Official
Mehmet Bahattin Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Istanbul (Dersaadet) in 1869/70 (AH 1286). On record 1888 to 1905, 14 annual entries.
Archive reference 0065_0009; 15
Life#
Mehmet Bahattin Efendi was born in Istanbul in 1869/70 (AH 1286) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community; the father's occupation was "Mahkeme Reisi". Schooling took seven years, at a middle school (Rüşdiye Mektebi); Mehmet Bahattin also wrote French, Greek (Rum) and Turkish.
Work began in Samsun in 1885/86, at about 16, with three unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 300 kuruş. The annual lists begin in 1888/89, with Mehmet Bahattin as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru) in Istanbul, the birthplace. Mehmet Bahattin then moved to six places in 13 years, with a rise to official for foreign communications (Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti) in 1894/95. The last posts were in Prizren from 1902 to 1905. The posts lie on three continents, Africa, Asia and Europe, as for fewer than 2 per cent of the 5,200 officials with a place of service. Suakin, about 2,550 km from Istanbul, was the post farthest from the birthplace; fewer than 4 per cent of the 5,162 officials with a known birthplace and place of service served as far from home.
The salary went from 200 kuruş a month in 1888/89 to 1,000 in 1894/95, the peak, as Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti in Suakin, when 87 per cent of paid officials earned less. The peak lasted a single year; the next list gives 800 kuruş. 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.
Born 1869/70 (AH 1286)
First work 1885/86 (AH 1303)
1894/95 (AH 1312)
No annual entry for 1892 to 1894 (AH 1310 to 1311) before it.
Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti
1,000 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year
Afyonkarahisar (Karahisar-ı Sahib)
1895/96 (AH 1313)
Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti
800 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year
1897/98 (AH 1315)
No annual entry for 1896/97 (AH 1314) before it.
Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti
800 kuruş a month; 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.
The numbers of the chart
| Year | Salary | Median, all officials | Median, same title | Paid less |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1888/89 | 200 | 500 | 400 | 5% |
| 1889/90 | 200 | 500 | 400 | 7% |
| 1890/91 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 28% |
| 1891/92 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 29% |
| 1894/95 | 1,000 | 500 | 500 | 87% |
| 1895/96 | 800 | 500 | 500 | 80% |
| 1897/98 | 800 | 500 | 480 | 86% |
| 1898/99 | 675 | 500 | 387.5 | 76% |
| 1899/1900 | 540 | 500 | 500 | 60% |
| 1900/01 | 540 | 500 | 500 | 59% |
| 1901/02 | 540 | 500 | 480 | 60% |
| 1902/03 | 540 | 500 | 400 | 60% |
| 1903/04 | 540 | 475 | 450 | 61% |
| 1904/05 | 540 | 450 | 455 | 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1885/86AH 1303 | First work | Samsun | 300first-salary field |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 200 |
| 1889 to 1892AH 1307 to 1309 | Muhabere Memuru | Heybeliada | 200 to 400 |
| No annual entry: 1892 to 1894 (AH 1310 to 1311) | |||
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Suakin (Sevakin) | 1,000 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Afyonkarahisar (Karahisar-ı Sahib) | 800 |
| No annual entry: 1896/97 (AH 1314) | |||
| 1897/98AH 1315 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Volos (Golos) | 800 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Posta Memuru | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 675 |
| 1899 to 1902AH 1317 to 1319 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Pristina (Priştine) | 540 |
| 1902 to 1905AH 1320 to 1322 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Prizren | 540 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1869/70 (AH 1286)
- Birthplace
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- Mahkeme Reisi
Education
- Rüşdiye
- Rüşdiye Mektebi (7 years)rüşdiye school (middle school)
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 3 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
- French
- Kitabetwriting
- Greek (Rum)
- Kitabetwriting. 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
- 1885/86 (AH 1303)
- Place
- Samsun
- 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 8 officials with entries in Heybeliada in the same years, Mehmet Bahattin Efendi had the 4th highest salary.
- Mehmet Raif Efendi1 shared year; highest salary 2,000 kuruş
- Ali Haydar Efendi1 shared year; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Yusuf Mişon Efendi1 shared year; highest salary 1,280 kuruş
- Viçen Metviş Efendi1 shared year; highest salary 900 kuruş
- Mehmet Sadık Efendi1 shared year; highest salary 750 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 392 officials with the title Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti in the same years, Mehmet Bahattin Efendi had the 53rd highest salary.
- Dençoylu Hayler Efendi9 shared years; highest salary 1,350 kuruş
- Garon Efendi9 shared years; highest salary 1,300 kuruş
- Taşçıyan Markar Efendi9 shared years; highest salary 1,300 kuruş
- Mehmet Rıfat Efendi9 shared years; highest salary 1,250 kuruş
- Hoca Sar Efendi9 shared years; highest salary 1,200 kuruş
All 605 officials with the title Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti
Same school
Of the 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi among their schools, 3,200 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Bahattin Efendi had the 289th highest salary of them.
- Abbas Zihni Efendiborn 1869/70 (AH 1286); highest salary 540 kuruş
- Abdülkerim Efendiborn 1869/70 (AH 1286); highest salary 800 kuruş
- Ahmet Akif Efendiborn 1869/70 (AH 1286); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Ahmet Efendiborn 1869/70 (AH 1286); highest salary 750 kuruş
- Ahmet Efendiborn 1869/70 (AH 1286); highest salary 260 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 1,999 officials born in Istanbul, 1,997 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Bahattin Efendi had the 354th highest salary of them.
- Ahmet Efendiborn 1869/70 (AH 1286); highest salary 260 kuruş
- Ahmet Ragıp Efendiborn 1869/70 (AH 1286); highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Ahmet Raşit Efendiborn 1869/70 (AH 1286); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Ahmet Selahattin Efendiborn 1869/70 (AH 1286); highest salary 700 kuruş
- Ali Fuat Efendiborn 1869/70 (AH 1286); highest salary 400 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 114 officials whose first annual entry is for 1888/89 (AH 1306), 113 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Bahattin Efendi had the 12th highest salary of them.
- Mustafa Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 600 kuruş
- Mustafa Tevfik Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 540 kuruş
- Unnamed official (0049_0032; 61)first entry in Istanbul; highest salary 530 kuruş
- Ahmet Sami Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Mehmet Sabri Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 550 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (14)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0009; 15 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Muhabere Memuru | Heybeliada | 200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0009; 15 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Muhabere Memuru | Heybeliada | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0009; 15 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Muhabere Memuru | Heybeliada | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0009; 15 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Suakin (Sevakin) | 1,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0009; 15 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Afyonkarahisar (Karahisar-ı Sahib) | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0009; 15 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Volos (Golos) | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0009; 15 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Posta Memuru | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 675 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0009; 15 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Pristina (Priştine) | 540 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0009; 15 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Pristina (Priştine) | 540 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0009; 15 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Pristina (Priştine) | 540 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0009; 15 |
| 1902/03AH 1320 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Prizren | 540 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0009; 15 |
| 1903/04AH 1321 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Prizren | 540 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0009; 15 |
| 1904/05AH 1322 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Prizren | 540 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0009; 15 |
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 Bahattin Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1286 | 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 | mahkeme reisi | 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 |
| Years of apprenticeship (mülazemet) | 3 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work | ||
| First work: year (AH) | 1303 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1886 | Recovered annual personnel extract |
| First work: place | Samsun | 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 |
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.
- 14 annual entries of 14 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 Bahattin Efendi
- Post of official for foreign communications (Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti)
- Heybeliada
- 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)