Official
Mehmet Rifat Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Istanbul (Dersaadet) in 1846/47 (AH 1263). On record 1869 to 1906, 35 annual entries.
Archive reference 54_169; 335
Life#
Born in Istanbul in 1846/47 (AH 1263) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community, Mehmet Rifat Efendi was the child of an official (memur). Mehmet Rifat had seven years of schooling, at a middle school (Rüşdiye Mektebi).
At about 19, in 1866/67, Mehmet Rifat began work in Edirne, with three unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 500 kuruş. The first annual entry, for 1869/70, places Mehmet Rifat in Plovdiv (Filibe) as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru), where the entries run to 1873/74. Next came Sofia in 1876/77 and Zlatitsa in 1877/78, then Simav from 1878 to 1885. The annual lists then follow Mehmet Rifat to Gediz, Mudanya, Bursa, Sinop and Babaeski (Baba-yı Atik), five places in ten years, with a rise to Muhabere Memuru in 1891/92, then Didymoteicho (Dimetoka) from 1895 to 1904. The last posts were in Manda from 1904 to 1906. Few officials served in as many places; fewer than 3 per cent of the 5,200 officials with a place of service did. Entries spanning 38 years are rare, reached by fewer than 5 per cent of the 5,211 officials.
Pay rose from 500 kuruş a month in 1869/70 to a peak of 600 in 1877/78, as Muhabere Memuru in Zlatitsa, when half the 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.
Born 1846/47 (AH 1263)
First work 1866/67 (AH 1283)
1869 to 1874 (AH 1286 to 1290)
Muhabere Memuru 1869/70 (AH 1286); Posta Memuru 1870 to 1874 (AH 1287 to 1290)
300 to 500 kuruş a month; entries in 5 years
1876/77 (AH 1293)
No annual entry for 1874 to 1876 (AH 1291 to 1292) before it.
400 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year
1878 to 1885 (AH 1296 to 1302)
No annual entry for 1878 (AH 1295) before it.
500 to 600 kuruş a month; entries in 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1869/70 | 500 | 600 | 400 | 41% |
| 1870/71 | 300 | 600 | 462.5 | 12% |
| 1871/72 | 300 | 550 | 475 | 13% |
| 1872/73 | 300 | 550 | 390 | 11% |
| 1873/74 | 300 | 500 | 425 | 12% |
| 1876/77 | 400 | 582.5 | 410 | 17% |
| 1877/78 | 600 | 560 | 410 | 50% |
| 1878/79 | 600 | 600 | 420 | 47% |
| 1879/80 | 500 | 500 | 380 | 47% |
| 1880/81 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 47% |
| 1881/82 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 46% |
| 1882/83 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 43% |
| 1883/84 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 43% |
| 1884/85 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 42% |
| 1885/86 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 42% |
| 1886/87 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 42% |
| 1887/88 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 41% |
| 1888/89 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 41% |
| 1889/90 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 42% |
| 1890/91 | 475 | 500 | 600 | 41% |
| 1891/92 | 600 | 500 | 400 | 59% |
| 1892/93 | 600 | 500 | 400 | 59% |
| 1893/94 | 500 | 500 | 600 | 46% |
| 1894/95 | 500 | 500 | 600 | 46% |
| 1895/96 | 600 | 500 | 600 | 59% |
| 1896/97 | 600 | 500 | 540 | 73% |
| 1897/98 | 600 | 500 | 540 | 73% |
| 1898/99 | 600 | 500 | 540 | 72% |
| 1899/1900 | 600 | 500 | 540 | 70% |
| 1900/01 | 600 | 500 | 540 | 67% |
| 1901/02 | 600 | 500 | 540 | 67% |
| 1902/03 | 600 | 500 | 540 | 67% |
| 1903/04 | 600 | 475 | 540 | 67% |
| 1904/05 | 540 | 450 | 400 | 61% |
| 1905/06 | 540 | 475 | 400 | 62% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1866/67AH 1283 | First work | Edirne | 500first-salary field |
| 1869/70AH 1286 | Muhabere Memuru | Plovdiv (Filibe) | 500 |
| 1870 to 1874AH 1287 to 1290 | Posta Memuru | Plovdiv (Filibe) | 300 |
| No annual entry: 1874 to 1876 (AH 1291 to 1292) | |||
| 1876/77AH 1293 | Muhabere Memuru | Sofia (Sofya) | 400 |
| 1877/78AH 1294 | Muhabere Memuru | Zlatitsa (İzladi) | 600 |
| No annual entry: 1878 (AH 1295) | |||
| 1878 to 1885AH 1296 to 1302 | Muhabere Memuru | Simav | 600 to 500 |
| 1885 to 1887AH 1303 to 1304 | Muhabere Memuru | Gediz | 500 |
| 1887 to 1890AH 1305 to 1307 | Muhabere Memuru | Mudanya | 500 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Merkez Memuru | Bursa | 475 |
| 1891 to 1893AH 1309 to 1310 | Muhabere Memuru | Sinop | 600 |
| 1893 to 1895AH 1311 to 1312 | 3. Müdür | Babaeski (Baba-yı Atik) | 500 |
| 1895 to 1904AH 1313 to 1321 | 3. Müdür | Didymoteicho (Dimetoka) | 600 |
| 1904 to 1906AH 1322 to 1323 | Posta Memuru | Manda | 540 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1846/47 (AH 1263)
- Birthplace
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- Memur
Education
- Rüşdiye
- Rüşdiye Mektebi (7 years)rüşdiye school (middle school)
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 3 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
- 1866/67 (AH 1283)
- Place
- Edirne
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 500
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 10 officials with entries in Didymoteicho (Dimetoka) in the same years, Mehmet Rifat Efendi had the 2nd highest salary.
- Arif Mustafa Efendi6 shared years; highest salary 380 kuruş
- Ahmet Kazım Efendi3 shared years; highest salary 500 kuruş
- Arif Hilmi Efendi2 shared years; highest salary 400 kuruş
- Ali Kamil Efendi1 shared year; highest salary 750 kuruş
- Mehmet Emin Efendi1 shared year; highest salary 594 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 1,448 officials with the title Muhabere Memuru in the same years, Mehmet Rifat Efendi had the 697th highest salary.
- Tahir Efendi17 shared years; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Nikola Yunani Efendi17 shared years; highest salary 1,350 kuruş
- Mehmet Nazım Efendi17 shared years; highest salary 1,300 kuruş
- Şarl Laze Efendi17 shared years; highest salary 1,250 kuruş
- Süleyman Sabri Efendi17 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 Rifat Efendi had the 852nd highest salary of them.
- Abdullah Hilmi Efendiborn 1846/47 (AH 1263); highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Abdullah Hilmi Efendiborn 1846/47 (AH 1263); highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Ahmet Besim Efendiborn 1846/47 (AH 1263); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Ahmet Hamdi Efendiborn 1846/47 (AH 1263); highest salary 800 kuruş
- Ahmet Reşid Beyborn 1846/47 (AH 1263); highest salary 1,200 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 1,999 officials born in Istanbul, 1,997 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Rifat Efendi had the 789th highest salary of them.
- Ahmet Faik Efendiborn 1846/47 (AH 1263); highest salary 1,170 kuruş
- Ahmet Hamdi Efendiborn 1846/47 (AH 1263); highest salary 800 kuruş
- Ahmet Reşid Beyborn 1846/47 (AH 1263); highest salary 1,200 kuruş
- Avadis Şalcıyan Efendiborn 1846/47 (AH 1263); highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Cemal Efendiborn 1846/47 (AH 1263); highest salary 1,000 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 116 officials whose first annual entry is for 1869/70 (AH 1286), Mehmet Rifat Efendi had the 81st highest salary.
- Abdullah Hilmi Efendifirst entry in Serres (Siroz); highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Abdullah Hilmi Efendifirst entry in Serres (Siroz); highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Ahmet Reşid Beyfirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 1,200 kuruş
- Hüseyin Hüsnü Efendifirst entry in Prizren; highest salary 600 kuruş
- Hüsnü Efendifirst entry in Veliko Tarnovo (Tırnova); highest salary 700 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (35)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1869/70AH 1286 | Muhabere Memuru | Plovdiv (Filibe) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_169; 335 |
| 1870/71AH 1287 | Posta Memuru | Plovdiv (Filibe) | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_169; 335 |
| 1871/72AH 1288 | Posta Memuru | Plovdiv (Filibe) | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_169; 335 |
| 1872/73AH 1289 | Posta Memuru | Plovdiv (Filibe) | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_169; 335 |
| 1873/74AH 1290 | Posta Memuru | Plovdiv (Filibe) | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_169; 335 |
| 1876/77AH 1293 | Muhabere Memuru | Sofia (Sofya) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_169; 335 |
| 1877/78AH 1294 | Muhabere Memuru | Zlatitsa (İzladi) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_169; 335 |
| 1878/79AH 1296 | Muhabere Memuru | Simav | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_169; 335 |
| 1879/80AH 1297 | Muhabere Memuru | Simav | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_169; 335 |
| 1880/81AH 1298 | Muhabere Memuru | Simav | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_169; 335 |
| 1881/82AH 1299 | Muhabere Memuru | Simav | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_169; 335 |
| 1882/83AH 1300 | Muhabere Memuru | Simav | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_169; 335 |
| 1883/84AH 1301 | Muhabere Memuru | Simav | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_169; 335 |
| 1884/85AH 1302 | Muhabere Memuru | Simav | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_169; 335 |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Muhabere Memuru | Gediz | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_169; 335 |
| 1886/87AH 1304 | Muhabere Memuru | Gediz | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_169; 335 |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Muhabere Memuru | Mudanya | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_169; 335 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Muhabere Memuru | Mudanya | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_169; 335 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Muhabere Memuru | Mudanya | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_169; 335 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Merkez Memuru | Bursa | 475 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_169; 335 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Muhabere Memuru | Sinop | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_169; 335 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Muhabere Memuru | Sinop | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_169; 335 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | 3. Müdür | Babaeski (Baba-yı Atik) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_169; 335 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | 3. Müdür | Babaeski (Baba-yı Atik) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_169; 335 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | 3. Müdür | Didymoteicho (Dimetoka) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_169; 335 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | 3. Müdür | Didymoteicho (Dimetoka) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_169; 335 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | 3. Müdür | Didymoteicho (Dimetoka) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_169; 335 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | 3. Müdür | Didymoteicho (Dimetoka) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_169; 335 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | 3. Müdür | Didymoteicho (Dimetoka) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_169; 335 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | 3. Müdür | Didymoteicho (Dimetoka) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_169; 335 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | 3. Müdür | Didymoteicho (Dimetoka) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_169; 335 |
| 1902/03AH 1320 | 3. Müdür | Didymoteicho (Dimetoka) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_169; 335 |
| 1903/04AH 1321 | 3. Müdür | Didymoteicho (Dimetoka) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_169; 335 |
| 1904/05AH 1322 | Posta Memuru | Manda | 540 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_169; 335 |
| 1905/06AH 1323 | Posta Memuru | Manda | 540 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_169; 335 |
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 Rifat Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1263 | 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 | memur | 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) | 3 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work | ||
| First work: year (AH) | 1283 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1866 | Recovered annual personnel extract |
| First work: place | Edirne | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First salary field (kuruş a month) | 500 | 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.
- 34 annual entries of 35 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 Rifat Efendi
- Communications official (Muhabere Memuru)
- Didymoteicho (Dimetoka)
- 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)