmet Şükrü Efendiborn 1853/54 (AH 1270); highest salary 200 kuruş
- Hasan Beyborn 1853/54 (AH 1270); highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Osman Efendiborn 1853/54 (AH 1270); highest salary 650 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 60 officials whose first annual entry is for 1879/80 (AH 1297), Mehmet Behçet Efendi had the 29th highest salary.
- Mehmet Sadık Efendifirst entry in Kastamonu; highest salary 300 kuruş
- Ali Rıza Efendifirst entry in Gelibolu; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Huseyin Husnu Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 2,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Rıza Efendifirst entry in Aydın; highest salary 675 kuruş
- Osman Nuri Efendifirst entry in Sidirokastro (Demirhisar); highest salary 500 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (24)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1879/80AH 1297 | Muhabere Memuru | Kastamonu | 285 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_110; 217 |
| 1880/81AH 1298 | Muhabere Memuru | Kastamonu | 285 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_110; 217 |
| 1881/82AH 1299 | Muhabere Memuru | Samsun | 380 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_110; 217 |
| 1882/83AH 1300 | Muhabere Memuru | Kavak | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_110; 217 |
| 1883/84AH 1301 | Muhabere Memuru | Kavak | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_110; 217 |
| 1884/85AH 1302 | Muhabere Memuru | Kavak | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_110; 217 |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Muhabere Memuru | Görele | 475 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_110; 217 |
| 1886/87AH 1304 | Muhabere Memuru | Trabzon | 380 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_110; 217 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Memur | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_110; 217 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Memur | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_110; 217 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Memur | Heraklion (Kandiye) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_110; 217 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | 3. Müdür | Kutuk | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_110; 217 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | 3. Müdür | Kutuk | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_110; 217 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | 3. Müdür | Kutuk | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_110; 217 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | 3. Müdür | Kutuk | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_110; 217 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | 3. Müdür | Kutuk | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_110; 217 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | 3. Müdür | Kutuk | 540 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_110; 217 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | 3. Müdür | Kutuk | 540 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_110; 217 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | 3. Müdür | Kutuk | 540 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_110; 217 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | 3. Müdür | Kutuk | 540 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_110; 217 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | 3. Müdür | Kutuk | 540 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_110; 217 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | 3. Müdür | Adilcevaz | 540 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_110; 217 |
| 1902/03AH 1320 | 3. Müdür | Adilcevaz | 540 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_110; 217 |
| 1903/04AH 1321 | 3. Müdür | Adilcevaz | 540 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_110; 217 |
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 Behçet Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1276 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birthplace | cerkezistan | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Father's occupation | beylerbeyi | 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) | 1 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work | ||
| First work: year (AH) | 1296 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1879 | 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) | 285 | 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.
How to read this record: calendar years, years without an annual entry, salaries and sources.
Subjects
- Mehmet Behçet Efendi
- Director of the third grade (3. Müdür)
- Kutuk
- Cerkezistan
- 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)