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Ottoman BureaucracyPeople, places and careers in Ottoman public service

Official

Talat Efendi

Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Sofia (Sofya) in 1873/74 (AH 1290). On record 1902 to 1907, 5 annual entries.

Archive reference 118-135-265

Life

Born in Sofia (Sofya) in 1873/74 (AH 1290), Talat Efendi came from the Muslim (Müslüman) community; the father was a tradesman (esnaf). Schooling took nine years, at a preparatory secondary school (İdadi Mektebi); Talat also held a qualification (a diploma, certificate, training or decoration).

At about 19, in 1892/93, Talat began work in Hudavendigar, with one unpaid year as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 250 kuruş. The annual lists begin in 1902/03, with Talat as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru) in Thessaloniki (Selanik), where the entries run to 1904/05. The last posts were in Gevgelija in 1905/06 and Bitola (Manastır) in 1906/07.

The salary never rose above the first in the lists, 250 kuruş a month in 1902/03, as Muhabere Memuru in Thessaloniki, when 15 per cent of paid officials earned less. In all, five years of salary come to 15,000 kuruş, 53 per cent of what an official on the median salary earned in those years. The last 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.

All 5 stops
birthplacefirst workplace of annual entriesmove, with the year of the first entry there
1892/931902/031905/061906/0712345SofiaHudavendigarThessalonikiGevgelijaBitola
  1. Sofia (Sofya)

    Born 1873/74 (AH 1290)

  2. Hudavendigar

    First work 1892/93 (AH 1310)

  3. Thessaloniki (Selanik)

    1902 to 1905 (AH 1320 to 1322)

    Muhabere Memuru

    250 kuruş a month; entries in 3 years

  4. Gevgelija (Gevgili)

    1905/06 (AH 1323)

    Muhabere Memuru

    250 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year

  5. Bitola (Manastır)

    1906/07 (AH 1324)

    Muhabere Memuru

    250 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year

Career and salary

Monthly salary by year, kuruşsalary of the yearyears with one job titleno annual entry
01002003001902/03AH 13201903/04AH 13211904/05AH 13221905/06AH 13231906/07AH 1324250 kuruşMuhabere Memuru
Salary against the medians of the same year
2005001902/03AH 13201903/04AH 13211904/05AH 13221905/06AH 13231906/07AH 1324This officialMedian, all officialsMedian, same title

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
Salary of Talat Efendi against the medians of the same year, kuruş a month
YearSalaryMedian, all officialsMedian, same titlePaid less
1902/0325050038015%
1903/0425047535014%
1904/0525045035014%
1905/0625047533014%
1906/0725045030015%

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.

Career of Talat Efendi, one row per stage
YearsTitlePlaceSalary (kuruş a month)
1892/93AH 1310First workHudavendigar250first-salary field
1902 to 1905AH 1320 to 1322Muhabere Memuru
3 entries
YearSalary
1902/03250
1903/04250
1904/05250
Thessaloniki (Selanik)250
1905/06AH 1323Muhabere MemuruGevgelija (Gevgili)250
1906/07AH 1324Muhabere MemuruBitola (Manastır)250

Record

Personal

Born
1873/74 (AH 1290)
Birthplace
Sofia (Sofya)
Community
Muslim (Müslüman)
Nationality as recorded
Turkish
Father's occupation
Esnaf

Education

Idadi
İdadi Mektebi (9 years)idadi school (preparatory secondary school)
Unpaid years (mülazemet)
1 year
Preparation route (classification of the paper)
Other High
Qualification (diploma, certificate, training or nişan)
Yes

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
1892/93 (AH 1310)
First salary field (kuruş a month)
250

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 107 officials with entries in Thessaloniki (Selanik) in the same years, Talat Efendi had the 98th highest salary.

All 408 officials with entries in Thessaloniki (Selanik)

Same job title, same years

Of the 1,340 officials with the title Muhabere Memuru in the same years, Talat Efendi had the 1,079th highest salary.

All 3,162 officials with the title Muhabere Memuru

Same school

Of the 136 officials with İdadi Mektebi among their schools, Talat Efendi had the 77th highest salary.

All 136 officials with İdadi Mektebi

Same birthplace

Of the 20 officials born in Sofia (Sofya), Talat Efendi had the 15th highest salary.

The page of Sofia (Sofya), with the 20 officials born there

First annual entry in the same year

Of the 168 officials whose first annual entry is for 1902/03 (AH 1320), Talat Efendi had the 106th highest salary.

Full record

Annual entries (5)

Annual entries of Talat Efendi
YearTitlePlaceKuruş a monthInstitutionSourceArchive reference
1902/03AH 1320Muhabere MemuruThessaloniki (Selanik)250Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract118-135-265
1903/04AH 1321Muhabere MemuruThessaloniki (Selanik)250Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract118-135-265
1904/05AH 1322Muhabere MemuruThessaloniki (Selanik)250Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract118-135-265
1905/06AH 1323Muhabere MemuruGevgelija (Gevgili)250Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract118-135-265
1906/07AH 1324Muhabere MemuruBitola (Manastır)250Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract118-135-265
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)

Recorded values of Talat Efendi with their sources
FieldRecorded valueSource
Identity
NameTalat EfendiPersonnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Birth year (AH)1290Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
BirthplacesofyaRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Province of birthtunaRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Father's occupationesnafRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
ReligionMuslumanRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Nationality or communityTurkishRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Schooling
Schoolidadi MektebiRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Years of schooling9Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Years of apprenticeship (mülazemet)1Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
First work
First work: year (AH)1310Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
First work: Gregorian year as stored1892Recovered annual personnel extract
First work: placehudavendigarRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
First salary field (kuruş a month)250Recovered 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.
  • 4 annual entries of 5 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