Official
Mehmed Seyfi Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Pljevlja (Taşlıca) in 1852/53 (AH 1269). On record 1870 to 1907, 36 annual entries.
Archive reference 58- 0088;169
Life#
Born in Pljevlja (Taşlıca) in 1852/53 (AH 1269), Mehmed Seyfi Efendi came from the Muslim (Müslüman) community. Schooling took seven years, at a middle school (Rüşdiye Mektebi); Mehmed Seyfi also wrote Turkish and spoke Greek (Rum).
At about 14, in 1866/67, Mehmed Seyfi began work in Kozani (Kozana), with four unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 200 kuruş. The annual lists begin in 1870/71, with Mehmed Seyfi as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru) in Skopje (Üsküp). Next came Berat in 1872/73, then Veles (Köprülü) from 1873 to 1880, with a rise to postal official (Posta Memuru) and to chief communications official (Başmuhabere Memuru) in 1874/75. Mehmed Seyfi then moved to Veria (Karaferye), Kastoria (Kesriye) and Ioannina (Yanya) from 1880 to 1895, then Kozani from 1895 to 1904. The last posts were in Haymana in 1904/05 and Burgas (Burgaz) in 1906/07. Nine places on two continents in all, a number reached by fewer than 6 per cent of the 5,200 officials with a place of service. Few careers in the lists are as long; fewer than 5 per cent of the 5,211 officials have entries spanning 38 years or more.
The salary went from 200 kuruş a month in 1870/71 to 600 in 1876/77, the peak, as Başmuhabere Memuru in Veles, when half the 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 1852/53 (AH 1269)
First work 1866/67 (AH 1283)
1872/73 (AH 1289)
No annual entry for 1871/72 (AH 1288) before it.
400 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year
1873 to 1880 (AH 1290 to 1297)
Posta Memuru 1873/74 (AH 1290); Başmuhabere Memuru 1874 to 1880 (AH 1291 to 1297)
450 to 600 kuruş a month; entries in 8 years
1881 to 1888 (AH 1299 to 1305)
500 kuruş a month; entries in 7 years
1888 to 1895 (AH 1306 to 1312)
500 to 600 kuruş a month; entries in 7 years
1906/07 (AH 1324)
No annual entry for 1905/06 (AH 1323) before it.
500 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, and the median of the same province for the years in which at least 5 officials were paid in the province of the official's salary that year.
The numbers of the chart
| Year | Salary | Median, all officials | Median, same title | Median, same province | Paid less |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870/71 | 200 | 600 | 400 | 755 | 5% |
| 1872/73 | 400 | 550 | 400 | 450 | 26% |
| 1873/74 | 450 | 500 | 425 | 475 | 35% |
| 1874/75 | 500 | 535 | 570 | 400 | 41% |
| 1875/76 | 500 | 530 | 570 | 380 | 41% |
| 1876/77 | 600 | 582.5 | 600 | 500 | 50% |
| 1877/78 | 600 | 560 | 600 | 400 | 50% |
| 1878 | 600 | 600 | 600 | 400 | 46% |
| 1878/79 | 600 | 600 | 600 | 400 | 47% |
| 1879/80 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 390 | 47% |
| 1880/81 | 500 | 500 | 570 | 400 | 47% |
| 1881/82 | 500 | 500 | 600 | 500 | 46% |
| 1882/83 | 500 | 500 | 600 | 500 | 43% |
| 1883/84 | 500 | 500 | 600 | 550 | 43% |
| 1884/85 | 500 | 500 | 600 | 550 | 42% |
| 1885/86 | 500 | 500 | 600 | 500 | 42% |
| 1886/87 | 500 | 500 | 600 | 500 | 42% |
| 1887/88 | 500 | 500 | 600 | 500 | 41% |
| 1888/89 | 500 | 500 | 600 | 600 | 41% |
| 1889/90 | 500 | 500 | 600 | 600 | 42% |
| 1890/91 | 500 | 500 | 600 | 600 | 43% |
| 1891/92 | 600 | 500 | 600 | 600 | 59% |
| 1892/93 | 600 | 500 | 600 | 500 | 59% |
| 1893/94 | 600 | 500 | 600 | 600 | 60% |
| 1894/95 | 600 | 500 | 600 | 600 | 60% |
| 1895/96 | 600 | 500 | 600 | 500 | 59% |
| 1896/97 | 500 | 500 | 540 | 500 | 49% |
| 1897/98 | 500 | 500 | 540 | 500 | 49% |
| 1898/99 | 500 | 500 | 540 | 500 | 48% |
| 1899/1900 | 500 | 500 | 540 | 500 | 47% |
| 1900/01 | 500 | 500 | 540 | 500 | 47% |
| 1901/02 | 500 | 500 | 540 | 500 | 49% |
| 1902/03 | 500 | 500 | 540 | 500 | 49% |
| 1903/04 | 500 | 475 | 540 | 400 | 51% |
| 1904/05 | 500 | 450 | 540 | 380 | 52% |
| 1906/07 | 500 | 450 | 600 | 51% |
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 | Kozani (Kozana) | 200first-salary field |
| 1870/71AH 1287 | Muhabere Memuru | Skopje (Üsküp) | 200 |
| No annual entry: 1871/72 (AH 1288) | |||
| 1872/73AH 1289 | Muhabere Memuru | Berat | 400 |
| 1873/74AH 1290 | Posta Memuru | Veles (Köprülü) | 450 |
| 1874 to 1880AH 1291 to 1297 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Veles (Köprülü) | 500 |
| 1880/81AH 1298 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Veria (Karaferye) | 500 |
| 1881 to 1888AH 1299 to 1305 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Kastoria (Kesriye) | 500 |
| 1888 to 1895AH 1306 to 1312 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Ioannina (Yanya) | 500 to 600 |
| 1895 to 1904AH 1313 to 1321 | 3. Müdür | Kozani (Kozana) | 600 to 500 |
| 1904/05AH 1322 | 3. Müdür | Haymana | 500 |
| No annual entry: 1905/06 (AH 1323) | |||
| 1906/07AH 1324 | Memur | Burgas (Burgaz) | 500 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1852/53 (AH 1269)
- Birthplace
- Pljevlja (Taşlıca)
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
Education
- Rüşdiye
- Rüşdiye Mektebi (7 years)rüşdiye school (middle school)
- 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
- Greek (Rum)
- Tekellumspeaking. 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
- Kitabetwriting
The glosses are cautious historical readings of the recorded words, not modern levels of proficiency.
First work
- Year
- 1866/67 (AH 1283)
- Place
- Kozani (Kozana)
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 200
Legal records
- Legal record note as worded
- Devamsızlık / Atanmasının üzerinden 1 yıl geçtiği halde iş başı yapmamasından dolayı; Devamsızlık
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 post (job title and place), same years
Of the 3 officials who held 3. Müdür in Kozani (Kozana) in the same years, Mehmed Seyfi Efendi had the 2nd highest salary.
- Kadri Efendi7 shared years; highest salary 600 kuruş
- Mehmet Arif Efendi1 shared year; highest salary 800 kuruş
Same place, same years
Of the 5 officials with entries in Kozani (Kozana) in the same years, Mehmed Seyfi Efendi had the 2nd highest salary.
- Kadri Efendi7 shared years; highest salary 600 kuruş
- Mehmet Arif Efendi3 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Mustafa Sabri Efendi1 shared year; highest salary 500 kuruş
- Mehmet Nuri Efendi1 shared year; highest salary 200 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 122 officials with the title Başmuhabere Memuru in the same years, Mehmed Seyfi Efendi had the 83rd highest salary.
- Aziz Efendi22 shared years; highest salary 600 kuruş
- Haşim Zihni Efendi20 shared years; highest salary 600 kuruş
- Mehmet Hilmi Efendi18 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Mehmet Şerif Efendi18 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Mustafa Sıtkı Efendi17 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
Same school
Of the 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi among their schools, 3,200 have a recorded salary; Mehmed Seyfi Efendi had the 852nd highest salary of them.
- Abdülhamit Efendiborn 1852/53 (AH 1269); highest salary 440 kuruş
- Ali Galip Efendiborn 1852/53 (AH 1269); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Ali Raif Efendiborn 1852/53 (AH 1269); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Ali Rıza Efendiborn 1852/53 (AH 1269); highest salary 3,150 kuruş
- Ali Riza Efendiborn 1852/53 (AH 1269); highest salary 400 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 3 officials born in Pljevlja (Taşlıca), Mehmed Seyfi Efendi had the highest salary.
- Ahmed Hilmi Efendiborn 1858/59 (AH 1275); highest salary 500 kuruş
- İbrahim Eşref Efendiborn 1877/78 (AH 1294); highest salary 400 kuruş
The page of Pljevlja (Taşlıca), with the 3 officials born there
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 66 officials whose first annual entry is for 1870/71 (AH 1287), Mehmed Seyfi Efendi had the 52nd highest salary.
- Hasan Nazmi Efendifirst entry in Thessaloniki (Selanik); highest salary 670 kuruş
- Mehmet Nazmi Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 600 kuruş
- Mehmet Rauf Efendifirst entry in Artvin (Livane); highest salary 1,200 kuruş
- Simon Efendifirst entry in Nablus; highest salary 1,100 kuruş
- Taşçıyan Markar Efendifirst entry in Beyoğlu; highest salary 1,300 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (36)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870/71AH 1287 | Muhabere Memuru | Skopje (Üsküp) | 200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 0088;169 |
| 1872/73AH 1289 | Muhabere Memuru | Berat | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 0088;169 |
| 1873/74AH 1290 | Posta Memuru | Veles (Köprülü) | 450 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 0088;169 |
| 1874/75AH 1291 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Veles (Köprülü) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 0088;169 |
| 1875/76AH 1292 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Veles (Köprülü) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 0088;169 |
| 1876/77AH 1293 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Veles (Köprülü) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 0088;169 |
| 1877/78AH 1294 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Veles (Köprülü) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 0088;169 |
| 1878AH 1295 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Veles (Köprülü) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 0088;169 |
| 1878/79AH 1296 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Veles (Köprülü) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 0088;169 |
| 1879/80AH 1297 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Veles (Köprülü) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 0088;169 |
| 1880/81AH 1298 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Veria (Karaferye) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 0088;169 |
| 1881/82AH 1299 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Kastoria (Kesriye) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 0088;169 |
| 1882/83AH 1300 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Kastoria (Kesriye) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 0088;169 |
| 1883/84AH 1301 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Kastoria (Kesriye) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 0088;169 |
| 1884/85AH 1302 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Kastoria (Kesriye) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 0088;169 |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Kastoria (Kesriye) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 0088;169 |
| 1886/87AH 1304 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Kastoria (Kesriye) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 0088;169 |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Kastoria (Kesriye) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 0088;169 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Ioannina (Yanya) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 0088;169 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Ioannina (Yanya) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 0088;169 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Ioannina (Yanya) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 0088;169 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Ioannina (Yanya) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 0088;169 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Ioannina (Yanya) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 0088;169 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Ioannina (Yanya) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 0088;169 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Ioannina (Yanya) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 0088;169 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | 3. Müdür | Kozani (Kozana) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 0088;169 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | 3. Müdür | Kozani (Kozana) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 0088;169 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | 3. Müdür | Kozani (Kozana) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 0088;169 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | 3. Müdür | Kozani (Kozana) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 0088;169 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | 3. Müdür | Kozani (Kozana) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 0088;169 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | 3. Müdür | Kozani (Kozana) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 0088;169 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | 3. Müdür | Kozani (Kozana) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 0088;169 |
| 1902/03AH 1320 | 3. Müdür | Kozani (Kozana) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 0088;169 |
| 1903/04AH 1321 | 3. Müdür | Kozani (Kozana) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 0088;169 |
| 1904/05AH 1322 | 3. Müdür | Haymana | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 0088;169 |
| 1906/07AH 1324 | Memur | Burgas (Burgaz) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 0088;169 |
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 (15)
| Field | Recorded value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Name | Mehmed Seyfi Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1269 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birthplace | taslica | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Province of birth | kosova | 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) | 4 | 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 | Kozana | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First salary field (kuruş a month) | 200 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Legal records | ||
| Legal record note as worded | Devamsızlık / Atanmasının üzerinden 1 yıl geçtiği halde iş başı yapmamasından dolayı used on this page | Legal notes (earlier workbook copy); Legal notes (later workbook copy) |
| Legal record note as worded | Devamsızlık other value | Legal notes (earlier workbook copy); Legal notes (later workbook copy) |
What the sources named in this table are
- Legal notes (earlier workbook copy)
- A workbook of notes on legal records. The wording is kept as written. It may hold an accusation or an acquittal, it is not the finding of a court, and its year is the year of the record, not the date of an event.
- Legal notes (later workbook copy)
- A later copy of the workbook of notes on legal records. The same wording in both copies is one note, not two.
- 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.
- The sources give more than one value for a marked field. Every value is listed.
- Origin of the record: Post and Telegraph personnel records.
- 35 annual entries of 36 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 Seyfi Efendi
- Chief communications official (Başmuhabere Memuru)
- Kozani (Kozana)
- Pljevlja (Taşlıca)
- Rüşdiye school (Rüşdiye 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)