Official
Mehmet Şemi Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Bosna in 1849/50 (AH 1266). On record 1876 to 1897, 21 annual entries. Death recorded 1897/98.
Archive reference 54_116; 229
Life#
Mehmet Şemi Efendi was born in Bosna in 1849/50 (AH 1266) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community; the father was an army captain (yüzbaşı). Schooling took four years, at a school for young children (Sıbyan Mektebi); Mehmet Şemi also wrote Turkish and spoke Greek (Rum).
At about 21, in 1871/72, Mehmet Şemi began work in Mitrovica (Mitroviça), with five unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 300 kuruş. The first annual entry, for 1876/77, places Mehmet Şemi in Bosna, the birthplace, as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru). Next came six places in 13 years, from Mostar to Pristina (Priştine), then Karazvin from 1889 to 1896. The last post was in Sahvik in 1896/97, with a rise to director of the third grade (3. Müdür). Nine places in all, a number reached by fewer than 6 per cent of the 5,200 officials with a place of service.
Pay rose from 300 kuruş a month in 1876/77 to a peak of 600 in 1878, as Muhabere Memuru in Srebrenica, when 46 per cent of paid officials earned less. In all, 21 years of salary come to 131,040 kuruş, about what an official on the median salary earned in those years. The last annual entry is for 1896/97; the list of 1897/98 (AH 1315) 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 1849/50 (AH 1266)
First work 1871/72 (AH 1288)
1880/81 (AH 1298)
No annual entry for 1879/80 (AH 1297) before it.
600 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year
1881 to 1885 (AH 1299 to 1302)
600 kuruş a month; entries in 4 years
1885 to 1889 (AH 1303 to 1306)
500 kuruş a month; entries in 4 years
Death recorded in the annual list of 1897/98 (AH 1315): 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1876/77 | 300 | 582.5 | 410 | 9% |
| 1877/78 | 380 | 560 | 410 | 15% |
| 1878 | 600 | 600 | 500 | 46% |
| 1878/79 | 600 | 600 | 600 | 47% |
| 1880/81 | 600 | 500 | 400 | 60% |
| 1881/82 | 600 | 500 | 400 | 60% |
| 1882/83 | 600 | 500 | 400 | 59% |
| 1883/84 | 600 | 500 | 400 | 59% |
| 1884/85 | 600 | 500 | 400 | 59% |
| 1885/86 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 42% |
| 1886/87 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 42% |
| 1887/88 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 41% |
| 1888/89 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 41% |
| 1889/90 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 42% |
| 1890/91 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 43% |
| 1891/92 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 43% |
| 1892/93 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 44% |
| 1893/94 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 46% |
| 1894/95 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 46% |
| 1895/96 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 47% |
| 1896/97 | 540 | 500 | 540 | 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1871/72AH 1288 | First work | Mitrovica (Mitroviça) | 300first-salary field |
| 1876/77AH 1293 | Muhabere Memuru | Bosna | 300 |
| 1877/78AH 1294 | Muhabere Memuru | Mostar | 380 |
| 1878AH 1295 | Muhabere Memuru | Srebrenica (Srebrenitsa) | 600 |
| 1878/79AH 1296 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Carda | 600 |
| No annual entry: 1879/80 (AH 1297) | |||
| 1880/81AH 1298 | Muhabere Memuru | Zagor | 600 |
| 1881 to 1885AH 1299 to 1302 | Muhabere Memuru | Paramythia (Aydonat) | 600 |
| 1885 to 1889AH 1303 to 1306 | Muhabere Memuru | Pristina (Priştine) | 500 |
| 1889 to 1896AH 1307 to 1313 | Muhabere Memuru | Karazvin | 500 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | 3. Müdür | Sahvik | 540 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | Death recorded | ||
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1849/50 (AH 1266)
- Birthplace
- Bosna
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- Yuzbasi
- Death recorded
- 1897/98 (AH 1315)the year of the annual list with the word Vefat, not a date of death
Education
- Primary
- Sıbyan Mektebi (4 years)school for young children (primary school)
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 5 years
- Preparation route (classification of the paper)
- Low
- Qualification (diploma, certificate, training or nişan)
- NoShown as in the flag of the paper. The qualification column of the recovered extract gives yes.
The years count all schooling up to that school, as the record gives them.
Languages
- Greek (Rum)
- Tekellumspeaking. Rum is the word of the records for Greek as spoken by the Orthodox Christians of the empire. It is kept apart from the column Greek, which the records also have
- Turkish
- Kitabetwriting
The glosses are cautious historical readings of the recorded words, not modern levels of proficiency.
First work
- Year
- 1871/72 (AH 1288)
- 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 17 officials with entries in Pristina (Priştine) in the same years, Mehmet Şemi Efendi had the 8th highest salary.
- Ahmed Sadık Efendi4 shared years; highest salary 1,200 kuruş
- Asador Efendi4 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Artin Efendi4 shared years; highest salary 600 kuruş
- Simon Hekimyan Efendi4 shared years; highest salary 600 kuruş
- Andon Yaldızyan Efendi2 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 1,733 officials with the title Muhabere Memuru in the same years, Mehmet Şemi Efendi had the 722nd highest salary.
- Tahir Efendi19 shared years; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Nikola Yunani Efendi19 shared years; highest salary 1,350 kuruş
- Mehmet Nazım Efendi19 shared years; highest salary 1,300 kuruş
- Şarl Laze Efendi19 shared years; highest salary 1,250 kuruş
- Tatar Ağası Zade Hafız Abdullah Efendi19 shared years; highest salary 1,100 kuruş
Same school
Of the 746 officials with Sıbyan Mektebi among their schools, 745 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Şemi Efendi had the 400th highest salary of them.
- Abdulkadir Efendiborn 1849/50 (AH 1266); highest salary 285 kuruş
- Ahmet Niyazi Efendiborn 1849/50 (AH 1266); highest salary 3,000 kuruş
- Ali Beyborn 1849/50 (AH 1266); highest salary 2,400 kuruş
- Ali Faik Efendiborn 1849/50 (AH 1266); highest salary 1,200 kuruş
- Aziz Efendiborn 1849/50 (AH 1266); highest salary 1,175 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 23 officials born in Bosna, Mehmet Şemi Efendi had the 11th highest salary.
- Derviş Ali Efendiborn 1847/48 (AH 1264); highest salary 1,650 kuruş
- Mustafa Rasit Efendiborn 1847/48 (AH 1264); highest salary 2,930 kuruş
- Mehmet Şevki Efendiborn 1853/54 (AH 1270); highest salary 250 kuruş
- Mustafa Şevket Efendiborn 1859/60 (AH 1276); highest salary 800 kuruş
- Salih Efendiborn 1860/61 (AH 1277); highest salary 500 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 120 officials whose first annual entry is for 1876/77 (AH 1293), Mehmet Şemi Efendi had the 55th highest salary.
- İbrahim Hakkı Efendifirst entry in Bosna; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Atnaşyadi Efendifirst entry in Elbasan (İlbasan); highest salary 800 kuruş
- Esed Efendifirst entry in Tuzla; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Fahri Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 3,000 kuruş
- Viçen Vinsan? Mecid Efendifirst entry in Galata; highest salary 500 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (21)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1876/77AH 1293 | Muhabere Memuru | Bosna | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_116; 229 |
| 1877/78AH 1294 | Muhabere Memuru | Mostar | 380 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_116; 229 |
| 1878AH 1295 | Muhabere Memuru | Srebrenica (Srebrenitsa) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_116; 229 |
| 1878/79AH 1296 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Carda | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_116; 229 |
| 1880/81AH 1298 | Muhabere Memuru | Zagor | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_116; 229 |
| 1881/82AH 1299 | Muhabere Memuru | Paramythia (Aydonat) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_116; 229 |
| 1882/83AH 1300 | Muhabere Memuru | Paramythia (Aydonat) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_116; 229 |
| 1883/84AH 1301 | Muhabere Memuru | Paramythia (Aydonat) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_116; 229 |
| 1884/85AH 1302 | Muhabere Memuru | Paramythia (Aydonat) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_116; 229 |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Muhabere Memuru | Pristina (Priştine) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_116; 229 |
| 1886/87AH 1304 | Muhabere Memuru | Pristina (Priştine) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_116; 229 |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Muhabere Memuru | Pristina (Priştine) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_116; 229 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Muhabere Memuru | Pristina (Priştine) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_116; 229 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Muhabere Memuru | Karazvin | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_116; 229 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Muhabere Memuru | Karazvin | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_116; 229 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Muhabere Memuru | Karazvin | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_116; 229 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Muhabere Memuru | Karazvin | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_116; 229 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Muhabere Memuru | Karazvin | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_116; 229 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Muhabere Memuru | Karazvin | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_116; 229 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Muhabere Memuru | Karazvin | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_116; 229 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | 3. Müdür | Sahvik | 540 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_116; 229 |
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 (15)
| Field | Recorded value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Name | Mehmet Şemi Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1266 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birthplace | bosna | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Province of birth | bosna | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Father's occupation | yuzbasi | 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 | Sibyan Mektebi | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Years of schooling | 4 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Years of apprenticeship (mülazemet) | 5 | 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 | Mitrovice | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First salary field (kuruş a month) | 300 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Status | ||
| Death recorded under the year (AH) | 1315 | Earlier annual personnel extract (original copy); Earlier annual personnel extract (parallel copy) |
What the sources named in this table are
- 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.
- Origin of the record: Post and Telegraph personnel records.
- 21 annual entries of 21 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 Şemi Efendi
- Communications official (Muhabere Memuru)
- Karazvin
- Bosna
- School for young children (Sıbyan 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)