Official
Ahmet Refik Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Măcin (Maçin) in 1870/71 (AH 1287). On record 1890 to 1901, 11 annual entries. Death recorded 1901/02.
Archive reference 0065_0137; 371
Life#
Ahmet Refik Efendi was born in Măcin (Maçin) in 1870/71 (AH 1287) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community; the father was a tradesman (esnaf). Schooling took seven years, at a middle school (Rüşdiye Mektebi); Ahmet Refik also wrote French as well as Turkish and held a qualification (a diploma, certificate, training or decoration).
Ahmet Refik began work in Istanbul in 1888/89, at about 18, with two unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 100 kuruş. The annual lists begin in 1890/91, with Ahmet Refik as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru) in Istanbul. Ahmet Refik then moved to Büyükada and Beyoğlu from 1891 to 1895, then back to Istanbul from 1895 to 1898. The last posts were in Büyükada in 1898/99 and Gebze from 1899 to 1901.
Pay rose from 100 kuruş a month in 1890/91 to a peak of 500 in 1899/1900, as 3. Müdür in Gebze, when 47 per cent of paid officials earned less. The last annual entry is for 1900/01; the list of 1901/02 (AH 1319) gives the status word Vefat (death).
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 1870/71 (AH 1287)
First work 1888/89 (AH 1306); 1890/91 (AH 1308)
100 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year
1891 to 1894 (AH 1309 to 1311)
Muhabere Memuru 1891/92 (AH 1309); Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti 1892 to 1894 (AH 1310 to 1311)
300 kuruş a month; entries in 3 years
1895 to 1898 (AH 1313 to 1315)
Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti
330 to 350 kuruş a month; entries in 3 years
Death recorded in the annual list of 1901/02 (AH 1319): 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, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1890/91 | 100 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 2% |
| 1891/92 | 300 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 16% |
| 1892/93 | 300 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 17% |
| 1893/94 | 300 | 500 | 500 | 480 | 17% |
| 1894/95 | 330 | 500 | 500 | 450 | 24% |
| 1895/96 | 330 | 500 | 500 | 440 | 24% |
| 1896/97 | 350 | 500 | 495 | 425 | 26% |
| 1897/98 | 350 | 500 | 480 | 425 | 27% |
| 1898/99 | 450 | 500 | 495 | 440 | 44% |
| 1899/1900 | 500 | 500 | 540 | 450 | 47% |
| 1900/01 | 500 | 500 | 540 | 450 | 47% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1888/89AH 1306 | First work | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 100first-salary field |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 100 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Muhabere Memuru | Büyükada | 300 |
| 1892 to 1894AH 1310 to 1311 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Büyükada | 300 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Beyoğlu | 330 |
| 1895 to 1898AH 1313 to 1315 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 330 to 350 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Büyükada | 450 |
| 1899 to 1901AH 1317 to 1318 | 3. Müdür | Gebze | 500 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | Death recorded | ||
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1870/71 (AH 1287)
- Birthplace
- Măcin (Maçin)
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- Esnaf
- Death recorded
- 1901/02 (AH 1319)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)
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 2 years
- Preparation route (classification of the paper)
- Middle
- Qualification (diploma, certificate, training or nişan)
- Yes
The years count all schooling up to that school, as the record gives them.
Languages
- French
- Kitabetwriting
- Turkish
- Kitabetwriting
The glosses are cautious historical readings of the recorded words, not modern levels of proficiency.
First work
- Year
- 1888/89 (AH 1306)
- Place
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 100
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 19 officials who held Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti in Istanbul in the same years, Ahmet Refik Efendi had the 11th highest salary.
- Mehmet Hüsamettin Efendi3 shared years; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Kostantin Mavromati Efendi3 shared years; highest salary 720 kuruş
- Mehmet Salih Efendi3 shared years; highest salary 600 kuruş
- Mehmet Nuri Efendi3 shared years; highest salary 500 kuruş
- Unnamed official (0087_0099,195.)3 shared years; highest salary 480 kuruş
Same place, same years
Of the 782 officials with entries in Istanbul in the same years, Ahmet Refik Efendi had the 492nd highest salary.
- Emil Efendi4 shared years; highest salary 9,000 kuruş
- Salahattin Bey4 shared years; highest salary 7,800 kuruş
- Suleyman Resat Bey4 shared years; highest salary 7,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Hayri Bey4 shared years; highest salary 5,500 kuruş
- Fahri Efendi4 shared years; highest salary 5,000 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 298 officials with the title Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti in the same years, Ahmet Refik Efendi had the 200th highest salary.
- Mehmet Cemal Efendi7 shared years; highest salary 1,650 kuruş
- Israti Efendi7 shared years; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Melkon Berhadar Efendi7 shared years; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Garon Efendi7 shared years; highest salary 1,300 kuruş
- Mehmet Rıfat Efendi7 shared years; highest salary 1,250 kuruş
All 605 officials with the title Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti
Same school
Of the 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi among their schools, 3,200 have a recorded salary; Ahmet Refik Efendi had the 1,253rd highest salary of them.
- Abdulgafur Sufi Efendiborn 1870/71 (AH 1287); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Abdülkerim Efendiborn 1870/71 (AH 1287); highest salary 400 kuruş
- Abdullah Mazhar Efendiborn 1870/71 (AH 1287); highest salary 800 kuruş
- Abdurrezak Bey Efendiborn 1870/71 (AH 1287); highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Ahmed Talat Efendiborn 1870/71 (AH 1287); highest salary 500 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 3 officials born in Măcin (Maçin), Ahmet Refik Efendi had the highest salary.
- Ali Rıza Efendiborn 1860/61 (AH 1277); highest salary 220 kuruş
- Mustafa Fuat Efendiborn 1879/80 (AH 1297); highest salary 400 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 102 officials whose first annual entry is for 1890/91 (AH 1308), Ahmet Refik Efendi had the 57th highest salary.
- Ahmet Ragıp Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Hüseyin Adil Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 730 kuruş
- İbrahim Basri Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 700 kuruş
- Mehmet Fehim Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 615 kuruş
- Mehmet Nazif Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 1,100 kuruş
All 102 officials whose first annual entry is for 1890/91 (AH 1308)
Full record
Annual entries (11)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 100 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0137; 371 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Muhabere Memuru | Büyükada | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0137; 371 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Büyükada | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0137; 371 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Büyükada | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0137; 371 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Beyoğlu | 330 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0137; 371 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 330 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0137; 371 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 350 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0137; 371 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 350 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0137; 371 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Büyükada | 450 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0137; 371 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | 3. Müdür | Gebze | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0137; 371 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | 3. Müdür | Gebze | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0137; 371 |
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 | Ahmet Refik Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1287 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birthplace | macin | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Province of birth | tuna | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Father's occupation | esnaf | 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) | 1306 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1889 | Recovered annual personnel extract |
| First work: place | istanbul | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First salary field (kuruş a month) | 100 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Status | ||
| Death recorded under the year (AH) | 1319 | 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.
- 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.
- 11 annual entries of 11 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
- Ahmet Refik Efendi
- Post of official for foreign communications (Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti)
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Măcin (Maçin)
- 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)