Official
Mehmed Cemal Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Istanbul (Dersaadet) in 1850/51 (AH 1267). On record 1868 to 1907, 38 annual entries.
Archive reference 58-141;275
Life#
Born in Istanbul in 1850/51 (AH 1267), Mehmed Cemal Efendi came from the Muslim (Müslüman) community; the father was a customs director (rüsumat müdürü). Schooling took seven years, at a middle school (Rüşdiye Mektebi).
Work began in Gelibolu in 1866/67, at about 16, with two unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 400 kuruş. The first annual entry, for 1868/69, places Mehmed Cemal in Edirne as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru). The annual lists then follow Mehmed Cemal to Üsküdar from 1870 to 1872, then back to Istanbul, the birthplace, from 1872 to 1876, with a rise to letters official (Mekâtib Memuru) in 1873/74. Next came Hersek from 1876 to 1879, then a return to Istanbul from 1879 to 1889. Mehmed Cemal then moved to Eyüpsultan from 1889 to 1894. From 1894 to 1907 the annual entries place Mehmed Cemal again in Istanbul, first as Mekâtib Memuru, from 1905/06 as a chief communications official (Başmuhabere Memuru). Entries spanning 40 years are rare, reached by fewer than 4 per cent of the 5,211 officials.
The salary went from 400 kuruş a month in 1868/69 to 1,500 in 1878, the peak, as Mekâtib Memuru in Hersek, when 87 per cent of paid officials earned less. The final annual entry is for 1906/07.
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 1850/51 (AH 1267)
First work 1866/67 (AH 1283)
1870 to 1872 (AH 1287 to 1288)
No annual entry for 1869/70 (AH 1286) before it.
250 kuruş a month; entries in 2 years
1872 to 1876 (AH 1289 to 1292)
Muhabere Memuru 1872/73 (AH 1289); Mekâtib Memuru 1873 to 1876 (AH 1290 to 1292)
400 to 800 kuruş a month; entries in 4 years
1876 to 1879 (AH 1293 to 1296)
1,050 to 1,500 kuruş a month; entries in 3 years
No annual entry for 1877/78 (AH 1294).
1879 to 1889 (AH 1297 to 1306)
Muhabere Memuru 1879 to 1884 (AH 1297 to 1301); Başmuhabere Memuru 1884 to 1889 (AH 1302 to 1306)
650 to 1,200 kuruş a month; entries in 10 years
1894 to 1907 (AH 1312 to 1324)
Mekâtib Memuru 1894 to 1905 (AH 1312 to 1322); Başmuhabere Memuru 1905 to 1907 (AH 1323 to 1324)
800 to 1,500 kuruş a month; entries in 13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1868/69 | 400 | 600 | 480 | 17% |
| 1870/71 | 250 | 600 | 400 | 8% |
| 1871/72 | 250 | 550 | 400 | 9% |
| 1872/73 | 400 | 550 | 400 | 26% |
| 1873/74 | 600 | 500 | 55% | |
| 1874/75 | 600 | 535 | 55% | |
| 1875/76 | 800 | 530 | 70% | |
| 1876/77 | 1,050 | 582.5 | 84% | |
| 1878 | 1,500 | 600 | 87% | |
| 1878/79 | 1,500 | 600 | 87% | |
| 1879/80 | 650 | 500 | 380 | 71% |
| 1880/81 | 650 | 500 | 400 | 70% |
| 1881/82 | 650 | 500 | 400 | 71% |
| 1882/83 | 650 | 500 | 400 | 70% |
| 1883/84 | 650 | 500 | 400 | 70% |
| 1884/85 | 1,000 | 500 | 600 | 82% |
| 1885/86 | 1,000 | 500 | 600 | 83% |
| 1886/87 | 1,000 | 500 | 600 | 84% |
| 1887/88 | 1,000 | 500 | 600 | 83% |
| 1888/89 | 1,200 | 500 | 600 | 87% |
| 1889/90 | 800 | 500 | 600 | 78% |
| 1890/91 | 800 | 500 | 600 | 79% |
| 1891/92 | 800 | 500 | 600 | 79% |
| 1892/93 | 800 | 500 | 600 | 80% |
| 1893/94 | 800 | 500 | 600 | 80% |
| 1894/95 | 800 | 500 | 475 | 81% |
| 1895/96 | 900 | 500 | 475 | 85% |
| 1896/97 | 810 | 500 | 300 | 86% |
| 1897/98 | 840 | 500 | 260 | 87% |
| 1898/99 | 885 | 500 | 235 | 87% |
| 1899/1900 | 1,000 | 500 | 310.5 | 88% |
| 1900/01 | 1,000 | 500 | 300 | 87% |
| 1901/02 | 1,000 | 500 | 300 | 87% |
| 1902/03 | 1,100 | 500 | 235 | 90% |
| 1903/04 | 1,100 | 475 | 275 | 90% |
| 1904/05 | 1,100 | 450 | 295 | 90% |
| 1905/06 | 1,500 | 475 | 600 | 93% |
| 1906/07 | 1,500 | 450 | 650 | 92% |
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 | Gelibolu | 400first-salary field |
| 1868/69AH 1285 | Muhabere Memuru | Edirne | 400 |
| No annual entry: 1869/70 (AH 1286) | |||
| 1870 to 1872AH 1287 to 1288 | Muhabere Memuru | Üsküdar | 250 |
| 1872/73AH 1289 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 400 |
| 1873 to 1876AH 1290 to 1292 | Mekâtib Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 600 to 800 |
| 1876/77AH 1293 | Mekâtib Memuru | Hersek | 1,050 |
| No annual entry: 1877/78 (AH 1294) | |||
| 1878 to 1879AH 1295 to 1296 | Mekâtib Memuru | Hersek | 1,500 |
| 1879 to 1884AH 1297 to 1301 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 650 |
| 1884 to 1889AH 1302 to 1306 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,000 to 1,200 |
| 1889 to 1894AH 1307 to 1311 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Eyüpsultan | 800 |
| 1894 to 1905AH 1312 to 1322 | Mekâtib Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 800 to 1,100 |
| 1905 to 1907AH 1323 to 1324 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,500 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1850/51 (AH 1267)
- Birthplace
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- Rusumat Muduru
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
- 1866/67 (AH 1283)
- Place
- Gelibolu
- 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 1,431 officials with entries in Istanbul in the same years, Mehmed Cemal Efendi had the 224th highest salary.
- Suleyman Resat Bey27 shared years; highest salary 7,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Hayri Bey27 shared years; highest salary 5,500 kuruş
- Melkok Efendi27 shared years; highest salary 5,000 kuruş
- Unnamed official (0007_0144; 285)27 shared years; highest salary 2,750 kuruş
- Mehmet Şükrü Efendi27 shared years; highest salary 2,500 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 60 officials with the title Mekâtib Memuru in the same years, Mehmed Cemal Efendi had the 3rd highest salary.
- Ahmet Halit Efendi11 shared years; highest salary 720 kuruş
- Mehmet Bahattin Efendi11 shared years; highest salary 315 kuruş
- Mustafa Zeki Efendi10 shared years; highest salary 650 kuruş
- Viçin Efendi9 shared years; highest salary 300 kuruş
- Salih Kemal Efendi8 shared years; highest salary 500 kuruş
Same school
Of the 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi among their schools, 3,200 have a recorded salary; Mehmed Cemal Efendi had the 133rd highest salary of them.
- Abdülhalil Efendiborn 1850/51 (AH 1267); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Abdülhamit Efendiborn 1850/51 (AH 1267); highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Abdullah Tevfik Efendiborn 1850/51 (AH 1267); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Abdurrahman Nuri Efendiborn 1850/51 (AH 1267); highest salary 1,400 kuruş
- Ahmet Şemsettin Efendiborn 1850/51 (AH 1267); highest salary 600 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 1,999 officials born in Istanbul, 1,997 have a recorded salary; Mehmed Cemal Efendi had the 203rd highest salary of them.
- Abdullah Tevfik Efendiborn 1850/51 (AH 1267); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Ahmet Nail Efendiborn 1850/51 (AH 1267); highest salary 400 kuruş
- Ahmet Şemsettin Efendiborn 1850/51 (AH 1267); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Andon Tomasyan Efendiborn 1850/51 (AH 1267); highest salary 800 kuruş
- Dikran Yüzbaşıyan Efendiborn 1850/51 (AH 1267); highest salary 750 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 89 officials whose first annual entry is for 1868/69 (AH 1285), Mehmed Cemal Efendi had the 19th highest salary.
- Ahmet Nail Efendifirst entry in Üsküdar; highest salary 400 kuruş
- Andon Tomasyan Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Dikran Yüzbaşıyan Efendifirst entry in Gelibolu; highest salary 750 kuruş
- Hafız Nazif Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 4,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Fazlı Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (38)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1868/69AH 1285 | Muhabere Memuru | Edirne | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58-141;275 |
| 1870/71AH 1287 | Muhabere Memuru | Üsküdar | 250 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58-141;275 |
| 1871/72AH 1288 | Muhabere Memuru | Üsküdar | 250 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58-141;275 |
| 1872/73AH 1289 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58-141;275 |
| 1873/74AH 1290 | Mekâtib Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58-141;275 |
| 1874/75AH 1291 | Mekâtib Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58-141;275 |
| 1875/76AH 1292 | Mekâtib Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58-141;275 |
| 1876/77AH 1293 | Mekâtib Memuru | Hersek | 1,050 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58-141;275 |
| 1878AH 1295 | Mekâtib Memuru | Hersek | 1,500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58-141;275 |
| 1878/79AH 1296 | Mekâtib Memuru | Hersek | 1,500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58-141;275 |
| 1879/80AH 1297 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 650 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58-141;275 |
| 1880/81AH 1298 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 650 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58-141;275 |
| 1881/82AH 1299 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 650 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58-141;275 |
| 1882/83AH 1300 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 650 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58-141;275 |
| 1883/84AH 1301 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 650 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58-141;275 |
| 1884/85AH 1302 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58-141;275 |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58-141;275 |
| 1886/87AH 1304 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58-141;275 |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58-141;275 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58-141;275 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Eyüpsultan | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58-141;275 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Eyüpsultan | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58-141;275 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Eyüpsultan | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58-141;275 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Eyüpsultan | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58-141;275 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Eyüpsultan | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58-141;275 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Mekâtib Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58-141;275 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Mekâtib Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 900 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58-141;275 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Mekâtib Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 810 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58-141;275 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | Mekâtib Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 840 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58-141;275 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Mekâtib Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 885 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58-141;275 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | Mekâtib Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58-141;275 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | Mekâtib Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58-141;275 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | Mekâtib Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58-141;275 |
| 1902/03AH 1320 | Mekâtib Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,100 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58-141;275 |
| 1903/04AH 1321 | Mekâtib Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,100 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58-141;275 |
| 1904/05AH 1322 | Mekâtib Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,100 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58-141;275 |
| 1905/06AH 1323 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58-141;275 |
| 1906/07AH 1324 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58-141;275 |
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 Cemal Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1267 | 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 Muduru | 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) | 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 | Gelibolu | 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.
- 36 annual entries of 38 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 Cemal Efendi
- Letters official (Mekâtib Memuru)
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Rüşdiye school (Rüşdiye Mektebi)
- Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Chief communications official (Başmuhabere 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)