Official
Rıfat Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Yambol (Yanbolu) in 1860/61 (AH 1277). On record 1878 to 1903, 24 annual entries.
Archive reference 0062_0232; 459
Life#
Born in Yambol (Yanbolu) in 1860/61 (AH 1277), Rıfat Efendi came from the Muslim (Müslüman) community; the father was a customs official (gümrük memuru). Schooling took four years, at a school for young children (Sıbyan Mektebi).
Work began in the telegraph service (Telgraf) in Yambol in 1874/75, at about 14, with five unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 300 kuruş. The annual lists begin in 1878/79, with Rıfat as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru) in Karadeniz Ereğli, where the entries run to 1881/82. Next came Trabzon and Bayburt from 1883 to 1887, then Tercan from 1887 to 1894. Rıfat then moved to five places in eight years. The last post was in Cayagzi in 1902/03. The farthest post, Yemen, lay about 3,450 km from Yambol, and 23 of the 5,162 officials with a known birthplace and place of service served as far from the birthplace. 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 300 kuruş a month in 1878/79 to 750 in 1894/95, the peak, as Muhabere Memuru in Yemen, when 76 per cent of paid officials earned less. That salary was paid for a single year, and the next list gives 600 kuruş. The final annual entry is for 1902/03.
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: stop 9 (Place not recorded).
1883/84 (AH 1301)
No annual entry for 1882/83 (AH 1300) before it.
400 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year
Place not recorded not on the map
1897/98 (AH 1315)
entries in 1 year
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1878/79 | 300 | 600 | 420 | 530 | 9% |
| 1879/80 | 300 | 500 | 380 | 475 | 16% |
| 1880/81 | 300 | 500 | 400 | 475 | 15% |
| 1881/82 | 300 | 500 | 400 | 475 | 13% |
| 1883/84 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 27% |
| 1884/85 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 27% |
| 1885/86 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 27% |
| 1886/87 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 27% |
| 1887/88 | 475 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 38% |
| 1888/89 | 475 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 39% |
| 1889/90 | 475 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 40% |
| 1890/91 | 475 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 41% |
| 1891/92 | 475 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 42% |
| 1892/93 | 475 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 43% |
| 1893/94 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 46% |
| 1894/95 | 750 | 500 | 400 | 750 | 76% |
| 1895/96 | 600 | 500 | 400 | 450 | 59% |
| 1896/97 | 500 | 500 | 540 | 500 | 49% |
| 1898/99 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 31% |
| 1899/1900 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 400 | 47% |
| 1900/01 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 47% |
| 1901/02 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 49% |
| 1902/03 | 500 | 500 | 540 | 450 | 49% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1874/75AH 1291 | Telgraffirst work | Yambol (Yanbolu) | 300first-salary field |
| 1878 to 1882AH 1296 to 1299 | Muhabere Memuru | Karadeniz Ereğli | 300 |
| No annual entry: 1882/83 (AH 1300) | |||
| 1883/84AH 1301 | Muhabere Memuru | Trabzon | 400 |
| 1884 to 1887AH 1302 to 1304 | Muhabere Memuru | Bayburt | 400 |
| 1887 to 1894AH 1305 to 1311 | Muhabere Memuru | Tercan | 475 to 500 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Muhabere Memuru | Yemen | 750 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Muhabere Memuru | Konya | 600 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | 3. Müdür | Zadrima | 500 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | |||
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Muhabere Memuru | Shkodër (İşkodra) | 400 |
| 1899 to 1902AH 1317 to 1319 | Muhabere Memuru | Shëngjin (Şengin) | 500 |
| 1902/03AH 1320 | 3. Müdür | Cayagzi | 500 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1860/61 (AH 1277)
- Birthplace
- Yambol (Yanbolu)
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- Gumruk Memuru
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
- Turkish
- Kitabetwriting
The glosses are cautious historical readings of the recorded words, not modern levels of proficiency.
First work
- Year
- 1874/75 (AH 1291)
- Place
- Yambol (Yanbolu)
- First job as worded
- Telgraf
- Age at first work (workbook field)
- 14
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 300
- First-job salary of the original workbook (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 post (job title and place), same years
Of the 5 officials who held Muhabere Memuru in Karadeniz Ereğli in the same years, Rıfat Efendi had the 2nd highest salary.
- Hacı Mehmet Tevfik Efendi1 shared year; highest salary 2,500 kuruş
- Mehmet Sait Efendi1 shared year; highest salary 650 kuruş
- Ahmet Rifat Efendi1 shared year; highest salary 517 kuruş
- Ahmet Recai Efendi1 shared year; highest salary 500 kuruş
Same place, same years
Of the 9 officials with entries in Karadeniz Ereğli in the same years, Rıfat Efendi had the 4th highest salary.
- Ahmet Necip Efendi3 shared years; highest salary 600 kuruş
- İsmail Zühdü Bey2 shared years; highest salary 2,500 kuruş
- Hacı Mehmet Tevfik Efendi1 shared year; highest salary 2,500 kuruş
- Ahmet Fuat Bey1 shared year; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Sait Efendi1 shared year; highest salary 650 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 2,109 officials with the title Muhabere Memuru in the same years, Rıfat Efendi had the 543rd highest salary.
- Nikola Yunani Efendi21 shared years; highest salary 1,350 kuruş
- Mehmet Nazım Efendi21 shared years; highest salary 1,300 kuruş
- Şarl Laze Efendi21 shared years; highest salary 1,250 kuruş
- Mustafa Daim Efendi21 shared years; highest salary 1,200 kuruş
- Mehmet Tahsin Efendi21 shared years; highest salary 1,100 kuruş
Same school
Of the 746 officials with Sıbyan Mektebi among their schools, 745 have a recorded salary; Rıfat Efendi had the 331st highest salary of them.
- Ahmet Efendiborn 1860/61 (AH 1277); highest salary 2,500 kuruş
- Ahmet Rifat Efendiborn 1860/61 (AH 1277); highest salary 475 kuruş
- Ahmet Sadettin Efendiborn 1860/61 (AH 1277); highest salary 225 kuruş
- Ahmet Tevfik Efendiborn 1860/61 (AH 1277); highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Ali Sefik Efendiborn 1860/61 (AH 1277); highest salary 680 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 4 officials born in Yambol (Yanbolu), Rıfat Efendi had the highest salary.
- Hafiz Mehmet Efendiborn 1863/64 (AH 1280); highest salary 300 kuruş
- Ahmet Efendiborn 1852/53 (AH 1269); highest salary 475 kuruş
- Hüseyin Hüsnü Efendiborn 1870/71 (AH 1287); highest salary 600 kuruş
The page of Yambol (Yanbolu), with the 4 officials born there
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 58 officials whose first annual entry is for 1878/79 (AH 1296), Rıfat Efendi had the 19th highest salary.
- Abdulkerim Efendifirst entry in Korçë (Görice); highest salary 900 kuruş
- Abdullah Sevki Efendifirst entry in Yalvaç; highest salary 640 kuruş
- Ahmet Rıfat Efendifirst entry in Thessaloniki (Selanik); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Ahmet Sadettin Efendifirst entry in Gelibolu; highest salary 225 kuruş
- Andon Yaldızyan Efendifirst entry in Bitola (Manastır); highest salary 800 kuruş
All 58 officials whose first annual entry is for 1878/79 (AH 1296)
Full record
Annual entries (24)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1878/79AH 1296 | Muhabere Memuru | Karadeniz Ereğli | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0232; 459 |
| 1879/80AH 1297 | Muhabere Memuru | Karadeniz Ereğli | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0232; 459 |
| 1880/81AH 1298 | Muhabere Memuru | Karadeniz Ereğli | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0232; 459 |
| 1881/82AH 1299 | Muhabere Memuru | Karadeniz Ereğli | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0232; 459 |
| 1883/84AH 1301 | Muhabere Memuru | Trabzon | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0232; 459 |
| 1884/85AH 1302 | Muhabere Memuru | Bayburt | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0232; 459 |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Muhabere Memuru | Bayburt | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0232; 459 |
| 1886/87AH 1304 | Muhabere Memuru | Bayburt | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0232; 459 |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Muhabere Memuru | Tercan | 475 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0232; 459 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Muhabere Memuru | Tercan | 475 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0232; 459 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Muhabere Memuru | Tercan | 475 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0232; 459 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Muhabere Memuru | Tercan | 475 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0232; 459 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Muhabere Memuru | Tercan | 475 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0232; 459 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Muhabere Memuru | Tercan | 475 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0232; 459 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Muhabere Memuru | Tercan | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0232; 459 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Muhabere Memuru | Yemen | 750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0232; 459 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Muhabere Memuru | Konya | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0232; 459 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | 3. Müdür | Zadrima | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0232; 459 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | Other | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 0062_0232; 459 | |||
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Muhabere Memuru | Shkodër (İşkodra) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0232; 459 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | Muhabere Memuru | Shëngjin (Şengin) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0232; 459 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | Muhabere Memuru | Shëngjin (Şengin) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0232; 459 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | Muhabere Memuru | Shëngjin (Şengin) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0232; 459 |
| 1902/03AH 1320 | 3. Müdür | Cayagzi | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0232; 459 |
What the sources named in this table are
- Cross-ministry personnel workbook
- A personnel workbook with the annual entries in institutions other than the Post and Telegraph (justice, land registry, customs, police and others), with the same annual fields as the personnel workbook.
- 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 (23)
| Field | Recorded value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Name | Rıfat Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Linked personnel workbook |
| Birth year (AH) | 1277 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace | yanbolu | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace: district (kaza) | Yanbolu | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace: sancak | islimiye | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace: province (vilayet) | Rumeli Sarki | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Province of birth | rumeli sarki | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Father's occupation | gumruk memuru | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Religion | Musluman | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Nationality or community | Turkish | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Schooling | ||
| School | Sibyan Mektebi | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Years of schooling | 4 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Years of apprenticeship (mülazemet) | 5 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work | ||
| First work: year (AH) | 1291 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Linked personnel workbook |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1874 | Recovered annual personnel extract |
| First work: place | Yanbolu | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work: district (kaza) | Yanbolu | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work: sancak | islimiye | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work: province (vilayet) | rumeli sarki | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First job as worded | Telgraf | Linked personnel workbook; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Age at first work (workbook field) | 14 | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First salary field (kuruş a month) | 300 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First-job salary of the original workbook (kuruş a month) | 300 | Linked personnel workbook; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
What the sources named in this table are
- Cross-ministry personnel workbook
- A personnel workbook with the annual entries in institutions other than the Post and Telegraph (justice, land registry, customs, police and others), with the same annual fields as the personnel workbook.
- 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.
- Linked personnel workbook
- The original personnel workbook, from which selected fields on background and first work are taken.
- Origin of the record: Post and Telegraph personnel records.
- 23 annual entries of 24 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
- Rıfat Efendi
- Communications official (Muhabere Memuru)
- Tercan
- Yambol (Yanbolu)
- 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)