Skip to content
Ottoman BureaucracyPeople, places and careers in Ottoman public service

Official

Mehmet Ali Efendi

Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Istanbul (Dersaadet) in 1867/68 (AH 1284). On record 1900 to 1903, 3 annual entries.

Archive reference 104_147_290

Compare Mehmet Ali Efendi with other officials

Life

Born in Istanbul in 1867/68 (AH 1284), Mehmet Ali Efendi came from the Muslim (Müslüman) community; the father was a tradesman (esnaf). Mehmet Ali had seven years of schooling, at a middle school (Rüşdiye Mektebi), and wrote French as well as Turkish.

Work began in Istanbul in 1895/96, at about 28, with five unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 600 kuruş. The first annual entry, for 1900/01, places Mehmet Ali in Thessaloniki (Selanik) as a travelling postal official (Seyyar Memur). From 1901 to 1903 the annual entries place Mehmet Ali in Izmir (İzmir).

The salary never rose above the first in the lists, 600 kuruş a month in 1900/01, as Seyyar Memur in Thessaloniki, when 67 per cent of paid officials earned less. The last annual entry is for 1902/03.

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.

All 3 stops
birthplaceplace of annual entriesmove, with the year of the first entry there
1900/011901/02123IstanbulThessalonikiIzmir

  1. Istanbul (Dersaadet)

    Born 1867/68 (AH 1284); First work 1895/96 (AH 1313)

  2. Thessaloniki (Selanik)

    1900/01 (AH 1318)

    Seyyar Memur

    600 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year

  3. Izmir (İzmir)

    1901 to 1903 (AH 1319 to 1320)

    Seyyar Memur

    540 to 600 kuruş a month; entries in 2 years

Career and salary

Monthly salary by year, kuruşsalary of the yearyears with one job titleno annual entry
02004006001900/01AH 13181901/02AH 13191902/03AH 1320600 kuruşSeyyar Memur
Salary against the medians of the same year
5001,0001900/01AH 13181901/02AH 13191902/03AH 1320This officialMedian, all officialsMedian, same title

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
Salary of Mehmet Ali Efendi against the medians of the same year, kuruş a month
YearSalaryMedian, all officialsMedian, same titlePaid less
1900/0160050060067%
1901/0254050060060%
1902/0360050060067%

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.

Career of Mehmet Ali Efendi, one row per stage
YearsTitlePlaceSalary (kuruş a month)
1895/96AH 1313First workIstanbul (Dersaadet)600first-salary field
1900/01AH 1318Seyyar MemurThessaloniki (Selanik)600
1901 to 1903AH 1319 to 1320Seyyar Memur
2 entries
YearSalary
1901/02540
1902/03600
Izmir (İzmir)540 to 600

Record

Personal

Born
1867/68 (AH 1284)
Community
Muslim (Müslüman)
Nationality as recorded
Turkish
Father's occupation
Esnaf

Education

Rüşdiye
Rüşdiye Mektebi (7 years)rüşdiye school (middle school)
Unpaid years (mülazemet)
5 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

French
Kitabetwriting
Turkish
Kitabetwriting

The glosses are cautious historical readings of the recorded words, not modern levels of proficiency.

First work

Year
1895/96 (AH 1313)
First salary field (kuruş a month)
600

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 66 officials with entries in Izmir (İzmir) in the same years, Mehmet Ali Efendi had the 22nd highest salary.

All 266 officials with entries in Izmir (İzmir)

Same job title, same years

Of the 106 officials with the title Seyyar Memur in the same years, Mehmet Ali Efendi had the 65th highest salary.

All 273 officials with the title Seyyar Memur

Same school

Of the 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi among their schools, 3,200 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Ali Efendi had the 852nd highest salary of them.

All 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi

Same birthplace

Of the 1,999 officials born in Istanbul, 1,997 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Ali Efendi had the 789th highest salary of them.

The page of Istanbul, with the 1,999 officials born there

First annual entry in the same year

Of the 140 officials whose first annual entry is for 1900/01 (AH 1318), 139 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Ali Efendi had the 21st highest salary of them.

Full record

Annual entries (3)

Annual entries of Mehmet Ali Efendi
YearTitlePlaceKuruş a monthInstitutionSourceArchive reference
1900/01AH 1318Seyyar MemurThessaloniki (Selanik)600Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract104_147_290
1901/02AH 1319Seyyar MemurIzmir (İzmir)540Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract104_147_290
1902/03AH 1320Seyyar MemurIzmir (İzmir)600Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract104_147_290
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)

Recorded values of Mehmet Ali Efendi with their sources
FieldRecorded valueSource
Identity
NameMehmet Ali EfendiPersonnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Birth year (AH)1284Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
BirthplacedersaadetRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Province of birthdersaadetRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Father's occupationesnafRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
ReligionMuslumanRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Nationality or communityTurkishRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Schooling
SchoolRusdiye MektebiRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Years of schooling7Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Years of apprenticeship (mülazemet)5Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
First work
First work: year (AH)1313Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
First work: Gregorian year as stored1895Recovered annual personnel extract
First work: placeistanbulRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
First salary field (kuruş a month)600Recovered 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.
  • Origin of the record: Post and Telegraph personnel records.
  • 3 annual entries of 3 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