Official
Mehmet Besim Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Istanbul (Dersaadet) in 1868/69 (AH 1285). On record 1885 to 1905, 16 annual entries.
Archive reference 0085_0126: 247
Life#
Born in Istanbul in 1868/69 (AH 1285) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community, Mehmet Besim Efendi was the child of a tradesman (esnaf). Schooling took seven years, at a middle school (Rüşdiye Mektebi).
At about 15, in 1882/83, Mehmet Besim began work in Istanbul, with three unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 80 kuruş. The first annual entry, for 1885/86, places Mehmet Besim in Babi seraskeri in the accounts office (Muhasebe Kalemi), where the entries run to 1889/90. The lists have no entry for 1890 to 1894. Mehmet Besim then moved back to Istanbul, the birthplace, from 1894 to 1899, then Kosova, Sahince, Pristina (Priştine) and Kâhta, four places in five years, with a rise to chief communications official (Başmuhabere Memuru) in 1899/1900. The last post was in Diyarbakır in 1904/05.
The salary went from 80 kuruş a month in 1885/86 to 600 in 1899/1900, the peak, as Başmuhabere Memuru in Kosova, when 70 per cent of paid officials earned less. Over 16 years the salaries add up to 47,220 kuruş, 49 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.
1894 to 1899 (AH 1312 to 1316)
No annual entry for 1890 to 1894 (AH 1308 to 1311) before it.
50 to 175 kuruş a month; entries in 5 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.
The numbers of the chart
| Year | Salary | Median, all officials | Median, same title | Paid less |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1885/86 | 80 | 500 | 380 | 0% |
| 1886/87 | 80 | 500 | 400 | 0% |
| 1887/88 | 80 | 500 | 400 | 0% |
| 1888/89 | 80 | 500 | 310 | 0% |
| 1889/90 | 80 | 500 | 250 | 2% |
| 1894/95 | 50 | 500 | 400 | 0% |
| 1895/96 | 100 | 500 | 400 | 3% |
| 1896/97 | 115 | 500 | 400 | 4% |
| 1897/98 | 115 | 500 | 400 | 4% |
| 1898/99 | 175 | 500 | 400 | 8% |
| 1899/1900 | 600 | 500 | 540 | 70% |
| 1900/01 | 600 | 500 | 540 | 67% |
| 1901/02 | 380 | 500 | 400 | 29% |
| 1902/03 | 500 | 500 | 540 | 49% |
| 1903/04 | 500 | 475 | 540 | 51% |
| 1904/05 | 400 | 450 | 350 | 38% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1882/83AH 1300 | Askeriyefirst work | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 80first-salary field |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Babi seraskeri | 80 |
| 1886 to 1889AH 1304 to 1306 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Babi seraskeri | 80 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Babi seraskeri | 80 |
| No annual entry: 1890 to 1894 (AH 1308 to 1311) | |||
| 1894 to 1899AH 1312 to 1316 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 50 to 175 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Kosova | 600 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | 3. Müdür | Sahince | 600 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | Muhabere Memuru | Pristina (Priştine) | 380 |
| 1902 to 1904AH 1320 to 1321 | 3. Müdür | Kâhta | 500 |
| 1904/05AH 1322 | Muhabere Memuru | Diyarbakır | 400 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1868/69 (AH 1285)
- Birthplace
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- Esnaf
Education
- Rüşdiye
- Rüşdiye Mektebi (7 years)rüşdiye school (middle school); place of the school as worded: Mahmutpasa
- 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
- Turkish
- Kitabetwriting
The glosses are cautious historical readings of the recorded words, not modern levels of proficiency.
First work
- Year
- 1882/83 (AH 1300)
- Place
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- First job as worded
- Askeriye
- Age at first work (workbook field)
- 15
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 80
- First-job salary of the original workbook (kuruş a month)
- 80
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 7 officials with entries in Babi seraskeri in the same years, Mehmet Besim Efendi had the 4th highest salary.
- Süleyman Reşid Efendi4 shared years; highest salary 2,500 kuruş
- Andon Yaldızyan Efendi2 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Mehmet Şükrü Efendi1 shared year; highest salary 720 kuruş
- Hüsnü Efendi1 shared year; highest salary 490 kuruş
- Emin Efendi1 shared year; highest salary 400 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 1,705 officials with the title Muhabere Memuru in the same years, Mehmet Besim Efendi had the 410th highest salary.
- Mehmet Hulusi Bey7 shared years; highest salary 2,600 kuruş
- Mustafa Fazıl Bey7 shared years; highest salary 1,700 kuruş
- Mehmet Sadullah Efendi7 shared years; highest salary 1,650 kuruş
- Mehmet Asım Efendi7 shared years; highest salary 1,550 kuruş
- Mehmet Hurşit Efendi7 shared years; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
Same school
Of the 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi among their schools, 3,200 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Besim Efendi had the 852nd highest salary of them.
- Ahmed Tevfik Efendiborn 1868/69 (AH 1285); highest salary 594 kuruş
- Ahmet Hamdi Efendiborn 1868/69 (AH 1285); highest salary 450 kuruş
- Ahmet Rifat Efendiborn 1868/69 (AH 1285); highest salary 540 kuruş
- Ahmet Sami Efendiborn 1868/69 (AH 1285); highest salary 200 kuruş
- Ahmet Sami Efendiborn 1868/69 (AH 1285); highest salary 800 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 1,999 officials born in Istanbul, 1,997 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Besim Efendi had the 789th highest salary of them.
- Ahmet Sami Efendiborn 1868/69 (AH 1285); highest salary 200 kuruş
- Ali Ekrem Beyborn 1868/69 (AH 1285); highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Hafız Ahmet Hamdi Efendiborn 1868/69 (AH 1285); highest salary 200 kuruş
- Hafız Mahmut Nazif Efendiborn 1868/69 (AH 1285); highest salary 330 kuruş
- Hafız Yusuf Hüsamettin Efendiborn 1868/69 (AH 1285); highest salary 495 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 93 officials whose first annual entry is for 1885/86 (AH 1303), Mehmet Besim Efendi had the 38th highest salary.
- Ahmed Tevfik Efendifirst entry in Serres (Siroz); highest salary 594 kuruş
- Hasan Şevket Efendifirst entry in Skopje (Üsküp); highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Hasan Tahsin Efendifirst entry in Thessaloniki (Selanik); highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Hasan Tahsin Efendifirst entry in Tarsus; highest salary 1,200 kuruş
- Mahmut Celalettin Beyfirst entry in Bursa; highest salary 750 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (16)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Babi seraskeri | 80 | Other | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 0085_0126: 247 |
| 1886/87AH 1304 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Babi seraskeri | 80 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0085_0126: 247 |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Babi seraskeri | 80 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0085_0126: 247 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Babi seraskeri | 80 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0085_0126: 247 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Babi seraskeri | 80 | Other | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 0085_0126: 247 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 50 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0085_0126: 247 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 100 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0085_0126: 247 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 115 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0085_0126: 247 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 115 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0085_0126: 247 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 175 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0085_0126: 247 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Kosova | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0085_0126: 247 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | 3. Müdür | Sahince | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0085_0126: 247 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | Muhabere Memuru | Pristina (Priştine) | 380 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0085_0126: 247 |
| 1902/03AH 1320 | 3. Müdür | Kâhta | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0085_0126: 247 |
| 1903/04AH 1321 | 3. Müdür | Kâhta | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0085_0126: 247 |
| 1904/05AH 1322 | Muhabere Memuru | Diyarbakır | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0085_0126: 247 |
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 (26)
| Field | Recorded value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Name | Mehmet Besim Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Linked personnel workbook |
| Birth year (AH) | 1285 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace | dersaadet used on this page | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birthplace | istanbul other value | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace: district (kaza) | istanbul | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace: sancak | istanbul | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace: province (vilayet) | istanbul | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Province of birth | dersaadet | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Father's occupation | Esnaf | 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 | Rusdiye Mektebi | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Place of the school | Mahmutpasa | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Years of schooling | 7 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Years of apprenticeship (mülazemet) | 3 used on this page | Recovered annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Years of apprenticeship (mülazemet) | 0 other value | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work | ||
| First work: year (AH) | 1300 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Linked personnel workbook |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1883 | Recovered annual personnel extract |
| First work: place | istanbul | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work: district (kaza) | istanbul | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work: sancak | istanbul | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work: province (vilayet) | istanbul | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First job as worded | Askeriye | Linked personnel workbook; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Age at first work (workbook field) | 15 | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First salary field (kuruş a month) | 80 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First-job salary of the original workbook (kuruş a month) | 80 | 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.
- The sources give more than one value for a marked field. Every value is listed.
- Origin of the record: Post and Telegraph personnel records.
- 14 annual entries of 16 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 Besim Efendi
- Communications official (Muhabere Memuru)
- Babi seraskeri
- 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)