Official
Mehmet Tevfik Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Istanbul (Dersaadet) in 1844/45 (AH 1260). On record 1864 to 1900, 37 annual entries. Death recorded 1900/01.
Archive reference 14_185; 367
Life#
Mehmet Tevfik Efendi was born in Istanbul in 1844/45 (AH 1260) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community. Schooling took seven years, at a middle school (Rüşdiye Mektebi).
Mehmet Tevfik began work in Istanbul in 1862/63, at about 18, with two unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 560 kuruş. The first annual entry, for 1864/65, places Mehmet Tevfik in Ruse (Rusçuk) as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru). The annual lists then follow Mehmet Tevfik to five places in seven years, then Üsküdar from 1872 to 1880. Mehmet Tevfik then moved to Kartal and Gaziantep (Antep) from 1880 to 1883, then back to Istanbul, the birthplace, from 1883 to 1885. Next came Beykoz and Zabid (Zebid) from 1885 to 1897. The last posts were in Urfele from 1897 to 1900. In all, 13 places on three continents, a number reached by only 38 of the 5,200 officials with a place of service. The farthest post, Zabid, lay about 3,300 km from Istanbul, and 42 of the 5,162 officials with a known birthplace and place of service served as far from the birthplace.
The salary went from 560 kuruş a month in 1864/65 to 1,200 in 1891/92, the peak, as 2. Müdür in Zabid, when nine in ten 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 1844/45 (AH 1260); First work 1862/63 (AH 1279)
1883 to 1885 (AH 1301 to 1302)
400 kuruş a month; entries in 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1864/65 | 560 | 625 | 570 | 38% |
| 1865/66 | 560 | 650 | 576 | 36% |
| 1866/67 | 720 | 600 | 1,000 | 58% |
| 1867/68 | 800 | 600 | 1,000 | 61% |
| 1868/69 | 1,000 | 600 | 1,000 | 70% |
| 1869/70 | 1,000 | 600 | 1,000 | 71% |
| 1870/71 | 1,000 | 600 | 1,000 | 72% |
| 1871/72 | 760 | 550 | 855 | 64% |
| 1872/73 | 750 | 550 | 400 | 63% |
| 1873/74 | 750 | 500 | 400 | 63% |
| 1874/75 | 750 | 535 | 450 | 63% |
| 1875/76 | 750 | 530 | 400 | 64% |
| 1876/77 | 750 | 582.5 | 410 | 63% |
| 1877/78 | 750 | 560 | 410 | 65% |
| 1878 | 750 | 600 | 500 | 61% |
| 1878/79 | 750 | 600 | 420 | 63% |
| 1879/80 | 600 | 500 | 380 | 61% |
| 1880/81 | 600 | 500 | 400 | 60% |
| 1881/82 | 600 | 500 | 400 | 60% |
| 1882/83 | 800 | 500 | 800 | 76% |
| 1883/84 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 27% |
| 1884/85 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 27% |
| 1885/86 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 27% |
| 1886/87 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 27% |
| 1887/88 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 27% |
| 1888/89 | 450 | 500 | 400 | 38% |
| 1889/90 | 450 | 500 | 400 | 38% |
| 1890/91 | 450 | 500 | 400 | 39% |
| 1891/92 | 1,200 | 500 | 800 | 90% |
| 1892/93 | 1,200 | 500 | 800 | 90% |
| 1893/94 | 1,200 | 500 | 800 | 91% |
| 1894/95 | 1,200 | 500 | 800 | 91% |
| 1895/96 | 1,200 | 500 | 800 | 90% |
| 1896/97 | 1,080 | 500 | 765 | 91% |
| 1897/98 | 1,080 | 500 | 778.5 | 91% |
| 1898/99 | 1,080 | 500 | 800 | 91% |
| 1899/1900 | 1,080 | 500 | 783 | 90% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1862/63AH 1279 | First work | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 560first-salary field |
| 1864/65AH 1281 | Muhabere Memuru | Ruse (Rusçuk) | 560 |
| 1865/66AH 1282 | Muhabere Memuru | Izmir (İzmir) | 560 |
| 1866/67AH 1283 | 2. Müdür | Novi Pazar (Yenipazar) | 720 |
| 1867/68AH 1284 | 2. Müdür | Gradiška (Gradişka) | 800 |
| 1868 to 1871AH 1285 to 1287 | 2. Müdür | Belen | 1,000 |
| 1871/72AH 1288 | 2. Müdür | Uşak | 760 |
| 1872 to 1880AH 1289 to 1297 | Muhabere Memuru | Üsküdar | 750 to 600 |
| 1880 to 1882AH 1298 to 1299 | Muhabere Memuru | Kartal | 600 |
| 1882/83AH 1300 | 2. Müdür | Gaziantep (Antep) | 800 |
| 1883 to 1885AH 1301 to 1302 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 400 |
| 1885 to 1891AH 1303 to 1308 | Muhabere Memuru | Beykoz | 400 to 450 |
| 1891 to 1897AH 1309 to 1314 | 2. Müdür | Zabid (Zebid) | 1,200 to 1,080 |
| 1897 to 1900AH 1315 to 1317 | 2. Müdür | Urfele | 1,080 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | Death recorded | ||
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1844/45 (AH 1260)
- Birthplace
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Death recorded
- 1900/01 (AH 1318)the year of the annual list with the word Vefat, not a date of death
Education
- Rüşdiye
- Rüşdiye Mektebi (7 years)rüşdiye school (middle school)
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 2 years
- Preparation route (classification of the paper)
- Middle
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
- 1862/63 (AH 1279)
- Place
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 560
Named in scholarly works#
No link between a work and an official has been accepted. Each entry was found by fixed rules on the name and the recorded fields, and says what it rests on.
Possible links: 1 entry in 1 work
- Tanzimat'tan II. Meşrutiyet'e Uşak kazasında ilmȋ ve kültürel hayat (1839-1908): Mehmed Tevfik EfendiPossible link: same name; served in the place the work covers
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 26 officials with entries in Üsküdar in the same years, Mehmet Tevfik Efendi had the 13th highest salary.
- Mehmet Tayyip Bey9 shared years; highest salary 5,000 kuruş
- Behazkil Efendi9 shared years; highest salary 2,800 kuruş
- Mustafa Kâmil Bey9 shared years; highest salary 750 kuruş
- Mustafa Sakıp Efendi7 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Ahmet Mehmet Efendi6 shared years; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 1,275 officials with the title Muhabere Memuru in the same years, Mehmet Tevfik Efendi had the 159th highest salary.
- Nikola Yunani Efendi21 shared years; highest salary 1,350 kuruş
- Şarl Laze Efendi21 shared years; highest salary 1,250 kuruş
- Ahmet Mehmet Efendi21 shared years; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Unnamed official (23_38; 73)21 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Hacı Mehmet Emin Efendi21 shared years; highest salary 720 kuruş
Same school
Of the 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi among their schools, 3,200 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Tevfik Efendi had the 215th highest salary of them.
- Abdullah Hamit Efendiborn 1844/45 (AH 1260); highest salary 700 kuruş
- Ahmet İzzet Beyborn 1844/45 (AH 1260); highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Ahmet Rifat Beyborn 1844/45 (AH 1260); highest salary 4,000 kuruş
- Ali Rıza Efendiborn 1844/45 (AH 1260); highest salary 550 kuruş
- Hazım Rasim Efendiborn 1844/45 (AH 1260); highest salary 600 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 1,999 officials born in Istanbul, 1,997 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Tevfik Efendi had the 282nd 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 40 officials whose first annual entry is for 1864/65 (AH 1281), Mehmet Tevfik Efendi had the 20th highest salary.
- Mustafa Necip Efendifirst entry in Targovishte (Eski Cuma); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Mustafa Şevket Efendifirst entry in Ankara; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Mustafa Sıdkı Efendifirst entry in Veliko Tarnovo (Tırnova); highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Paskal Mıgırdıç Kazancıyan Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 2,905 kuruş
- Aristotel Fridas Efendifirst entry in Edirne; highest salary 800 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (37)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1864/65AH 1281 | Muhabere Memuru | Ruse (Rusçuk) | 560 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 14_185; 367 |
| 1865/66AH 1282 | Muhabere Memuru | Izmir (İzmir) | 560 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 14_185; 367 |
| 1866/67AH 1283 | 2. Müdür | Novi Pazar (Yenipazar) | 720 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 14_185; 367 |
| 1867/68AH 1284 | 2. Müdür | Gradiška (Gradişka) | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 14_185; 367 |
| 1868/69AH 1285 | 2. Müdür | Belen | 1,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 14_185; 367 |
| 1869/70AH 1286 | 2. Müdür | Belen | 1,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 14_185; 367 |
| 1870/71AH 1287 | 2. Müdür | Belen | 1,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 14_185; 367 |
| 1871/72AH 1288 | 2. Müdür | Uşak | 760 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 14_185; 367 |
| 1872/73AH 1289 | Muhabere Memuru | Üsküdar | 750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 14_185; 367 |
| 1873/74AH 1290 | Muhabere Memuru | Üsküdar | 750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 14_185; 367 |
| 1874/75AH 1291 | Muhabere Memuru | Üsküdar | 750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 14_185; 367 |
| 1875/76AH 1292 | Muhabere Memuru | Üsküdar | 750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 14_185; 367 |
| 1876/77AH 1293 | Muhabere Memuru | Üsküdar | 750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 14_185; 367 |
| 1877/78AH 1294 | Muhabere Memuru | Üsküdar | 750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 14_185; 367 |
| 1878AH 1295 | Muhabere Memuru | Üsküdar | 750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 14_185; 367 |
| 1878/79AH 1296 | Muhabere Memuru | Üsküdar | 750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 14_185; 367 |
| 1879/80AH 1297 | Muhabere Memuru | Üsküdar | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 14_185; 367 |
| 1880/81AH 1298 | Muhabere Memuru | Kartal | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 14_185; 367 |
| 1881/82AH 1299 | Muhabere Memuru | Kartal | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 14_185; 367 |
| 1882/83AH 1300 | 2. Müdür | Gaziantep (Antep) | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 14_185; 367 |
| 1883/84AH 1301 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 14_185; 367 |
| 1884/85AH 1302 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 14_185; 367 |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Muhabere Memuru | Beykoz | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 14_185; 367 |
| 1886/87AH 1304 | Muhabere Memuru | Beykoz | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 14_185; 367 |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Muhabere Memuru | Beykoz | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 14_185; 367 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Muhabere Memuru | Beykoz | 450 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 14_185; 367 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Muhabere Memuru | Beykoz | 450 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 14_185; 367 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Muhabere Memuru | Beykoz | 450 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 14_185; 367 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | 2. Müdür | Zabid (Zebid) | 1,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 14_185; 367 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | 2. Müdür | Zabid (Zebid) | 1,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 14_185; 367 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | 2. Müdür | Zabid (Zebid) | 1,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 14_185; 367 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | 2. Müdür | Zabid (Zebid) | 1,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 14_185; 367 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | 2. Müdür | Zabid (Zebid) | 1,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 14_185; 367 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | 2. Müdür | Zabid (Zebid) | 1,080 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 14_185; 367 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | 2. Müdür | Urfele | 1,080 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 14_185; 367 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | 2. Müdür | Urfele | 1,080 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 14_185; 367 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | 2. Müdür | Urfele | 1,080 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 14_185; 367 |
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 Tevfik Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1260 | 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 |
| 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) | 2 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work | ||
| First work: year (AH) | 1279 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1862 | 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) | 560 | 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.
- 31 annual entries of 37 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 Tevfik Efendi
- Communications official (Muhabere Memuru)
- Üsküdar
- 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)