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Ottoman BureaucracyPeople, places and careers in Ottoman public service

Official

Bekir Efendi

Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Elazığ in 1881/82 (AH 1299). On record 1903 to 1906, 3 annual entries.

Archive reference 119-76-147

Compare Bekir Efendi with other officials

Life

Born in Elazığ in 1881/82 (AH 1299) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community, Bekir Efendi was the child of a tradesman (esnaf). Bekir had seven years of schooling, at a middle school (Rüşdiye Mektebi).

At about 21, in 1903/04, Bekir began work in Devebagirtan, paid from the start, on 200 kuruş a month. The first annual entry, for 1903/04, places Bekir in Devebagirtan as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru). The last posts were in Deraci in 1904/05 and Portme in 1905/06. The posts lie on three continents, Africa, Asia and Europe, as for fewer than 2 per cent of the 5,200 officials with a place of service. Portme, about 2,400 km from Elazığ, was the post farthest from the birthplace; fewer than 4 per cent of the 5,162 officials with a known birthplace and place of service served as far from home.

Pay rose from 200 kuruş a month in 1903/04 to a peak of 800 in 1905/06, as Muhabere Memuru in Portme, when 78 per cent of paid officials earned less. The last annual entry is for 1905/06.

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 4 stops
birthplacefirst workplace of annual entriesmove, with the year of the first entry there
1903/041904/051905/061234ElazığDevebagirtanDeraciPortme

  1. Elazığ

    Born 1881/82 (AH 1299)

  2. Devebagirtan

    First work 1903/04 (AH 1321); 1903/04 (AH 1321)

    Muhabere Memuru

    200 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year

  3. Deraci

    1904/05 (AH 1322)

    Muhabere Memuru

    400 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year

  4. Portme

    1905/06 (AH 1323)

    Muhabere Memuru

    800 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year

Career and salary

Monthly salary by year, kuruşsalary of the yearyears with one job titleno annual entry
02004006008001903/04AH 13211904/05AH 13221905/06AH 1323800 kuruşMuhabere Memuru
Salary against the medians of the same year
2005001,0001903/04AH 13211904/05AH 13221905/06AH 1323This 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 Bekir Efendi against the medians of the same year, kuruş a month
YearSalaryMedian, all officialsMedian, same titlePaid less
1903/042004753508%
1904/0540045035038%
1905/0680047533078%

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 Bekir Efendi, one row per stage
YearsTitlePlaceSalary (kuruş a month)
1903/04AH 1321First workDevebagirtan200first-salary field
1903/04AH 1321Muhabere MemuruDevebagirtan200
1904/05AH 1322Muhabere MemuruDeraci400
1905/06AH 1323Muhabere MemuruPortme800

Record

Personal

Born
1881/82 (AH 1299)
Birthplace
Elazığ
Community
Muslim (Müslüman)
Nationality as recorded
Turkish
Father's occupation
Esnaf

Education

Rüşdiye
Rüşdiye Mektebi (7 years)rüşdiye school (middle school)
Unpaid years (mülazemet)
0 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
1903/04 (AH 1321)
First salary field (kuruş a month)
200

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 2 officials with entries in Devebagirtan in the same years, Bekir Efendi had the highest salary.

All 14 officials with entries in Devebagirtan

Same job title, same years

Of the 1,090 officials with the title Muhabere Memuru in the same years, Bekir Efendi had the 75th highest salary.

All 3,162 officials with the title Muhabere Memuru

Same school

Of the 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi among their schools, 3,200 have a recorded salary; Bekir Efendi had the 477th highest salary of them.

All 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi

Same birthplace

Of the 19 officials born in Elazığ, Bekir Efendi had the 2nd highest salary.

The page of Elazığ, with the 19 officials born there

First annual entry in the same year

Of the 174 officials whose first annual entry is for 1903/04 (AH 1321), Bekir Efendi had the highest salary.

Full record

Annual entries (3)

Annual entries of Bekir Efendi
YearTitlePlaceKuruş a monthInstitutionSourceArchive reference
1903/04AH 1321Muhabere MemuruDevebagirtan200Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract119-76-147
1904/05AH 1322Muhabere MemuruDeraci400Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract119-76-147
1905/06AH 1323Muhabere MemuruPortme800Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract119-76-147
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 Bekir Efendi with their sources
FieldRecorded valueSource
Identity
NameBekir EfendiPersonnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Birth year (AH)1299Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
BirthplaceelazigRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Province of birthelazigRecovered 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)0Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
First work
First work: year (AH)1321Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
First work: Gregorian year as stored1903Recovered annual personnel extract
First work: placedevebagirtanRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
First salary field (kuruş a month)200Recovered 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