Official
Osman Sami Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Istanbul (Dersaadet) in 1851/52 (AH 1268). On record 1868 to 1894, 27 annual entries. Death recorded 1894/95.
Archive reference 5_360; 717
Life#
Born in Istanbul in 1851/52 (AH 1268), Osman Sami Efendi came from the Muslim (Müslüman) community; the father was a trader of the covered market (bedestani). Schooling took seven years, at a middle school (Rüşdiye Mektebi); Osman Sami also attended the telegraph school.
At about 15, in 1866/67, Osman Sami began work in the telegraph service (Telgraf) in Istanbul, with two unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 250 kuruş. The annual lists begin in 1868/69, with Osman Sami as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru) in Istanbul, the birthplace, where the entries run to 1878. Osman Sami then moved to Çerkezköy in 1878/79. From 1879 to 1894 the annual entries place Osman Sami again in Istanbul, first as Muhabere Memuru, from 1880/81 as Dairey-i Harbiye.
Pay rose from 250 kuruş a month in 1868/69 to a peak of 650 in 1878, as Muhabere Memuru in Istanbul, when 60 per cent of paid officials earned less. Over 27 years the salaries add up to 165,000 kuruş, about what an official on the median salary earned. The last annual entry is for 1893/94; the list of 1894/95 (AH 1312) gives the status word Vefat (death). Osman Sami received a rank (rütbe).
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 1851/52 (AH 1268); First work 1866/67 (AH 1283); 1868 to 1878 (AH 1285 to 1295)
First work as Telgraf
250 to 650 kuruş a month; entries in 11 years
1879 to 1894 (AH 1297 to 1311)
Muhabere Memuru 1879/80 (AH 1297); Dairey-i Harbiye 1880 to 1894 (AH 1298 to 1311)
500 to 650 kuruş a month; entries in 15 years
Death recorded in the annual list of 1894/95 (AH 1312): the word Vefat, not a date of death.
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 | 250 | 600 | 480 | 6% |
| 1869/70 | 290 | 600 | 400 | 11% |
| 1870/71 | 330 | 600 | 400 | 17% |
| 1871/72 | 370 | 550 | 400 | 20% |
| 1872/73 | 410 | 550 | 400 | 34% |
| 1873/74 | 450 | 500 | 400 | 35% |
| 1874/75 | 490 | 535 | 450 | 41% |
| 1875/76 | 530 | 530 | 400 | 49% |
| 1876/77 | 570 | 582.5 | 410 | 49% |
| 1877/78 | 610 | 560 | 410 | 63% |
| 1878 | 650 | 600 | 500 | 60% |
| 1878/79 | 650 | 600 | 420 | 61% |
| 1879/80 | 500 | 500 | 380 | 47% |
| 1880/81 | 500 | 500 | 47% | |
| 1881/82 | 500 | 500 | 46% | |
| 1882/83 | 500 | 500 | 43% | |
| 1883/84 | 500 | 500 | 43% | |
| 1884/85 | 500 | 500 | 42% | |
| 1885/86 | 500 | 500 | 42% | |
| 1886/87 | 500 | 500 | 42% | |
| 1887/88 | 500 | 500 | 41% | |
| 1888/89 | 550 | 500 | 55% | |
| 1889/90 | 600 | 500 | 58% | |
| 1890/91 | 600 | 500 | 59% | |
| 1891/92 | 600 | 500 | 59% | |
| 1892/93 | 650 | 500 | 71% | |
| 1893/94 | 650 | 500 | 72% |
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 | Telgraffirst work | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 250first-salary field |
| 1868 to 1878AH 1285 to 1295 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 250 to 650 |
| 1878/79AH 1296 | Muhabere Memuru | Çerkezköy | 650 |
| 1879/80AH 1297 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 500 |
| 1880 to 1894AH 1298 to 1311 | Dairey-i Harbiye | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 500 to 650 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Death recorded | ||
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1851/52 (AH 1268)
- Birthplace
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- Bedestani
- Death recorded
- 1894/95 (AH 1312)the year of the annual list with the word Vefat, not a date of death
Education
- Rüşdiye
- Rüşdiye Mektebi (7 years)rüşdiye school (middle school); place of the school as worded: sehzadebasi
- Higher or professional
- Telgraf Mektebitelegraph school; recorded as a code
- 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
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- First job as worded
- Telgraf
- Age at first work (workbook field)
- 15
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 250
- First-job salary of the original workbook (kuruş a month)
- 250
Honours and ranks
- Rank (recorded code)
- 3
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 965 officials with entries in Istanbul in the same years, Osman Sami Efendi had the 595th highest salary.
- Emil Efendi26 shared years; highest salary 9,000 kuruş
- Suleyman Resat Bey26 shared years; highest salary 7,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Hayri Bey26 shared years; highest salary 5,500 kuruş
- Melkok Efendi26 shared years; highest salary 5,000 kuruş
- Ohannes Abdullah Efendi26 shared years; highest salary 5,000 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 735 officials with the title Muhabere Memuru in the same years, Osman Sami Efendi had the 439th highest salary.
- Süleyman Reşid Efendi13 shared years; highest salary 2,500 kuruş
- Mehmet Ruhi Bey13 shared years; highest salary 1,600 kuruş
- Mehmet Pertev Bey13 shared years; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Tahir Efendi13 shared years; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Nikola Yunani Efendi13 shared years; highest salary 1,350 kuruş
Same school
Of the 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi among their schools, 3,200 have a recorded salary; Osman Sami Efendi had the 810th highest salary of them.
- Ahmet Cevdet Efendiborn 1851/52 (AH 1268); highest salary 450 kuruş
- Ahmet Hilmi Efendiborn 1851/52 (AH 1268); highest salary 800 kuruş
- Ahmet Kâşif Efendiborn 1851/52 (AH 1268); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Ahmet Nazif Efendiborn 1851/52 (AH 1268); highest salary 400 kuruş
- Ahmet Safvet Efendiborn 1851/52 (AH 1268); highest salary 700 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 1,999 officials born in Istanbul, 1,997 have a recorded salary; Osman Sami Efendi had the 756th 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 89 officials whose first annual entry is for 1868/69 (AH 1285), Osman Sami Efendi had the 70th highest salary.
- Muhyiddin Beyfirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Andon Tomasyan Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Hafız Nazif Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 4,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Fazlı Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Mihran Martir Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 750 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (27)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1868/69AH 1285 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 250 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_360; 717 |
| 1869/70AH 1286 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 290 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_360; 717 |
| 1870/71AH 1287 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 330 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_360; 717 |
| 1871/72AH 1288 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 370 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_360; 717 |
| 1872/73AH 1289 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 410 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_360; 717 |
| 1873/74AH 1290 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 450 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_360; 717 |
| 1874/75AH 1291 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 490 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_360; 717 |
| 1875/76AH 1292 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 530 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_360; 717 |
| 1876/77AH 1293 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 570 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_360; 717 |
| 1877/78AH 1294 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 610 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_360; 717 |
| 1878AH 1295 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 650 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_360; 717 |
| 1878/79AH 1296 | Muhabere Memuru | Çerkezköy | 650 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_360; 717 |
| 1879/80AH 1297 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_360; 717 |
| 1880/81AH 1298 | Dairey-i Harbiye | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 500 | Military (Askeriye) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 5_360; 717 |
| 1881/82AH 1299 | Dairey-i Harbiye | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 500 | Military (Askeriye) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 5_360; 717 |
| 1882/83AH 1300 | Dairey-i Harbiye | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 500 | Military (Askeriye) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 5_360; 717 |
| 1883/84AH 1301 | Dairey-i Harbiye | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 500 | Military (Askeriye) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 5_360; 717 |
| 1884/85AH 1302 | Dairey-i Harbiye | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 500 | Military (Askeriye) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 5_360; 717 |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Dairey-i Harbiye | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 500 | Military (Askeriye) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 5_360; 717 |
| 1886/87AH 1304 | Dairey-i Harbiye | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 500 | Military (Askeriye) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 5_360; 717 |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Dairey-i Harbiye | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 500 | Military (Askeriye) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 5_360; 717 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Dairey-i Harbiye | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 550 | Military (Askeriye) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 5_360; 717 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Dairey-i Harbiye | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 600 | Military (Askeriye) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 5_360; 717 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Dairey-i Harbiye | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 600 | Military (Askeriye) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 5_360; 717 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Dairey-i Harbiye | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 600 | Military (Askeriye) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 5_360; 717 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Dairey-i Harbiye | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 650 | Military (Askeriye) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 5_360; 717 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Dairey-i Harbiye | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 650 | Military (Askeriye) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 5_360; 717 |
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 (28)
| Field | Recorded value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Name | Osman Sami 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 | Bedestani | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Religion | Musluman | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Nationality or community | Turkish | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Schooling | ||
| School | Rusdiye Mektebi | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Place of the school | sehzadebasi | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Years of schooling | 7 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Telegraph school (recorded code) | 1 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Years of apprenticeship (mülazemet) | 2 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work | ||
| First work: year (AH) | 1283 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Linked personnel workbook |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1866 | 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 | Telgraf | Linked personnel workbook; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Age at first work (workbook field) | 15 | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First salary field (kuruş a month) | 250 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First-job salary of the original workbook (kuruş a month) | 250 | Linked personnel workbook; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Honours | ||
| Rank (recorded code) | 3 | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Status | ||
| Death recorded under the year (AH) | 1312 | Earlier annual personnel extract (original copy); Earlier annual personnel extract (parallel copy) |
What the sources named in this table are
- Earlier annual personnel extract (original copy)
- A copy of the earlier annual personnel file, read for the title wording of each year. A death taken from it is the status word Vefat in the title field of one annual list: the year is the year of that list, not a date of death.
- Earlier annual personnel extract (parallel copy)
- A second copy of the earlier annual personnel file, read in the same way. A death taken from it is the status word Vefat in the title field of one annual list: the year is the year of that list, not a date of death. Two copies that agree are one piece of evidence, not two.
- 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.
- 11 annual entries of 27 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
- Osman Sami Efendi
- Dairey-i Harbiye
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Rüşdiye school (Rüşdiye Mektebi)
- Military (Askeriye)
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Communications official (Muhabere 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)