Official
Mehmet Şerif Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Kemaliye (Eğin) in 1846/47 (AH 1263). On record 1864 to 1882, 18 annual entries.
Archive reference 25_105; 205
Life#
Mehmet Şerif Efendi was born in Kemaliye (Eğin) in 1846/47 (AH 1263) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community; the father was a clerk (ketebe). Schooling took seven years, at the Adliye Mektebi; Mehmet Şerif also wrote Turkish and spoke Arabic and Kurdish. Few officials knew Kurdish; only 12 of the 5,211 officials did.
Work began in the Tahrirat Kalemi in Mosul (Musul) in 1860/61, at about 14, with four unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 576 kuruş. The first annual entry, for 1864/65, places Mehmet Şerif in Aleppo (Halep) as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru), where the entries run to 1867/68. Next came Adana and Bulacali from 1868 to 1875, then Badra (Bedre) from 1875 to 1879. Mehmet Şerif then moved to Mezuri from 1879 to 1881, with a rise to director of the second grade (2. Müdür) in 1880/81. The last entry, for 1881/82, names Mehmet Şerif as Nahiye Memuru, with no place.
The salary went from 576 kuruş a month in 1864/65 to 1,000 in 1868/69, the peak, as 2. Müdür in Adana, when 70 per cent of paid officials earned less. Over 18 years pay ended below where it began, 432 kuruş against 576; fewer than 7 per cent of the 2,010 officials paid for 15 years or more ended as low. The last annual entry is for 1881/82.
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.
Not on the map, as no position is recorded: stop 8 (Seyhan).
Born 1846/47 (AH 1263)
1864 to 1868 (AH 1281 to 1284)
576 to 600 kuruş a month; entries in 4 years
Seyhan as worded, no place record not on the map
1881/82 (AH 1299)
432 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1864/65 | 576 | 625 | 570 | 40% |
| 1865/66 | 576 | 650 | 576 | 38% |
| 1866/67 | 600 | 600 | 480 | 49% |
| 1867/68 | 600 | 600 | 480 | 48% |
| 1868/69 | 1,000 | 600 | 1,000 | 70% |
| 1869/70 | 1,000 | 600 | 1,000 | 71% |
| 1870/71 | 1,000 | 600 | 1,000 | 72% |
| 1872/73 | 600 | 550 | 600 | 55% |
| 1873/74 | 600 | 500 | 600 | 55% |
| 1874/75 | 600 | 535 | 600 | 55% |
| 1875/76 | 900 | 530 | 850 | 75% |
| 1876/77 | 900 | 582.5 | 800 | 75% |
| 1877/78 | 900 | 560 | 800 | 77% |
| 1878 | 900 | 600 | 800 | 74% |
| 1878/79 | 900 | 600 | 800 | 75% |
| 1879/80 | 600 | 500 | 600 | 61% |
| 1880/81 | 720 | 500 | 800 | 73% |
| 1881/82 | 432 | 500 | 40% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1860/61AH 1277 | Tahrirat Kalemifirst work | Mosul (Musul) | 576first-salary field |
| 1864 to 1868AH 1281 to 1284 | Muhabere Memuru | Aleppo (Halep) | 576 to 600 |
| 1868 to 1871AH 1285 to 1287 | 2. Müdür | Adana | 1,000 |
| No annual entry: 1871/72 (AH 1288) | |||
| 1872 to 1875AH 1289 to 1291 | 3. Müdür | Bulacali | 600 |
| 1875 to 1879AH 1292 to 1296 | 2. Müdür | Badra (Bedre) | 900 |
| 1879/80AH 1297 | 3. Müdür | Mezuri | 600 |
| 1880/81AH 1298 | 2. Müdür | Mezuri | 720 |
| 1881/82AH 1299 | Nahiye Memuru | 432 | |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1846/47 (AH 1263)
- Birthplace
- Kemaliye (Eğin)
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- Ketebe
Education
- Other named school
- Adliye Mektebi (7 years)
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 4 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
- Arabic
- Tekellumspeaking
- Kurdish
- Tekellumspeaking
- Turkish
- Kitabetwriting
The glosses are cautious historical readings of the recorded words, not modern levels of proficiency.
First work
- Year
- 1860/61 (AH 1277)
- Place
- Mosul (Musul)
- First job as worded
- Tahrirat Kalemi
- Age at first work (workbook field)
- 14
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 576
- First-job salary of the original workbook (kuruş a month)
- 576
Named in scholarly works#
No link between a work and an official has been accepted. Each entry was found by fixed rules on the name and the recorded fields, and says what it rests on.
Possible links: 2 entries in 1 work
- Sicill-i Ahvâl Defterlerine göre Osmanlı bürokrasisinde Eğinli (Kemaliyeli) Devlet adamları (1820?1854): Mehmed Şerif EfendiPossible link: same name and birthplace; several officials or entries qualify, so none is probable
- Sicill-i Ahvâl Defterlerine göre Osmanlı bürokrasisinde Eğinli (Kemaliyeli) Devlet adamları (1820?1854): Mehmed Şerif EfendiPossible link: same name and birthplace; several officials or entries qualify, so none is probable
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 12 officials with entries in Aleppo (Halep) in the same years, Mehmet Şerif Efendi had the 8th highest salary.
- Mustafa Efendi4 shared years; highest salary 4,500 kuruş
- Hüseyin Hayrettin Efendi3 shared years; highest salary 4,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Mazhar Efendi2 shared years; highest salary 5,000 kuruş
- Kostantin De Martin Efendi2 shared years; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Tertine Efendi2 shared years; highest salary 850 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 189 officials with the title 2. Müdür in the same years, Mehmet Şerif Efendi had the 101st highest salary.
- İbrahim Agah Efendi9 shared years; highest salary 2,500 kuruş
- Mahmut Fazlı Efendi9 shared years; highest salary 2,500 kuruş
- Hasan Tahsin Efendi9 shared years; highest salary 1,300 kuruş
- Hüseyin Rüştü Efendi9 shared years; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Şevki Efendi8 shared years; highest salary 1,920 kuruş
Same school
Of the 5 officials with Adliye Mektebi among their schools, Mehmet Şerif Efendi had the 3rd highest salary.
- Mehmet Cemil Efendiborn 1852/53 (AH 1269); highest salary 300 kuruş
- Mehmet Talat Efendiborn 1839/40 (AH 1255); highest salary 3,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Zeki Efendiborn 1830/31 (AH 1246); highest salary 2,000 kuruş
- Dokmecizade Haci Osman Efendiborn 1824/25 (AH 1240); highest salary 950 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 64 officials born in Kemaliye (Eğin), Mehmet Şerif Efendi had the 11th highest salary.
- Abdullah Efendiborn 1845/46 (AH 1262); highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Cemal Efendiborn 1845/46 (AH 1262); highest salary 1,200 kuruş
- Hüseyin Sabri Efendiborn 1845/46 (AH 1262); highest salary 800 kuruş
- Ömer Hilmi Efendiborn 1845/46 (AH 1262); highest salary 3,000 kuruş
- Osman Nuri Efendiborn 1845/46 (AH 1262); highest salary 1,200 kuruş
The page of Kemaliye (Eğin), with the 64 officials born there
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 40 officials whose first annual entry is for 1864/65 (AH 1281), Mehmet Şerif Efendi had the 22nd highest salary.
- Mahmut Nüzhet Efendifirst entry in Aleppo (Halep); highest salary 800 kuruş
- Feyzi Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 1,800 kuruş
- Hızır Abbas Efendifirst entry in Latakia (Lazkiye); highest salary 2,500 kuruş
- Ali Refik Beyfirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 6,000 kuruş
- Mustafa Vasfi Efendifirst entry in Diyarbakır; highest salary 7,500 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (18)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1864/65AH 1281 | Muhabere Memuru | Aleppo (Halep) | 576 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 25_105; 205 |
| 1865/66AH 1282 | Muhabere Memuru | Aleppo (Halep) | 576 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 25_105; 205 |
| 1866/67AH 1283 | Muhabere Memuru | Aleppo (Halep) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 25_105; 205 |
| 1867/68AH 1284 | Muhabere Memuru | Aleppo (Halep) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 25_105; 205 |
| 1868/69AH 1285 | 2. Müdür | Adana | 1,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 25_105; 205 |
| 1869/70AH 1286 | 2. Müdür | Adana | 1,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 25_105; 205 |
| 1870/71AH 1287 | 2. Müdür | Adana | 1,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 25_105; 205 |
| 1872/73AH 1289 | 3. Müdür | Bulacali | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 25_105; 205 |
| 1873/74AH 1290 | 3. Müdür | Bulacali | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 25_105; 205 |
| 1874/75AH 1291 | 3. Müdür | Bulacali | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 25_105; 205 |
| 1875/76AH 1292 | 2. Müdür | Badra (Bedre) | 900 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 25_105; 205 |
| 1876/77AH 1293 | 2. Müdür | Badra (Bedre) | 900 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 25_105; 205 |
| 1877/78AH 1294 | 2. Müdür | Badra (Bedre) | 900 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 25_105; 205 |
| 1878AH 1295 | 2. Müdür | Badra (Bedre) | 900 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 25_105; 205 |
| 1878/79AH 1296 | 2. Müdür | Badra (Bedre) | 900 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 25_105; 205 |
| 1879/80AH 1297 | 3. Müdür | Mezuri | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 25_105; 205 |
| 1880/81AH 1298 | 2. Müdür | Mezuri | 720 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 25_105; 205 |
| 1881/82AH 1299 | Nahiye Memuru | Seyhan | 432 | Other | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 25_105; 205 |
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 (23)
| Field | Recorded value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Name | Mehmet Şerif Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Linked personnel workbook |
| Birth year (AH) | 1263 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace | egin | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace: district (kaza) | Egin | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace: sancak | Elazig | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace: province (vilayet) | Elazig | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Province of birth | elazig | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Father's occupation | ketebe | 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 | Adliye Mektebi | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Years of schooling | 7 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Years of apprenticeship (mülazemet) | 4 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work | ||
| First work: year (AH) | 1277 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Linked personnel workbook |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1860 | Recovered annual personnel extract |
| First work: place | Musul | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work: district (kaza) | Musul | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work: sancak | Musul | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work: province (vilayet) | Musul | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First job as worded | Tahrirat Kalemi | Linked personnel workbook; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Age at first work (workbook field) | 14 | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First salary field (kuruş a month) | 576 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First-job salary of the original workbook (kuruş a month) | 576 | 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.
- Origin of the record: Post and Telegraph personnel records.
- 11 annual entries of 18 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 Şerif Efendi
- Director of the second grade (2. Müdür)
- Badra (Bedre)
- Kemaliye (Eğin)
- Adliye 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)