Official
Ropen Efendi
Armenian Christian (Ermeni). Born in Edirne in 1861/62 (AH 1278). On record 1879 to 1900, 21 annual entries. Death recorded 1900/01.
Archive reference 103_14_25
Life#
Born in Edirne in 1861/62 (AH 1278) into the Armenian Christian (Ermeni) community, Ropen Efendi was the child of a tradesman (esnaf). Schooling took four years, at a community school (Millet Mektebi); Ropen also wrote French, Greek (Rum) and Turkish.
At about 16, in 1877/78, Ropen began work in Bitola (Manastır), with three unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 300 kuruş. The annual lists begin in 1879/80, with Ropen as an official for foreign communications (Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti) in Bitola. Ropen then moved to Thessaloniki (Selanik) from 1880 to 1886, then Beyoğlu in 1886/87. From 1887 to 1900 every annual entry places Ropen again in Thessaloniki. Of the 1,586 officials whose entries span 20 years or more, fewer than 10 per cent kept one title throughout.
Pay rose from 300 kuruş a month in 1879/80 to a peak of 500 in 1884/85, as Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti in Thessaloniki, when 42 per cent of paid officials earned less. After the last annual entry, for 1899/1900, the list of 1900/01 (AH 1318) 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 1861/62 (AH 1278)
First work 1877/78 (AH 1294); 1879/80 (AH 1297)
Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti
300 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year
1880 to 1886 (AH 1298 to 1303)
Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti
285 to 500 kuruş a month; entries in 6 years
Death recorded in the annual list of 1900/01 (AH 1318): 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1879/80 | 300 | 500 | 500 | 16% |
| 1880/81 | 285 | 500 | 500 | 11% |
| 1881/82 | 285 | 500 | 500 | 10% |
| 1882/83 | 380 | 500 | 500 | 18% |
| 1883/84 | 380 | 500 | 500 | 18% |
| 1884/85 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 42% |
| 1885/86 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 42% |
| 1886/87 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 42% |
| 1887/88 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 41% |
| 1888/89 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 41% |
| 1889/90 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 42% |
| 1890/91 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 43% |
| 1891/92 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 43% |
| 1892/93 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 44% |
| 1893/94 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 46% |
| 1894/95 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 46% |
| 1895/96 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 47% |
| 1896/97 | 500 | 500 | 495 | 49% |
| 1897/98 | 500 | 500 | 480 | 49% |
| 1898/99 | 500 | 500 | 495 | 48% |
| 1899/1900 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 47% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1877/78AH 1294 | First work | Bitola (Manastır) | 300first-salary field |
| 1879/80AH 1297 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Bitola (Manastır) | 300 |
| 1880 to 1886AH 1298 to 1303 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 285 to 500 |
| 1886/87AH 1304 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Beyoğlu | 500 |
| 1887 to 1900AH 1305 to 1317 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 500 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | Death recorded | ||
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1861/62 (AH 1278)
- Birthplace
- Edirne
- Community
- Armenian Christian (Ermeni)
- Nationality as recorded
- Ermeni
- Father's occupation
- Esnaf
- Death recorded
- 1900/01 (AH 1318)the year of the annual list with the word Vefat, not a date of death
Education
- Community school
- Millet Mektebi (4 years)community school (school of a non-Muslim community)
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 3 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
- 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
- 1877/78 (AH 1294)
- Place
- Bitola (Manastır)
- 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 206 officials with entries in Thessaloniki (Selanik) in the same years, Ropen Efendi had the 145th highest salary.
- Berdos [Bedros] Efendi19 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Unnamed official (23_48; 93)19 shared years; highest salary 780 kuruş
- Mehmet Aziz Efendi19 shared years; highest salary 700 kuruş
- Esad Efendi18 shared years; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Salih Vasfi Bey18 shared years; highest salary 900 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 372 officials with the title Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti in the same years, Ropen Efendi had the 268th highest salary.
- Israti Efendi21 shared years; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Melkon Berhadar Efendi21 shared years; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Acemyan Dikran Efendi21 shared years; highest salary 1,100 kuruş
- Jan Diraço Efendi21 shared years; highest salary 1,100 kuruş
- Lazyan Agob Efendi21 shared years; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
All 605 officials with the title Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti
Same school
Of the 263 officials with Millet Mektebi among their schools, Ropen Efendi had the 115th highest salary.
- Arnest Lapir Efendiborn 1861/62 (AH 1278); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Karakin Yaver Efendiborn 1861/62 (AH 1278); highest salary 650 kuruş
- Kostantin Efendiborn 1861/62 (AH 1278); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Mihran Efendiborn 1861/62 (AH 1278); highest salary 400 kuruş
- Viçen Metviş Efendiborn 1861/62 (AH 1278); highest salary 900 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 66 officials born in Edirne, Ropen Efendi had the 28th highest salary.
- Artin Efendiborn 1861/62 (AH 1278); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Hakkı Efendiborn 1861/62 (AH 1278); highest salary 540 kuruş
- Mehmet Nuri Efendiborn 1860/61 (AH 1277); highest salary 250 kuruş
- İbrahim Ethem Efendiborn 1862/63 (AH 1279); highest salary 2,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Azmi Efendiborn 1862/63 (AH 1279); highest salary 720 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 60 officials whose first annual entry is for 1879/80 (AH 1297), Ropen Efendi had the 40th highest salary.
- Ahmet Mümtaz Efendifirst entry in Drama; highest salary 500 kuruş
- İstepan Efendifirst entry in Aleppo (Halep); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Mehmet Halid Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 600 kuruş
- Ahmet Midhat Beyfirst entry in Karbala (Kerbela); highest salary 700 kuruş
- Arisdakis Efendifirst entry in Tarsus; highest salary 300 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (21)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1879/80AH 1297 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Bitola (Manastır) | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 103_14_25 |
| 1880/81AH 1298 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 285 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 103_14_25 |
| 1881/82AH 1299 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 285 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 103_14_25 |
| 1882/83AH 1300 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 380 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 103_14_25 |
| 1883/84AH 1301 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 380 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 103_14_25 |
| 1884/85AH 1302 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 103_14_25 |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 103_14_25 |
| 1886/87AH 1304 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Beyoğlu | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 103_14_25 |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 103_14_25 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 103_14_25 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 103_14_25 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 103_14_25 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 103_14_25 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 103_14_25 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 103_14_25 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 103_14_25 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 103_14_25 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 103_14_25 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 103_14_25 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 103_14_25 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 103_14_25 |
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 | Ropen Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1278 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birthplace | edirne | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Province of birth | edirne | 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 |
| Religion | Hristiyan | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Nationality or community | Ermeni | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Schooling | ||
| School | Millet 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) | 3 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work | ||
| First work: year (AH) | 1294 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1877 | Recovered annual personnel extract |
| First work: place | Manastir | 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) | 1318 | 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
- Ropen Efendi
- Post of official for foreign communications (Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti)
- Thessaloniki (Selanik)
- Edirne
- Community school (Millet Mektebi)
- Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)
- Armenian Christian (Ermeni)
- 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)