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Ottoman BureaucracyPeople, places and careers in Ottoman public service

Official

Ahmet Sırrı Efendi

Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Istanbul (Dersaadet) in 1879/80 (AH 1297). On record 1902 to 1906, 4 annual entries.

Life

Born in Istanbul in 1879/80 (AH 1297) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community, Ahmet Sırrı Efendi was the child of a soldier (asker). Schooling took seven years, at a middle school (Rüşdiye Mektebi); Ahmet Sırrı also wrote Arabic, Persian and Turkish, and held a qualification (a diploma, certificate, training or decoration).

At about 16, in 1895/96, Ahmet Sırrı began work in Edirne, with seven unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 250 kuruş. Of the 5,142 officials with a known apprenticeship, fewer than 6 per cent worked unpaid for seven years or longer. The annual lists begin in 1902/03, with Ahmet Sırrı as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru) in Shkodër (İşkodra). The last posts were in Veles (Köprülü) from 1904 to 1906.

The salary went from 250 kuruş a month in 1902/03 to 380 in 1904/05, the peak, as Muhabere Memuru in Veles, when 35 per cent of paid officials earned less. In all, four years of salary come to 15,120 kuruş, 66 per cent of what an official on the median salary earned in those years. The final annual entry is for 1905/06.

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 4 stops
birthplacefirst workplace of annual entriesmove, with the year of the first entry there
1895/961902/031904/051234IstanbulEdirneShkodërVeles
  1. Istanbul (Dersaadet)

    Born 1879/80 (AH 1297)

  2. Edirne

    First work 1895/96 (AH 1313)

  3. Shkodër (İşkodra)

    1902 to 1904 (AH 1320 to 1321)

    Muhabere Memuru

    250 kuruş a month; entries in 2 years

  4. Veles (Köprülü)

    1904 to 1906 (AH 1322 to 1323)

    Muhabere Memuru

    380 kuruş a month; entries in 2 years

Career and salary

Monthly salary by year, kuruşsalary of the yearyears with one job titleno annual entry
01002003004001902/03AH 13201903/04AH 13211904/05AH 13221905/06AH 1323380 kuruşMuhabere Memuru
Salary against the medians of the same year
2005001902/03AH 13201903/04AH 13211904/05AH 13221905/06AH 1323This 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 Ahmet Sırrı Efendi against the medians of the same year, kuruş a month
YearSalaryMedian, all officialsMedian, same titlePaid less
1902/0325050038015%
1903/0425047535014%
1904/0538045035035%
1905/0638047533035%

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 Ahmet Sırrı Efendi, one row per stage
YearsTitlePlaceSalary (kuruş a month)
1895/96AH 1313First workEdirne250first-salary field
1902 to 1904AH 1320 to 1321Muhabere Memuru
2 entries
YearSalary
1902/03250
1903/04250
Shkodër (İşkodra)250
1904 to 1906AH 1322 to 1323Muhabere Memuru
2 entries
YearSalary
1904/05380
1905/06380
Veles (Köprülü)380

Record

Personal

Born
1879/80 (AH 1297)
Community
Muslim (Müslüman)
Nationality as recorded
Turkish
Father's occupation
Asker

Education

Rüşdiye
Rüşdiye Mektebi (7 years)rüşdiye school (middle school)
Unpaid years (mülazemet)
7 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

Arabic
Kitabetwriting
Persian
Kitabetwriting
Turkish
Kitabetwriting

The glosses are cautious historical readings of the recorded words, not modern levels of proficiency.

First work

Year
1895/96 (AH 1313)
Place
Edirne
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 8 officials with entries in Shkodër (İşkodra) in the same years, Ahmet Sırrı Efendi had the 7th highest salary.

All 76 officials with entries in Shkodër (İşkodra)

Same job title, same years

Of the 1,227 officials with the title Muhabere Memuru in the same years, Ahmet Sırrı Efendi had the 769th highest salary.

All 3,162 officials with the title Muhabere Memuru

Same school

Of the 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi among their schools, 3,200 have a recorded salary; Ahmet Sırrı Efendi had the 2,060th highest salary of them.

All 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi

Same birthplace

Of the 1,999 officials born in Istanbul, 1,997 have a recorded salary; Ahmet Sırrı Efendi had the 1,358th highest salary of them.

The page of Istanbul, with the 1,999 officials born there

First annual entry in the same year

Of the 168 officials whose first annual entry is for 1902/03 (AH 1320), Ahmet Sırrı Efendi had the 65th highest salary.

Full record

Annual entries (4)

Annual entries of Ahmet Sırrı Efendi
YearTitlePlaceKuruş a monthInstitutionSourceArchive reference
1902/03AH 1320Muhabere MemuruShkodër (İşkodra)250Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract116_124; 245
1903/04AH 1321Muhabere MemuruShkodër (İşkodra)250Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract116_124; 245
1904/05AH 1322Muhabere MemuruVeles (Köprülü)380Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract116_124; 245
1905/06AH 1323Muhabere MemuruVeles (Köprülü)380Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract116_124; 245
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 Ahmet Sırrı Efendi with their sources
FieldRecorded valueSource
Identity
NameAhmet Sırrı EfendiPersonnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Birth year (AH)1297Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
BirthplacedersaadetRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Province of birthdersaadetRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Father's occupationAskerRecovered 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
SchoolRusdiye MektebiRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Years of schooling7Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Years of apprenticeship (mülazemet)7Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
First work
First work: year (AH)1313Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
First work: Gregorian year as stored1895Recovered annual personnel extract
First work: placeEdirneRecovered 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 4 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