Official
Mehmed Şecaüddin Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Istanbul (Dersaadet) in 1870/71 (AH 1287). On record 1887 to 1905, 18 annual entries.
Archive reference 58- 161;315
Life#
Born in Istanbul in 1870/71 (AH 1287), Mehmed Şecaüddin Efendi came from the Muslim (Müslüman) community; the father was a customs official (rüsumat memuru). Schooling took seven years, at a middle school (Rüşdiye Mektebi).
Work began in Istanbul in 1885/86, at about 16, with two unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 150 kuruş. Every annual entry from 1887/88 to 1904/05 places Mehmed Şecaüddin in Istanbul, the birthplace, first as a letters official (Mekâtib Memuru), from 1888/89 in the Emanet Kitabeti, from 1901/02 as a postal official (Posta Memuru) and from 1903/04 as a travelling postal official (Seyyar Memur).
Pay rose from 150 kuruş a month in 1887/88 to a peak of 700 in 1903/04, as Seyyar Memur in Istanbul, when three in four paid officials earned less. Over 18 years the salaries add up to 72,540 kuruş, 67 per cent of what an official on the median salary earned. The last annual entry is for 1904/05.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1887/88 | 150 | 500 | 400 | 2% |
| 1888/89 | 250 | 500 | 500 | 8% |
| 1889/90 | 250 | 500 | 500 | 10% |
| 1890/91 | 250 | 500 | 500 | 10% |
| 1891/92 | 250 | 500 | 500 | 12% |
| 1892/93 | 250 | 500 | 13% | |
| 1893/94 | 250 | 500 | 400 | 13% |
| 1894/95 | 275 | 500 | 400 | 16% |
| 1895/96 | 300 | 500 | 500 | 17% |
| 1896/97 | 300 | 500 | 500 | 18% |
| 1897/98 | 310 | 500 | 500 | 26% |
| 1898/99 | 310 | 500 | 540 | 25% |
| 1899/1900 | 350 | 500 | 615 | 26% |
| 1900/01 | 350 | 500 | 630 | 25% |
| 1901/02 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 32% |
| 1902/03 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 33% |
| 1903/04 | 700 | 475 | 675 | 75% |
| 1904/05 | 700 | 450 | 600 | 75% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1885/86AH 1303 | First work | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 150first-salary field |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Mekâtib Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 150 |
| 1888 to 1901AH 1306 to 1318 | Emanet Kitabeti | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 250 to 350 |
| 1901 to 1903AH 1319 to 1320 | Posta Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 400 |
| 1903 to 1905AH 1321 to 1322 | Seyyar Memur | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 700 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1870/71 (AH 1287)
- Birthplace
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- Rusumat Memuru
Education
- Rüşdiye
- Rüşdiye Mektebi (7 years)rüşdiye school (middle school)
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 2 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
- 1885/86 (AH 1303)
- Place
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 150
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 1,216 officials with entries in Istanbul in the same years, Mehmed Şecaüddin Efendi had the 505th highest salary.
- Salahattin Bey18 shared years; highest salary 7,800 kuruş
- Suleyman Resat Bey18 shared years; highest salary 7,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Hayri Bey18 shared years; highest salary 5,500 kuruş
- Melkok Efendi18 shared years; highest salary 5,000 kuruş
- Dikran Efendi18 shared years; highest salary 4,500 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 15 officials with the title Emanet Kitabeti in the same years, Mehmed Şecaüddin Efendi had the 7th highest salary.
- Mehmet Raşit Efendi13 shared years; highest salary 725 kuruş
- Mustafa Raif Efendi13 shared years; highest salary 700 kuruş
- Mehmet Sait Efendi5 shared years; highest salary 600 kuruş
- Ali Rıza Efendi5 shared years; highest salary 440 kuruş
- Mehmet Salih Efendi4 shared years; highest salary 650 kuruş
Same school
Of the 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi among their schools, 3,200 have a recorded salary; Mehmed Şecaüddin Efendi had the 729th highest salary of them.
- Abdulgafur Sufi Efendiborn 1870/71 (AH 1287); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Abdülkerim Efendiborn 1870/71 (AH 1287); highest salary 400 kuruş
- Abdullah Mazhar Efendiborn 1870/71 (AH 1287); highest salary 800 kuruş
- Abdurrezak Bey Efendiborn 1870/71 (AH 1287); highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Ahmed Talat Efendiborn 1870/71 (AH 1287); highest salary 500 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 1,999 officials born in Istanbul, 1,997 have a recorded salary; Mehmed Şecaüddin Efendi had the 704th highest salary of them.
- Agop Efendiborn 1870/71 (AH 1287); highest salary 150 kuruş
- Ahmed Talat Efendiborn 1870/71 (AH 1287); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Ahmet Avni Efendiborn 1870/71 (AH 1287); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Ahmet Avni Efendiborn 1870/71 (AH 1287); highest salary 5,000 kuruş
- Ahmet Hurşit Efendiborn 1870/71 (AH 1287); highest salary 400 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 89 officials whose first annual entry is for 1887/88 (AH 1305), Mehmed Şecaüddin Efendi had the 28th highest salary.
- Ahmed Talat Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 500 kuruş
- Mehmed Tevfik Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 525 kuruş
- Mehmet Şahin Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 500 kuruş
- Mehmet İsmail Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 450 kuruş
- Yusuf Ziya Beyfirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 750 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (18)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Mekâtib Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 150 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 161;315 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Emanet Kitabeti | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 250 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 161;315 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Emanet Kitabeti | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 250 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 161;315 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Emanet Kitabeti | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 250 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 161;315 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Emanet Kitabeti | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 250 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 161;315 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Emanet Kitabeti | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 250 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 161;315 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Emanet Kitabeti | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 250 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 161;315 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Emanet Kitabeti | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 275 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 161;315 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Emanet Kitabeti | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 161;315 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Emanet Kitabeti | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 161;315 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | Emanet Kitabeti | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 310 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 161;315 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Emanet Kitabeti | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 310 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 161;315 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | Emanet Kitabeti | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 350 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 161;315 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | Emanet Kitabeti | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 350 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 161;315 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | Posta Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 161;315 |
| 1902/03AH 1320 | Posta Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 161;315 |
| 1903/04AH 1321 | Seyyar Memur | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 700 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 161;315 |
| 1904/05AH 1322 | Seyyar Memur | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 700 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 161;315 |
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 | Mehmed Şecaüddin Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1287 | 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 | Rusumat Memuru | 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) | 1303 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1886 | 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) | 150 | 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.
- Origin of the record: Post and Telegraph personnel records.
- 18 annual entries of 18 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
- Mehmed Şecaüddin Efendi
- Emanet Kitabeti
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Rüşdiye school (Rüşdiye Mektebi)
- Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Postal official (Posta 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)