Official
Mehmet Rifat
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Istanbul (Dersaadet) in 1844/45 (AH 1260). On record 1879 to 1897, 11 annual entries.
Archive reference 54_190; 377
Life#
Born in Istanbul in 1844/45 (AH 1260) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community, Mehmet Rifat was the child of a tradesman (esnaf). Work began in the Zaptiye Kalemi in Istanbul in 1874/75, at about 30, with one unpaid year as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 40 kuruş. Fewer than 4 per cent of the 5,128 officials whose age at first work is known began work at 30 or older. The first annual entry, for 1879/80, places Mehmet Rifat in Beyoğlu in the Hapishane Kitabeti. From 1880 to 1897 every annual entry places Mehmet Rifat in Istanbul, the birthplace, first in the control office (Kontrol Kalemi), from 1888/89 in the accounts office (Muhasebe Kalemi).
The salary never rose above the first in the lists, 280 kuruş a month in 1879/80, in the Hapishane Kitabeti in Beyoğlu, when 11 per cent of paid officials earned less. That salary was paid for a single year, and the next list gives 100 kuruş. After 11 years the salary stood below the first, 240 kuruş against 280. The final annual entry is for 1896/97.
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 1844/45 (AH 1260); First work 1874/75 (AH 1291)
First work as Zaptiye Kalemi
1880 to 1897 (AH 1298 to 1314)
Kontrol Kalemi 1880/81 (AH 1298); Muhasebe Kalemi 1888 to 1897 (AH 1306 to 1314)
50 to 240 kuruş a month; entries in 10 years
No annual entry for 1881 to 1888 (AH 1299 to 1305).
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 | 280 | 500 | 500 | 11% | |
| 1880/81 | 100 | 500 | 97.5 | 500 | 1% |
| 1888/89 | 50 | 500 | 310 | 500 | 0% |
| 1889/90 | 50 | 500 | 250 | 500 | 0% |
| 1890/91 | 50 | 500 | 272.5 | 500 | 0% |
| 1891/92 | 100 | 500 | 200 | 500 | 3% |
| 1892/93 | 140 | 500 | 182.5 | 500 | 6% |
| 1893/94 | 190 | 500 | 200 | 480 | 9% |
| 1894/95 | 230 | 500 | 250 | 450 | 13% |
| 1895/96 | 230 | 500 | 250 | 440 | 12% |
| 1896/97 | 240 | 500 | 245 | 425 | 13% |
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 | Zaptiye Kalemifirst work | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 40first-salary field |
| 1879/80AH 1297 | Hapishane Kitabeti | Beyoğlu | 280 |
| 1880/81AH 1298 | Kontrol Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 100 |
| No annual entry: 1881 to 1888 (AH 1299 to 1305) | |||
| 1888 to 1897AH 1306 to 1314 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 50 to 240 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1844/45 (AH 1260)
- Birthplace
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- Esnaf
Education
- Primary
- Sıbyan Mektebi (4 years)school for young children (primary school)
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 1 year
- 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
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- First job as worded
- Zaptiye Kalemi
- Age at first work (workbook field)
- 31
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 40
- First-job salary of the original workbook (kuruş a month)
- 40
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 97 officials who held Muhasebe Kalemi in Istanbul in the same years, Mehmet Rifat had the 86th highest salary.
- Osman Kamil Efendi9 shared years; highest salary 2,000 kuruş
- Macit Efendi9 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Salih Necmi Efendi9 shared years; highest salary 640 kuruş
- Mehmet Faik Efendi9 shared years; highest salary 600 kuruş
- Mehmet Sabri Efendi9 shared years; highest salary 550 kuruş
Same place, same years
Of the 939 officials with entries in Istanbul in the same years, Mehmet Rifat had the 833rd highest salary.
- Emil Efendi10 shared years; highest salary 9,000 kuruş
- Salahattin Bey10 shared years; highest salary 7,800 kuruş
- Suleyman Resat Bey10 shared years; highest salary 7,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Hayri Bey10 shared years; highest salary 5,500 kuruş
- Fahri Efendi10 shared years; highest salary 5,000 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 121 officials with the title Muhasebe Kalemi in the same years, Mehmet Rifat had the 108th highest salary.
- Osman Kamil Efendi9 shared years; highest salary 2,000 kuruş
- Refet Efendi9 shared years; highest salary 1,480 kuruş
- Mehmet Tevfik Efendi9 shared years; highest salary 1,300 kuruş
- Mehmet Hüsnü Efendi9 shared years; highest salary 900 kuruş
- Berdos [Bedros] Efendi9 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
Same school
Of the 746 officials with Sıbyan Mektebi among their schools, 745 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Rifat had the 695th highest salary of them.
- Abdullah Efendiborn 1844/45 (AH 1260); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Abdullah Efendiborn 1844/45 (AH 1260); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Ahmet Nuri Efendiborn 1844/45 (AH 1260); highest salary 800 kuruş
- Ali Şefik Efendiborn 1844/45 (AH 1260); highest salary 750 kuruş
- Bekir Şevki Efendiborn 1844/45 (AH 1260); highest salary 550 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 1,999 officials born in Istanbul, 1,997 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Rifat had the 1,537th highest salary of them.
- Abdullah Hamit Efendiborn 1844/45 (AH 1260); highest salary 700 kuruş
- Ahmet Nuri Efendiborn 1844/45 (AH 1260); highest salary 800 kuruş
- Bagdik Maksut Efendiborn 1844/45 (AH 1260); highest salary 550 kuruş
- Dikran Efendiborn 1844/45 (AH 1260); highest salary 1,400 kuruş
- Edvar Konunyan Efendiborn 1844/45 (AH 1260); highest salary 975 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 60 officials whose first annual entry is for 1879/80 (AH 1297), Mehmet Rifat had the 57th highest salary.
- Petraki Yavorski Efendifirst entry in Beyoğlu; highest salary 500 kuruş
- Mehmet Salim Efendifirst entry in Salihli; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Salih Necmi Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 640 kuruş
- Mehmet Salih Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 650 kuruş
- Hafiz Bekir Sidki Efendifirst entry in Serres (Siroz); highest salary 600 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (11)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1879/80AH 1297 | Hapishane Kitabeti | Beyoğlu | 280 | Justice (Adliye) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 54_190; 377 |
| 1880/81AH 1298 | Kontrol Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 100 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_190; 377 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 50 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_190; 377 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 50 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_190; 377 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 50 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_190; 377 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 100 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_190; 377 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 140 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_190; 377 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 190 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_190; 377 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 230 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_190; 377 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 230 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_190; 377 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 240 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_190; 377 |
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 (24)
| Field | Recorded value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Name | Mehmet Rifat | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Linked personnel workbook |
| Birth year (AH) | 1260 | 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 | 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) | 1 | 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 | 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 | Zaptiye Kalemi | Linked personnel workbook; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Age at first work (workbook field) | 31 | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First salary field (kuruş a month) | 40 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First-job salary of the original workbook (kuruş a month) | 40 | 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.
- 10 annual entries of 11 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 Rifat
- Accounts office (Muhasebe Kalemi)
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- School for young children (Sıbyan Mektebi)
- Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Hapishane Kitabeti
- 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)