Official
Ahmet Hamdi Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Şebinkarahisar (Karahisar-ı Şarki) in 1847/48 (AH 1264). On record 1867 to 1904, 32 annual entries. Death recorded 1904/05.
Archive reference 46_40; 77
Life#
Ahmet Hamdi Efendi was born in Şebinkarahisar (Karahisar-ı Şarki) in 1847/48 (AH 1264), into the Muslim (Müslüman) community. Schooling took four years, at a school for young children (Sıbyan Mektebi); Ahmet Hamdi also attended the telegraph school.
Work began in Istanbul in 1866/67, at about 18, with one unpaid year as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 400 kuruş. The annual lists begin in 1867/68, with Ahmet Hamdi as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru) in Şebinkarahisar, the birthplace. Next came seven places in 18 years, from Rize to Erzincan, with a rise to director of the second grade (2. Müdür) in 1872/73. From 1888 to 1904 the annual entries place Ahmet Hamdi in Istanbul. Few officials served in as many provinces; fewer than 3 per cent of the 5,200 officials with a place of service did. Entries spanning 38 years are rare, reached by fewer than 5 per cent of the 5,211 officials.
The salary went from 400 kuruş a month in 1867/68 to 1,100 in 1900/01, the peak, in the goods and stores office (Eşya Kalemi) in Istanbul, when 91 per cent of paid officials earned less. Over 32 years the salaries add up to 309,000 kuruş, 1.5 times what an official on the median salary earned. After the last annual entry, for 1903/04, the list of 1904/05 (AH 1322) 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.
Şebinkarahisar (Karahisar-ı Şarki)
Born 1847/48 (AH 1264)
First work 1866/67 (AH 1283)
Şebinkarahisar (Karahisar-ı Şarki)
1867 to 1869 (AH 1284 to 1285)
400 kuruş a month; entries in 2 years
1872/73 (AH 1289)
No annual entry for 1871/72 (AH 1288) before it.
760 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year
1888 to 1904 (AH 1306 to 1321)
No annual entry for 1886 to 1888 (AH 1304 to 1305) before it.
600 to 1,100 kuruş a month; entries in 16 years
Death recorded in the annual list of 1904/05 (AH 1322): 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.
The numbers of the chart
| Year | Salary | Median, all officials | Median, same title | Paid less |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1867/68 | 400 | 600 | 480 | 17% |
| 1868/69 | 400 | 600 | 480 | 17% |
| 1869/70 | 500 | 600 | 400 | 41% |
| 1870/71 | 400 | 600 | 400 | 20% |
| 1872/73 | 760 | 550 | 850 | 64% |
| 1873/74 | 760 | 500 | 830 | 65% |
| 1874/75 | 760 | 535 | 800 | 65% |
| 1875/76 | 760 | 530 | 850 | 67% |
| 1877/78 | 800 | 560 | 800 | 68% |
| 1878 | 1,000 | 600 | 800 | 76% |
| 1878/79 | 1,000 | 600 | 800 | 77% |
| 1879/80 | 950 | 500 | 800 | 83% |
| 1882/83 | 950 | 500 | 800 | 81% |
| 1883/84 | 950 | 500 | 800 | 81% |
| 1884/85 | 950 | 500 | 800 | 82% |
| 1885/86 | 950 | 500 | 800 | 83% |
| 1888/89 | 600 | 500 | 587.5 | 58% |
| 1889/90 | 700 | 500 | 575 | 73% |
| 1890/91 | 700 | 500 | 575 | 73% |
| 1891/92 | 700 | 500 | 575 | 73% |
| 1892/93 | 800 | 500 | 575 | 80% |
| 1893/94 | 800 | 500 | 575 | 80% |
| 1894/95 | 800 | 500 | 575 | 81% |
| 1895/96 | 800 | 500 | 575 | 80% |
| 1896/97 | 720 | 500 | 115 | 81% |
| 1897/98 | 720 | 500 | 130 | 81% |
| 1898/99 | 720 | 500 | 130 | 80% |
| 1899/1900 | 1,000 | 500 | 250 | 88% |
| 1900/01 | 1,100 | 500 | 604 | 91% |
| 1901/02 | 1,100 | 500 | 604 | 91% |
| 1902/03 | 1,100 | 500 | 604 | 90% |
| 1903/04 | 1,100 | 475 | 650 | 90% |
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 | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 400first-salary field |
| 1867 to 1869AH 1284 to 1285 | Muhabere Memuru | Şebinkarahisar (Karahisar-ı Şarki) | 400 |
| 1869/70AH 1286 | Muhabere Memuru | Rize | 500 |
| 1870/71AH 1287 | Muhabere Memuru | Akşehir | 400 |
| No annual entry: 1871/72 (AH 1288) | |||
| 1872/73AH 1289 | 2. Müdür | Balchik (Balçık) | 760 |
| 1873 to 1876AH 1290 to 1292 | 2. Müdür | Livno (İhlivne) | 760 |
| No annual entry: 1876/77 (AH 1293) | |||
| 1877 to 1878AH 1294 to 1295 | 2. Müdür | Niğde | 800 to 1,000 |
| 1878 to 1880AH 1296 to 1297 | 2. Müdür | Adana | 1,000 to 950 |
| No annual entry: 1880 to 1882 (AH 1298 to 1299) | |||
| 1882 to 1886AH 1300 to 1303 | 2. Müdür | Erzincan | 950 |
| No annual entry: 1886 to 1888 (AH 1304 to 1305) | |||
| 1888 to 1904AH 1306 to 1321 | Eşya Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 600 to 1,100 |
| 1904/05AH 1322 | Death recorded | ||
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1847/48 (AH 1264)
- Birthplace
- Şebinkarahisar (Karahisar-ı Şarki)
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Death recorded
- 1904/05 (AH 1322)the year of the annual list with the word Vefat, not a date of death
Education
- Primary
- Sıbyan Mektebi (4 years)school for young children (primary school)
- Higher or professional
- Telgraf Mektebitelegraph school; recorded as a code
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 1 year
- Preparation route (classification of the paper)
- Low
- Qualification (diploma, certificate, training or nişan)
- NoShown as in the flag of the paper. The qualification column of the recovered extract gives 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
- 1866/67 (AH 1283)
- Place
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 400
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 1,164 officials with entries in Istanbul in the same years, Ahmet Hamdi Efendi had the 249th highest salary.
- Salahattin Bey16 shared years; highest salary 7,800 kuruş
- Suleyman Resat Bey16 shared years; highest salary 7,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Hayri Bey16 shared years; highest salary 5,500 kuruş
- Melkok Efendi16 shared years; highest salary 5,000 kuruş
- Dikran Efendi16 shared years; highest salary 4,500 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 11 officials with the title Eşya Kalemi in the same years, Ahmet Hamdi Efendi had the 3rd highest salary.
- Hüsnü Efendi16 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Mehmet Murad Efendi12 shared years; highest salary 700 kuruş
- Ali Neşet Efendi11 shared years; highest salary 250 kuruş
- Mehmet Salih Efendi8 shared years; highest salary 300 kuruş
- Mustafa İsmet Efendi7 shared years; highest salary 2,000 kuruş
Same school
Of the 746 officials with Sıbyan Mektebi among their schools, 745 have a recorded salary; Ahmet Hamdi Efendi had the 185th highest salary of them.
- Abdullah Vehbi Efendiborn 1847/48 (AH 1264); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Abdurrahman Şakir Beyborn 1847/48 (AH 1264); highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Afif Efendiborn 1847/48 (AH 1264); highest salary 800 kuruş
- Ahmet Nazif Efendiborn 1847/48 (AH 1264); highest salary 950 kuruş
- Ali Mufid Efendiborn 1847/48 (AH 1264); highest salary 600 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 13 officials born in Şebinkarahisar (Karahisar-ı Şarki), Ahmet Hamdi Efendi had the highest salary.
- Unnamed official (0067_00148; sayfa no:293)born 1848/49 (AH 1265); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Yusuf Efendiborn 1840/41 (AH 1256); highest salary 400 kuruş
- Ali Ulvi Efendiborn 1857/58 (AH 1274); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Mehmet Rahmi Efendiborn 1869/70 (AH 1286); highest salary 1,080 kuruş
- Abdi Zühtü Efendiborn 1871/72 (AH 1288); highest salary 1,000 kuruş
The page of Şebinkarahisar (Karahisar-ı Şarki), with the 13 officials born there
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 73 officials whose first annual entry is for 1867/68 (AH 1284), Ahmet Hamdi Efendi had the 23rd highest salary.
- Abdulhamit Efendifirst entry in Baghdad (Bağdat); highest salary 1,200 kuruş
- Ahmet Nazif Efendifirst entry in Şarköy; highest salary 950 kuruş
- Ali Muhtar Efendifirst entry in Beyşehir; highest salary 600 kuruş
- Ali Rıza Efendifirst entry in Shumen (Şumnu); highest salary 760 kuruş
- Eşref Bahtiyar Efendifirst entry in Shkodër (İşkodra); highest salary 800 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (32)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1867/68AH 1284 | Muhabere Memuru | Şebinkarahisar (Karahisar-ı Şarki) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 46_40; 77 |
| 1868/69AH 1285 | Muhabere Memuru | Şebinkarahisar (Karahisar-ı Şarki) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 46_40; 77 |
| 1869/70AH 1286 | Muhabere Memuru | Rize | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 46_40; 77 |
| 1870/71AH 1287 | Muhabere Memuru | Akşehir | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 46_40; 77 |
| 1872/73AH 1289 | 2. Müdür | Balchik (Balçık) | 760 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 46_40; 77 |
| 1873/74AH 1290 | 2. Müdür | Livno (İhlivne) | 760 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 46_40; 77 |
| 1874/75AH 1291 | 2. Müdür | Livno (İhlivne) | 760 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 46_40; 77 |
| 1875/76AH 1292 | 2. Müdür | Livno (İhlivne) | 760 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 46_40; 77 |
| 1877/78AH 1294 | 2. Müdür | Niğde | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 46_40; 77 |
| 1878AH 1295 | 2. Müdür | Niğde | 1,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 46_40; 77 |
| 1878/79AH 1296 | 2. Müdür | Adana | 1,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 46_40; 77 |
| 1879/80AH 1297 | 2. Müdür | Adana | 950 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 46_40; 77 |
| 1882/83AH 1300 | 2. Müdür | Erzincan | 950 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 46_40; 77 |
| 1883/84AH 1301 | 2. Müdür | Erzincan | 950 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 46_40; 77 |
| 1884/85AH 1302 | 2. Müdür | Erzincan | 950 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 46_40; 77 |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | 2. Müdür | Erzincan | 950 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 46_40; 77 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Eşya Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 46_40; 77 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Eşya Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 700 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 46_40; 77 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Eşya Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 700 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 46_40; 77 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Eşya Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 700 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 46_40; 77 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Eşya Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 46_40; 77 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Eşya Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 46_40; 77 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Eşya Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 46_40; 77 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Eşya Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 46_40; 77 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Eşya Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 720 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 46_40; 77 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | Eşya Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 720 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 46_40; 77 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Eşya Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 720 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 46_40; 77 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | Eşya Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 46_40; 77 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | Eşya Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,100 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 46_40; 77 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | Eşya Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,100 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 46_40; 77 |
| 1902/03AH 1320 | Eşya Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,100 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 46_40; 77 |
| 1903/04AH 1321 | Eşya Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,100 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 46_40; 77 |
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 Hamdi Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1264 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birthplace | karahisari sarki | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Province of birth | sivas | 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 | Sibyan Mektebi | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Years of schooling | 4 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Telegraph school (recorded code) | 1 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Years of apprenticeship (mülazemet) | 1 | 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 | istanbul | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First salary field (kuruş a month) | 400 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Status | ||
| Death recorded under the year (AH) | 1322 | 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.
- 29 annual entries of 32 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 Hamdi Efendi
- Goods and stores office (Eşya Kalemi)
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Şebinkarahisar (Karahisar-ı Şarki)
- School for young children (Sıbyan 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)