Official
Nikola Colini Efendi
Greek Orthodox Christian (Rum). Born in Istanbul (Dersaadet) in 1844/45 (AH 1260). On record 1863 to 1903, 41 annual entries.
Archive reference 3_181; 360
Life#
Nikola Colini Efendi was born in Istanbul in 1844/45 (AH 1260) into the Greek Orthodox Christian (Rum) community. Schooling took four years, at a Greek Orthodox school (Rum Mektebi); Nikola Colini also attended the telegraph school. Nikola Colini knew six languages, English, French, Greek (Rum) and Italian in writing, Turkish in speech and Arabic a little, a number reached by only 8 of the 5,211 officials.
Work began in Istanbul in 1862/63, at about 18, with one unpaid year as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 400 kuruş. The annual lists begin in 1863/64, with Nikola Colini as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru) in Beyoğlu. Nikola Colini then moved to Diyarbakır, Durrës (Dıraç) and Al-Faw (Fav) from 1864 to 1869, then back to Diyarbakır from 1869 to 1874. The annual lists then follow Nikola Colini to Baghdad (Bağdat) and Basra from 1874 to 1880, then back to Baghdad from 1880 to 1901. The last posts were in Istanbul, the birthplace, from 1901 to 1903, with a rise to chief director (Başmüdür).
The salary went from 400 kuruş a month in 1863/64 to 2,700 in 1901/02, the peak, as Başmüdür in Istanbul, when 98 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.
Born 1844/45 (AH 1260); First work 1862/63 (AH 1279)
1864 to 1866 (AH 1281 to 1282)
1,000 to 1,200 kuruş a month; entries in 2 years
1869 to 1874 (AH 1286 to 1290)
Muhabere Memuru 1869 to 1871 (AH 1286 to 1287); Sifre Istasyonu 1871 to 1874 (AH 1288 to 1290)
1,200 to 1,500 kuruş a month; entries in 5 years
1874 to 1877 (AH 1291 to 1293)
1,500 kuruş a month; entries in 3 years
1880 to 1901 (AH 1298 to 1318)
2,000 to 2,400 kuruş a month; entries in 21 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1863/64 | 400 | 500 | 500 | 25% |
| 1864/65 | 1,000 | 625 | 570 | 63% |
| 1865/66 | 1,200 | 650 | 576 | 71% |
| 1866/67 | 2,000 | 600 | 480 | 90% |
| 1867/68 | 2,500 | 600 | 480 | 93% |
| 1868/69 | 2,500 | 600 | 480 | 93% |
| 1869/70 | 1,500 | 600 | 400 | 86% |
| 1870/71 | 1,500 | 600 | 400 | 87% |
| 1871/72 | 1,200 | 550 | 85% | |
| 1872/73 | 1,200 | 550 | 86% | |
| 1873/74 | 1,200 | 500 | 86% | |
| 1874/75 | 1,500 | 535 | 89% | |
| 1875/76 | 1,500 | 530 | 88% | |
| 1876/77 | 1,500 | 582.5 | 89% | |
| 1877/78 | 2,000 | 560 | 2,000 | 92% |
| 1878 | 2,000 | 600 | 2,000 | 91% |
| 1878/79 | 2,000 | 600 | 2,000 | 91% |
| 1879/80 | 2,000 | 500 | 2,000 | 93% |
| 1880/81 | 2,000 | 500 | 2,000 | 93% |
| 1881/82 | 2,000 | 500 | 2,000 | 92% |
| 1882/83 | 2,000 | 500 | 2,000 | 92% |
| 1883/84 | 2,000 | 500 | 2,000 | 92% |
| 1884/85 | 2,000 | 500 | 2,000 | 92% |
| 1885/86 | 2,000 | 500 | 2,000 | 93% |
| 1886/87 | 2,000 | 500 | 2,000 | 93% |
| 1887/88 | 2,000 | 500 | 2,000 | 93% |
| 1888/89 | 2,000 | 500 | 2,000 | 94% |
| 1889/90 | 2,000 | 500 | 2,000 | 95% |
| 1890/91 | 2,000 | 500 | 2,000 | 95% |
| 1891/92 | 2,000 | 500 | 2,000 | 95% |
| 1892/93 | 2,000 | 500 | 2,000 | 96% |
| 1893/94 | 2,000 | 500 | 2,000 | 96% |
| 1894/95 | 2,400 | 500 | 2,000 | 97% |
| 1895/96 | 2,400 | 500 | 2,000 | 97% |
| 1896/97 | 2,160 | 500 | 1,800 | 97% |
| 1897/98 | 2,160 | 500 | 1,800 | 97% |
| 1898/99 | 2,160 | 500 | 1,800 | 97% |
| 1899/1900 | 2,160 | 500 | 1,800 | 97% |
| 1900/01 | 2,160 | 500 | 1,800 | 97% |
| 1901/02 | 2,700 | 500 | 2,700 | 98% |
| 1902/03 | 2,700 | 500 | 2,700 | 98% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1862/63AH 1279 | First work | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 400first-salary field |
| 1863/64AH 1280 | Muhabere Memuru | Beyoğlu | 400 |
| 1864 to 1866AH 1281 to 1282 | Muhabere Memuru | Diyarbakır | 1,000 to 1,200 |
| 1866/67AH 1283 | Muhabere Memuru | Durrës (Dıraç) | 2,000 |
| 1867 to 1869AH 1284 to 1285 | Muhabere Memuru | Al-Faw (Fav) | 2,500 |
| 1869 to 1871AH 1286 to 1287 | Muhabere Memuru | Diyarbakır | 1,500 |
| 1871 to 1874AH 1288 to 1290 | Sifre Istasyonu | Diyarbakır | 1,200 |
| 1874 to 1877AH 1291 to 1293 | Sifre Istasyonu | Baghdad (Bağdat) | 1,500 |
| 1877 to 1880AH 1294 to 1297 | Müfettiş | Basra | 2,000 |
| 1880 to 1901AH 1298 to 1318 | Müfettiş | Baghdad (Bağdat) | 2,000 to 2,160 |
| 1901 to 1903AH 1319 to 1320 | Başmüdür | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 2,700 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1844/45 (AH 1260)
- Birthplace
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Community
- Greek Orthodox Christian (Rum)
- Nationality as recorded
- Rum
Education
- Community school
- Rum Mektebi (4 years)Greek Orthodox (Rum) school
- Higher or professional
- Telgraf Mektebitelegraph school; recorded as a code
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 1 year
- 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
- Arabic
- asinafamiliarity
- English
- kitabetwriting
- French
- Kitabetwriting
- Italian
- kitabetwriting
- Greek (Rum)
- kitabetwriting. Rum is the word of the records for Greek as spoken by the Orthodox Christians of the empire. It is kept apart from the column Greek, which the records also have
- Turkish
- Tekellumspeaking
The glosses are cautious historical readings of the recorded words, not modern levels of proficiency.
First work
- Year
- 1862/63 (AH 1279)
- Place
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 400
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 95 officials with entries in Baghdad (Bağdat) in the same years, Nikola Colini Efendi had the 15th highest salary.
- Mehmed Emin Efendi21 shared years; highest salary 630 kuruş
- Mehmed Şükrü Efendi21 shared years; highest salary 600 kuruş
- Mehmet Salih Efendi20 shared years; highest salary 655 kuruş
- Mehmet Lebip Efendi19 shared years; highest salary 760 kuruş
- Mehmet Salih Efendi19 shared years; highest salary 600 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 63 officials with the title Müfettiş in the same years, Nikola Colini Efendi had the 32nd highest salary.
- Odi Efendi20 shared years; highest salary 4,000 kuruş
- Jul Lekaye Efendi18 shared years; highest salary 3,800 kuruş
- Hüseyin Hilmi Bey16 shared years; highest salary 2,200 kuruş
- Hüsnü Efendi15 shared years; highest salary 2,600 kuruş
- Mehmed Raşid Efendi15 shared years; highest salary 2,000 kuruş
Same school
Of the 61 officials with Rum Mektebi among their schools, Nikola Colini Efendi had the 5th highest salary.
- Anastasyadi Hristo Efendiborn 1843/44 (AH 1259); highest salary 710 kuruş
- Aristotel Fridas Efendiborn 1843/44 (AH 1259); highest salary 800 kuruş
- Teohari Efendiborn 1845 (AH 1261); highest salary 800 kuruş
- Agop Efendiborn 1845/46 (AH 1262); highest salary 2,000 kuruş
- Aristidi Efendiborn 1845/46 (AH 1262); highest salary 600 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 1,999 officials born in Istanbul, 1,997 have a recorded salary; Nikola Colini Efendi had the 101st highest salary of them.
- Abdullah Hamit Efendiborn 1844/45 (AH 1260); highest salary 700 kuruş
- Ahmet Nuri Efendiborn 1844/45 (AH 1260); highest salary 800 kuruş
- Bagdik Maksut Efendiborn 1844/45 (AH 1260); highest salary 550 kuruş
- Dikran Efendiborn 1844/45 (AH 1260); highest salary 1,400 kuruş
- Edvar Konunyan Efendiborn 1844/45 (AH 1260); highest salary 975 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 43 officials whose first annual entry is for 1863/64 (AH 1280), Nikola Colini Efendi had the 10th highest salary.
- Ahmet Nuri Efendifirst entry in Burgas (Burgaz); highest salary 800 kuruş
- Ahmet Rifat Beyfirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 4,000 kuruş
- Mehmed Akif Efendifirst entry in Tekirdağ; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Mehmet Haşim Efendifirst entry in Gelibolu; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Abdullah Zeki Efendifirst entry in Elazığ; highest salary 850 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (41)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1863/64AH 1280 | Muhabere Memuru | Beyoğlu | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 3_181; 360 |
| 1864/65AH 1281 | Muhabere Memuru | Diyarbakır | 1,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 3_181; 360 |
| 1865/66AH 1282 | Muhabere Memuru | Diyarbakır | 1,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 3_181; 360 |
| 1866/67AH 1283 | Muhabere Memuru | Durrës (Dıraç) | 2,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 3_181; 360 |
| 1867/68AH 1284 | Muhabere Memuru | Al-Faw (Fav) | 2,500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 3_181; 360 |
| 1868/69AH 1285 | Muhabere Memuru | Al-Faw (Fav) | 2,500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 3_181; 360 |
| 1869/70AH 1286 | Muhabere Memuru | Diyarbakır | 1,500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 3_181; 360 |
| 1870/71AH 1287 | Muhabere Memuru | Diyarbakır | 1,500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 3_181; 360 |
| 1871/72AH 1288 | Sifre Istasyonu | Diyarbakır | 1,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 3_181; 360 |
| 1872/73AH 1289 | Sifre Istasyonu | Diyarbakır | 1,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 3_181; 360 |
| 1873/74AH 1290 | Sifre Istasyonu | Diyarbakır | 1,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 3_181; 360 |
| 1874/75AH 1291 | Sifre Istasyonu | Baghdad (Bağdat) | 1,500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 3_181; 360 |
| 1875/76AH 1292 | Sifre Istasyonu | Baghdad (Bağdat) | 1,500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 3_181; 360 |
| 1876/77AH 1293 | Sifre Istasyonu | Baghdad (Bağdat) | 1,500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 3_181; 360 |
| 1877/78AH 1294 | Müfettiş | Basra | 2,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 3_181; 360 |
| 1878AH 1295 | Müfettiş | Basra | 2,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 3_181; 360 |
| 1878/79AH 1296 | Müfettiş | Basra | 2,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 3_181; 360 |
| 1879/80AH 1297 | Müfettiş | Basra | 2,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 3_181; 360 |
| 1880/81AH 1298 | Müfettiş | Baghdad (Bağdat) | 2,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 3_181; 360 |
| 1881/82AH 1299 | Müfettiş | Baghdad (Bağdat) | 2,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 3_181; 360 |
| 1882/83AH 1300 | Müfettiş | Baghdad (Bağdat) | 2,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 3_181; 360 |
| 1883/84AH 1301 | Müfettiş | Baghdad (Bağdat) | 2,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 3_181; 360 |
| 1884/85AH 1302 | Müfettiş | Baghdad (Bağdat) | 2,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 3_181; 360 |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Müfettiş | Baghdad (Bağdat) | 2,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 3_181; 360 |
| 1886/87AH 1304 | Müfettiş | Baghdad (Bağdat) | 2,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 3_181; 360 |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Müfettiş | Baghdad (Bağdat) | 2,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 3_181; 360 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Müfettiş | Baghdad (Bağdat) | 2,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 3_181; 360 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Müfettiş | Baghdad (Bağdat) | 2,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 3_181; 360 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Müfettiş | Baghdad (Bağdat) | 2,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 3_181; 360 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Müfettiş | Baghdad (Bağdat) | 2,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 3_181; 360 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Müfettiş | Baghdad (Bağdat) | 2,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 3_181; 360 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Müfettiş | Baghdad (Bağdat) | 2,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 3_181; 360 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Müfettiş | Baghdad (Bağdat) | 2,400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 3_181; 360 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Müfettiş | Baghdad (Bağdat) | 2,400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 3_181; 360 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Müfettiş | Baghdad (Bağdat) | 2,160 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 3_181; 360 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | Müfettiş | Baghdad (Bağdat) | 2,160 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 3_181; 360 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Müfettiş | Baghdad (Bağdat) | 2,160 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 3_181; 360 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | Müfettiş | Baghdad (Bağdat) | 2,160 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 3_181; 360 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | Müfettiş | Baghdad (Bağdat) | 2,160 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 3_181; 360 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | Başmüdür | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 2,700 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 3_181; 360 |
| 1902/03AH 1320 | Başmüdür | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 2,700 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 3_181; 360 |
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 | Nikola Colini Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1260 | 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 |
| Religion | Hristiyan | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Nationality or community | Rum | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Schooling | ||
| School | Rum Mektebi | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Years of schooling | 4 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Telegraph school (recorded code) | 1 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Years of apprenticeship (mülazemet) | 1 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work | ||
| First work: year (AH) | 1279 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1862 | 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) | 400 | 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 41 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
- Nikola Colini Efendi
- Inspector (Müfettiş)
- Baghdad (Bağdat)
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Greek Orthodox (Rum) school (Rum Mektebi)
- Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)
- Greek Orthodox Christian (Rum)
- 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)