Official
Komidas Efendi
Armenian Christian (Ermeni). Born in Istanbul (Dersaadet) in 1851/52 (AH 1268). On record 1875 to 1907, 33 annual entries.
Archive reference 8_77; 149
Life#
Born in Istanbul in 1851/52 (AH 1268) into the Armenian Christian (Ermeni) community, Komidas Efendi was the child of a tradesman (esnaf). Komidas had four years of schooling, at the Ermeni Katolik Mektebi, and wrote Armenian as well as Turkish and spoke French.
At about 18, in 1870/71, Komidas began work in Istanbul, paid from the start, on 300 kuruş a month. Every annual entry from 1875/76 to 1906/07 places Komidas in Istanbul, the birthplace, first in the Idare Kalemi, from 1876/77 in the correspondence office (Tahrirat Kalemi). A career like this is rare; 11 per cent of the 775 officials whose entries span 30 years or more stayed in one place throughout.
The salary went from 300 kuruş a month in 1875/76 to 875 in 1903/04, the peak, in the Tahrirat Kalemi in Istanbul, when 84 per cent of paid officials earned less. In all, 33 years of salary come to 233,160 kuruş, 1.2 times what an official on the median salary earned in those years. The last annual entry is for 1906/07.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1875/76 | 300 | 530 | 12% | |
| 1876/77 | 250 | 582.5 | 600 | 8% |
| 1877/78 | 250 | 560 | 700 | 6% |
| 1878 | 250 | 600 | 900 | 6% |
| 1878/79 | 400 | 600 | 700 | 18% |
| 1879/80 | 380 | 500 | 450 | 22% |
| 1880/81 | 380 | 500 | 460 | 21% |
| 1881/82 | 380 | 500 | 480 | 20% |
| 1882/83 | 380 | 500 | 500 | 18% |
| 1883/84 | 380 | 500 | 580 | 18% |
| 1884/85 | 380 | 500 | 600 | 18% |
| 1885/86 | 380 | 500 | 600 | 19% |
| 1886/87 | 500 | 500 | 580 | 42% |
| 1887/88 | 500 | 500 | 620 | 41% |
| 1888/89 | 600 | 500 | 600 | 58% |
| 1889/90 | 700 | 500 | 500 | 73% |
| 1890/91 | 700 | 500 | 450 | 73% |
| 1891/92 | 750 | 500 | 500 | 75% |
| 1892/93 | 750 | 500 | 600 | 76% |
| 1893/94 | 750 | 500 | 545 | 76% |
| 1894/95 | 750 | 500 | 650 | 76% |
| 1895/96 | 750 | 500 | 800 | 76% |
| 1896/97 | 690 | 500 | 720 | 80% |
| 1897/98 | 690 | 500 | 720 | 80% |
| 1898/99 | 690 | 500 | 800 | 80% |
| 1899/1900 | 750 | 500 | 745 | 81% |
| 1900/01 | 750 | 500 | 705 | 79% |
| 1901/02 | 750 | 500 | 750 | 79% |
| 1902/03 | 750 | 500 | 645 | 79% |
| 1903/04 | 875 | 475 | 837.5 | 84% |
| 1904/05 | 875 | 450 | 775 | 84% |
| 1905/06 | 875 | 475 | 737.5 | 83% |
| 1906/07 | 875 | 450 | 875 | 82% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1870/71AH 1287 | idare-i Mahsusafirst work | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 300first-salary field |
| 1875/76AH 1292 | Idare Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 300 |
| 1876 to 1907AH 1293 to 1324 | Tahrirat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 250 to 875 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1851/52 (AH 1268)
- Birthplace
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Community
- Armenian Christian (Ermeni)
- Nationality as recorded
- Ermeni
- Father's occupation
- Esnaf
Education
- Community school
- Ermeni Katolik Mektebi (4 years)place of the school as worded: Beyoglu
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 0 years
- Preparation route (classification of the paper)
- Low
- Qualification (diploma, certificate, training or nişan)
- NoShown as in the flag of the paper. The qualification column of the recovered extract gives yes.
The years count all schooling up to that school, as the record gives them.
Languages
- Armenian
- Kitabetwriting
- French
- Tekellumspeaking
- Turkish
- Kitabetwriting
The glosses are cautious historical readings of the recorded words, not modern levels of proficiency.
First work
- Year
- 1870/71 (AH 1287)
- Place
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- First job as worded
- idare-i Mahsusa
- Age at first work (workbook field)
- 19
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 300
- First-job salary of the original workbook (kuruş a month)
- 300
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 1,498 officials with entries in Istanbul in the same years, Komidas Efendi had the 479th highest salary.
- Suleyman Resat Bey33 shared years; highest salary 7,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Hayri Bey33 shared years; highest salary 5,500 kuruş
- Melkok Efendi33 shared years; highest salary 5,000 kuruş
- Unnamed official (0007_0144; 285)33 shared years; highest salary 2,750 kuruş
- Salih Tevfik Efendi33 shared years; highest salary 2,600 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 86 officials with the title Tahrirat Kalemi in the same years, Komidas Efendi had the 31st highest salary.
- Hacı Bekir Efendi30 shared years; highest salary 1,200 kuruş
- Mehmet Fehmi Efendi29 shared years; highest salary 1,100 kuruş
- Unnamed official (0006_0303; 601)27 shared years; highest salary 1,200 kuruş
- Mustafa Hamdi Bey26 shared years; highest salary 1,050 kuruş
- Mehmet Şerefeddin Efendi25 shared years; highest salary 1,700 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 1,999 officials born in Istanbul, 1,997 have a recorded salary; Komidas Efendi had the 488th highest salary of them.
- Ahmet Hilmi Efendiborn 1851/52 (AH 1268); highest salary 800 kuruş
- Ahmet Rıfat Efendiborn 1851/52 (AH 1268); highest salary 650 kuruş
- Ahmet Safvet Efendiborn 1851/52 (AH 1268); highest salary 700 kuruş
- Ali Beyborn 1851/52 (AH 1268); highest salary 2,000 kuruş
- Bahcivan Oglu Kalparki Efendiborn 1851/52 (AH 1268); highest salary 2,500 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 87 officials whose first annual entry is for 1875/76 (AH 1292), Komidas Efendi had the 22nd highest salary.
- Hacı Ata Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 600 kuruş
- Ahmet Canib Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 590 kuruş
- Haci Mehmet Şükrü Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 200 kuruş
- Hafiz Suleyman Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Hasan Beyfirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (33)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1875/76AH 1292 | Idare Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 300 | Other | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 8_77; 149 |
| 1876/77AH 1293 | Tahrirat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 250 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_77; 149 |
| 1877/78AH 1294 | Tahrirat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 250 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_77; 149 |
| 1878AH 1295 | Tahrirat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 250 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_77; 149 |
| 1878/79AH 1296 | Tahrirat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_77; 149 |
| 1879/80AH 1297 | Tahrirat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 380 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_77; 149 |
| 1880/81AH 1298 | Tahrirat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 380 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_77; 149 |
| 1881/82AH 1299 | Tahrirat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 380 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_77; 149 |
| 1882/83AH 1300 | Tahrirat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 380 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_77; 149 |
| 1883/84AH 1301 | Tahrirat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 380 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_77; 149 |
| 1884/85AH 1302 | Tahrirat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 380 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_77; 149 |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Tahrirat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 380 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_77; 149 |
| 1886/87AH 1304 | Tahrirat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_77; 149 |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Tahrirat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_77; 149 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Tahrirat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_77; 149 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Tahrirat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 700 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_77; 149 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Tahrirat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 700 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_77; 149 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Tahrirat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_77; 149 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Tahrirat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_77; 149 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Tahrirat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_77; 149 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Tahrirat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_77; 149 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Tahrirat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_77; 149 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Tahrirat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 690 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_77; 149 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | Tahrirat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 690 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_77; 149 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Tahrirat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 690 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_77; 149 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | Tahrirat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_77; 149 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | Tahrirat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_77; 149 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | Tahrirat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_77; 149 |
| 1902/03AH 1320 | Tahrirat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_77; 149 |
| 1903/04AH 1321 | Tahrirat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 875 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_77; 149 |
| 1904/05AH 1322 | Tahrirat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 875 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_77; 149 |
| 1905/06AH 1323 | Tahrirat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 875 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_77; 149 |
| 1906/07AH 1324 | Tahrirat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 875 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 8_77; 149 |
What the sources named in this table are
- Cross-ministry personnel workbook
- A personnel workbook with the annual entries in institutions other than the Post and Telegraph (justice, land registry, customs, police and others), with the same annual fields as the personnel workbook.
- 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 (26)
| Field | Recorded value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Name | Komidas Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Linked personnel workbook |
| Birth year (AH) | 1268 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace | dersaadet used on this page | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birthplace | istanbul other value | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace: district (kaza) | istanbul | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace: sancak | istanbul | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace: province (vilayet) | istanbul | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Province of birth | dersaadet | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Father's occupation | esnaf | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Religion | Hristiyan | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Nationality or community | Ermeni | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Schooling | ||
| School | Ermeni Katolik Mektebi | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Place of the school | Beyoglu | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Years of schooling | 4 used on this page | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Years of schooling | 7 other value | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Years of apprenticeship (mülazemet) | 0 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work | ||
| First work: year (AH) | 1287 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Linked personnel workbook |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1870 | Recovered annual personnel extract |
| First work: place | istanbul | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work: district (kaza) | istanbul | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work: sancak | istanbul | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work: province (vilayet) | istanbul | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First job as worded | idare-i Mahsusa | Linked personnel workbook; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Age at first work (workbook field) | 19 | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First salary field (kuruş a month) | 300 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First-job salary of the original workbook (kuruş a month) | 300 | Linked personnel workbook; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
What the sources named in this table are
- Cross-ministry personnel workbook
- A personnel workbook with the annual entries in institutions other than the Post and Telegraph (justice, land registry, customs, police and others), with the same annual fields as the personnel workbook.
- 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.
- Linked personnel workbook
- The original personnel workbook, from which selected fields on background and first work are taken.
- The sources give more than one value for a marked field. Every value is listed.
- Origin of the record: Post and Telegraph personnel records.
- 31 annual entries of 33 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
- Komidas Efendi
- Correspondence office (Tahrirat Kalemi)
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Ermeni Katolik Mektebi
- Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)
- Armenian Christian (Ermeni)
- Idare Kalemi
- 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)