Official
Mehmet Akif Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Istanbul (Dersaadet) in 1850/51 (AH 1267). On record 1872 to 1911, 41 annual entries.
Archive reference 0034_0094; 185
Life#
Mehmet Akif Efendi was born in Istanbul in 1850/51 (AH 1267) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community; the father was a tradesman (esnaf). Schooling took seven years, at a middle school (Rüşdiye Mektebi); Mehmet Akif also attended the telegraph school.
Work began in Istanbul in 1868/69, at about 17, with four unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 400 kuruş. The annual lists begin in 1872/73, with Mehmet Akif as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru) in Sofia (Sofya), where the entries run to 1875/76. Mehmet Akif then moved to Aleksanic from 1876 to 1879, then back to Sofia from 1879 to 1884. The annual lists then follow Mehmet Akif to Gaziantep (Antep) from 1884 to 1889, then back to Istanbul, the birthplace, from 1889 to 1905, with a rise to chief communications official (Başmuhabere Memuru) in 1897/98. Next came Babiali from 1905 to 1910, with a rise to director (Müdür) in 1909/10. The last posts were in Istanbul again from 1910 to 1911. Entries spanning 41 years are rare, reached by fewer than 3 per cent of the 5,211 officials.
The salary went from 400 kuruş a month in 1872/73 to 1,750 in 1909/10, the peak, as Müdür in Babiali, when 85 per cent of paid officials earned less. The last annual entry is for 1911.
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 1850/51 (AH 1267); First work 1868/69 (AH 1285)
1872 to 1876 (AH 1289 to 1292)
380 to 400 kuruş a month; entries in 4 years
1889 to 1905 (AH 1307 to 1322)
Muhabere Memuru 1889 to 1897 (AH 1307 to 1314); Başmuhabere Memuru 1897 to 1905 (AH 1315 to 1322)
500 to 1,200 kuruş a month; entries in 16 years
1910 to 1911 (AH 1328 to 1329)
1,750 kuruş a month; entries in 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1872/73 | 400 | 550 | 400 | 26% |
| 1873/74 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 24% |
| 1874/75 | 380 | 535 | 450 | 18% |
| 1875/76 | 380 | 530 | 400 | 18% |
| 1876/77 | 400 | 582.5 | 410 | 17% |
| 1877/78 | 500 | 560 | 410 | 36% |
| 1878 | 500 | 600 | 500 | 33% |
| 1878/79 | 500 | 600 | 420 | 34% |
| 1879/80 | 400 | 500 | 380 | 35% |
| 1880/81 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 34% |
| 1881/82 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 31% |
| 1882/83 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 28% |
| 1883/84 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 27% |
| 1884/85 | 800 | 500 | 800 | 76% |
| 1885/86 | 800 | 500 | 800 | 77% |
| 1886/87 | 800 | 500 | 800 | 77% |
| 1887/88 | 800 | 500 | 800 | 76% |
| 1888/89 | 800 | 500 | 800 | 77% |
| 1889/90 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 42% |
| 1890/91 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 43% |
| 1891/92 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 43% |
| 1892/93 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 44% |
| 1893/94 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 46% |
| 1894/95 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 46% |
| 1895/96 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 47% |
| 1896/97 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 49% |
| 1897/98 | 600 | 500 | 540 | 73% |
| 1898/99 | 600 | 500 | 540 | 72% |
| 1899/1900 | 750 | 500 | 540 | 81% |
| 1900/01 | 750 | 500 | 540 | 79% |
| 1901/02 | 750 | 500 | 540 | 79% |
| 1902/03 | 750 | 500 | 562.5 | 79% |
| 1903/04 | 1,200 | 475 | 600 | 91% |
| 1904/05 | 1,200 | 450 | 600 | 91% |
| 1905/06 | 1,200 | 475 | 1,500 | 90% |
| 1906/07 | 1,200 | 450 | 1,500 | 90% |
| 1907/08 | 1,200 | 300 | 88% | |
| 1908/09 | 1,200 | 350 | 83% | |
| 1909/10 | 1,750 | 462.5 | 85% | |
| 1910/11 | 1,750 | 500 | 84% | |
| 1911 | 1,750 | 500 | 82% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1868/69AH 1285 | First work | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 400first-salary field |
| 1872 to 1876AH 1289 to 1292 | Muhabere Memuru | Sofia (Sofya) | 400 to 380 |
| 1876 to 1879AH 1293 to 1296 | Muhabere Memuru | Aleksanic | 400 to 500 |
| 1879 to 1884AH 1297 to 1301 | Muhabere Memuru | Sofia (Sofya) | 400 |
| 1884 to 1889AH 1302 to 1306 | 2. Müdür | Gaziantep (Antep) | 800 |
| 1889 to 1897AH 1307 to 1314 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 500 |
| 1897 to 1905AH 1315 to 1322 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 600 to 1,200 |
| 1905 to 1909AH 1323 to 1326 | 1. Müdür | Babiali | 1,200 |
| 1909/10AH 1327 | Müdür | Babiali | 1,750 |
| 1910 to 1911AH 1328 to 1329 | Başmüdür Kitabeti | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,750 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1850/51 (AH 1267)
- Birthplace
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- Esnaf
Education
- Rüşdiye
- Rüşdiye Mektebi (7 years)rüşdiye school (middle school)
- Higher or professional
- Telgraf Mektebitelegraph school; recorded as a code
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 4 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
- 1868/69 (AH 1285)
- Place
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 400
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 1,214 officials with entries in Istanbul in the same years, Mehmet Akif Efendi had the 138th highest salary.
- Mustafa İsmet Efendi18 shared years; highest salary 2,000 kuruş
- Melkok Efendi17 shared years; highest salary 5,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Emin Efendi17 shared years; highest salary 3,500 kuruş
- Salih Tevfik Efendi17 shared years; highest salary 2,600 kuruş
- Mustafa Hilmi Efendi17 shared years; highest salary 2,500 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 1,864 officials with the title Muhabere Memuru in the same years, Mehmet Akif Efendi had the 52nd highest salary.
- Tahir Efendi21 shared years; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- 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
- Tatar Ağası Zade Hafız Abdullah Efendi21 shared years; highest salary 1,100 kuruş
Same school
Of the 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi among their schools, 3,200 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Akif Efendi had the 114th highest salary of them.
- Abdülhalil Efendiborn 1850/51 (AH 1267); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Abdülhamit Efendiborn 1850/51 (AH 1267); highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Abdullah Tevfik Efendiborn 1850/51 (AH 1267); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Abdurrahman Nuri Efendiborn 1850/51 (AH 1267); highest salary 1,400 kuruş
- Ahmet Şemsettin Efendiborn 1850/51 (AH 1267); highest salary 600 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 1,999 officials born in Istanbul, 1,997 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Akif Efendi had the 180th highest salary of them.
- Abdullah Tevfik Efendiborn 1850/51 (AH 1267); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Ahmet Nail Efendiborn 1850/51 (AH 1267); highest salary 400 kuruş
- Ahmet Şemsettin Efendiborn 1850/51 (AH 1267); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Andon Tomasyan Efendiborn 1850/51 (AH 1267); highest salary 800 kuruş
- Dikran Yüzbaşıyan Efendiborn 1850/51 (AH 1267); highest salary 750 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 84 officials whose first annual entry is for 1872/73 (AH 1289), Mehmet Akif Efendi had the 8th highest salary.
- Abdullah Efendifirst entry in Gaza (Gazze); highest salary 850 kuruş
- Cemil Efendifirst entry in Niš (Niş); highest salary 900 kuruş
- Esat Efendifirst entry in Beirut (Beyrut); highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Feyzi Efendifirst entry in Damascus (Şam); highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Halil Efendifirst entry in Bitlis; highest salary 900 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (41)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1872/73AH 1289 | Muhabere Memuru | Sofia (Sofya) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0094; 185 |
| 1873/74AH 1290 | Muhabere Memuru | Sofia (Sofya) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0094; 185 |
| 1874/75AH 1291 | Muhabere Memuru | Sofia (Sofya) | 380 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0094; 185 |
| 1875/76AH 1292 | Muhabere Memuru | Sofia (Sofya) | 380 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0094; 185 |
| 1876/77AH 1293 | Muhabere Memuru | Aleksanic | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0094; 185 |
| 1877/78AH 1294 | Muhabere Memuru | Aleksanic | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0094; 185 |
| 1878AH 1295 | Muhabere Memuru | Aleksanic | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0094; 185 |
| 1878/79AH 1296 | Muhabere Memuru | Aleksanic | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0094; 185 |
| 1879/80AH 1297 | Muhabere Memuru | Sofia (Sofya) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0094; 185 |
| 1880/81AH 1298 | Muhabere Memuru | Sofia (Sofya) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0094; 185 |
| 1881/82AH 1299 | Muhabere Memuru | Sofia (Sofya) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0094; 185 |
| 1882/83AH 1300 | Muhabere Memuru | Sofia (Sofya) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0094; 185 |
| 1883/84AH 1301 | Muhabere Memuru | Sofia (Sofya) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0094; 185 |
| 1884/85AH 1302 | 2. Müdür | Gaziantep (Antep) | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0094; 185 |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | 2. Müdür | Gaziantep (Antep) | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0094; 185 |
| 1886/87AH 1304 | 2. Müdür | Gaziantep (Antep) | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0094; 185 |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | 2. Müdür | Gaziantep (Antep) | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0094; 185 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | 2. Müdür | Gaziantep (Antep) | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0094; 185 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0094; 185 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0094; 185 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0094; 185 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0094; 185 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0094; 185 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0094; 185 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0094; 185 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0094; 185 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0094; 185 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0094; 185 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0094; 185 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0094; 185 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0094; 185 |
| 1902/03AH 1320 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0094; 185 |
| 1903/04AH 1321 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0094; 185 |
| 1904/05AH 1322 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0094; 185 |
| 1905/06AH 1323 | 1. Müdür | Babiali | 1,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0094; 185 |
| 1906/07AH 1324 | 1. Müdür | Babiali | 1,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0094; 185 |
| 1907/08AH 1325 | 1. Müdür | Babiali | 1,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0094; 185 |
| 1908/09AH 1326 | 1. Müdür | Babiali | 1,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0094; 185 |
| 1909/10AH 1327 | Müdür | Babiali | 1,750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0094; 185 |
| 1910/11AH 1328 | Başmüdür Kitabeti | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0094; 185 |
| 1911AH 1329 | Başmüdür Kitabeti | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0094; 185 |
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 (16)
| Field | Recorded value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Name | Mehmet Akif Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1267 | 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 | Esnaf | 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 |
| Telegraph school (recorded code) | 1 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Years of apprenticeship (mülazemet) | 4 used on this page | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Years of apprenticeship (mülazemet) | 0 other value | Recovered annual personnel extract |
| First work | ||
| First work: year (AH) | 1285 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1868 | Recovered annual personnel extract |
| First work: place | istanbul | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First salary field (kuruş a month) | 400 | 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.
- The sources give more than one value for a marked field. Every value is listed.
- Origin of the record: Post and Telegraph personnel records.
- 35 annual entries of 41 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 Akif Efendi
- Communications official (Muhabere Memuru)
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Rüşdiye school (Rüşdiye Mektebi)
- Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Chief communications official (Başmuhabere Memuru)
- 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)