Official
Mustafa Fehmi Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Istanbul (Dersaadet) in 1856/57 (AH 1273). On record 1877 to 1900, 18 annual entries.
Archive reference 27_139; 275
Life#
Born in Istanbul in 1856/57 (AH 1273), Mustafa Fehmi Efendi came from the Muslim (Müslüman) community; the father was a tradesman (esnaf). Mustafa Fehmi had four years of schooling, at a school for young children (Sıbyan Mektebi), and wrote Turkish and had some knowledge of Arabic.
At about 20, in 1877/78, Mustafa Fehmi began work in Istanbul, paid from the start, on 400 kuruş a month. The first annual entry, for 1877/78, places Mustafa Fehmi in Shumen (Şumnu) as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru). The annual lists then follow Mustafa Fehmi to Peykarhisar, Arta (Narda), Elazığ and Rumelihisarı, four places in 11 years, with a rise to travelling postal official (Seyyar Memur) in 1878/79. The lists have no entry for 1882 to 1887. From 1889 to 1900 every annual entry places Mustafa Fehmi in Izmir (İzmir). Six provinces on two continents in all, a number reached by fewer than 7 per cent of the 5,200 officials with a place of service.
The salary went from 400 kuruş a month in 1877/78 to 650 in 1891/92, the peak, as Muhabere Memuru in Izmir, when 71 per cent of paid officials earned less. The final annual entry is for 1899/1900.
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 1856/57 (AH 1273); First work 1877/78 (AH 1294)
1878/79 (AH 1296)
No annual entry for 1878 (AH 1295) before it.
600 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year
1887 to 1889 (AH 1305 to 1306)
No annual entry for 1882 to 1887 (AH 1300 to 1304) before it.
500 kuruş a month; entries in 2 years
1889 to 1900 (AH 1307 to 1317)
585 to 650 kuruş a month; entries in 11 years
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1877/78 | 400 | 560 | 410 | 16% |
| 1878/79 | 600 | 600 | 600 | 47% |
| 1879/80 | 350 | 500 | 380 | 21% |
| 1880/81 | 350 | 500 | 350 | 19% |
| 1881/82 | 500 | 500 | 390 | 46% |
| 1887/88 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 41% |
| 1888/89 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 41% |
| 1889/90 | 600 | 500 | 400 | 58% |
| 1890/91 | 600 | 500 | 400 | 59% |
| 1891/92 | 650 | 500 | 400 | 71% |
| 1892/93 | 650 | 500 | 400 | 71% |
| 1893/94 | 650 | 500 | 400 | 72% |
| 1894/95 | 650 | 500 | 400 | 72% |
| 1895/96 | 650 | 500 | 400 | 72% |
| 1896/97 | 585 | 500 | 400 | 72% |
| 1897/98 | 585 | 500 | 400 | 72% |
| 1898/99 | 585 | 500 | 400 | 71% |
| 1899/1900 | 635 | 500 | 400 | 74% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1877/78AH 1294 | First work | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 400first-salary field |
| 1877/78AH 1294 | Muhabere Memuru | Shumen (Şumnu) | 400 |
| No annual entry: 1878 (AH 1295) | |||
| 1878/79AH 1296 | Seyyar Memur | Peykarhisar | 600 |
| 1879 to 1881AH 1297 to 1298 | Memur | Arta (Narda) | 350 |
| 1881/82AH 1299 | Memur | Elazığ | 500 |
| No annual entry: 1882 to 1887 (AH 1300 to 1304) | |||
| 1887 to 1889AH 1305 to 1306 | Muhabere Memuru | Rumelihisarı | 500 |
| 1889 to 1900AH 1307 to 1317 | Muhabere Memuru | Izmir (İzmir) | 600 to 635 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1856/57 (AH 1273)
- Birthplace
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- Esnaf
Education
- Primary
- Sıbyan Mektebi (4 years)school for young children (primary school)
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 0 years
- 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
- Arabic
- Asinafamiliarity
- Turkish
- Kitabetwriting
The glosses are cautious historical readings of the recorded words, not modern levels of proficiency.
First work
- Year
- 1877/78 (AH 1294)
- 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 130 officials with entries in Izmir (İzmir) in the same years, Mustafa Fehmi Efendi had the 48th highest salary.
- Israti Efendi11 shared years; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Mehmet Haşim Efendi11 shared years; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Unnamed official (0007_0149; 295)11 shared years; highest salary 1,250 kuruş
- Ali Rıza Efendi11 shared years; highest salary 1,200 kuruş
- İskarlato Roskoviç Efendi11 shared years; highest salary 850 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 1,901 officials with the title Muhabere Memuru in the same years, Mustafa Fehmi Efendi had the 655th highest salary.
- Ömer Nuri Efendi14 shared years; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Nikola Yunani Efendi14 shared years; highest salary 1,350 kuruş
- Mehmet Nazım Efendi14 shared years; highest salary 1,300 kuruş
- Şarl Laze Efendi14 shared years; highest salary 1,250 kuruş
- Hasan Ruhi Efendi14 shared years; highest salary 1,200 kuruş
Same school
Of the 746 officials with Sıbyan Mektebi among their schools, 745 have a recorded salary; Mustafa Fehmi Efendi had the 380th highest salary of them.
- Ahmet Fazıl Efendiborn 1856/57 (AH 1273); highest salary 900 kuruş
- Ahmet Necip Efendiborn 1856/57 (AH 1273); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Ahmet Rifat Efendiborn 1856/57 (AH 1273); highest salary 400 kuruş
- Ali Beyborn 1856/57 (AH 1273); highest salary 1,400 kuruş
- Hüseyin Efendiborn 1856/57 (AH 1273); highest salary 1,200 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 1,999 officials born in Istanbul, 1,997 have a recorded salary; Mustafa Fehmi Efendi had the 756th highest salary of them.
- Abdurrahman Rüştü Efendiborn 1856/57 (AH 1273); highest salary 760 kuruş
- Ahmet Rifat Efendiborn 1856/57 (AH 1273); highest salary 400 kuruş
- Alfo Efendiborn 1856/57 (AH 1273); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Ali Beyborn 1856/57 (AH 1273); highest salary 1,400 kuruş
- Ali Nuri Efendiborn 1856/57 (AH 1273); highest salary 440 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 118 officials whose first annual entry is for 1877/78 (AH 1294), Mustafa Fehmi Efendi had the 57th highest salary.
- Mustafa Nuri Efendifirst entry in Shumen (Şumnu); highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Mustafa Enver Efendifirst entry in Shumen (Şumnu); highest salary 2,000 kuruş
- Halil Efendifirst entry in Shumen (Şumnu); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Mustafa Nail Efendifirst entry in Shumen (Şumnu); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Ahmet Bican Efendifirst entry in Vidin; highest salary 600 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (18)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1877/78AH 1294 | Muhabere Memuru | Shumen (Şumnu) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 27_139; 275 |
| 1878/79AH 1296 | Seyyar Memur | Peykarhisar | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 27_139; 275 |
| 1879/80AH 1297 | Memur | Arta (Narda) | 350 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 27_139; 275 |
| 1880/81AH 1298 | Memur | Arta (Narda) | 350 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 27_139; 275 |
| 1881/82AH 1299 | Memur | Elazığ | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 27_139; 275 |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Muhabere Memuru | Rumelihisarı | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 27_139; 275 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Muhabere Memuru | Rumelihisarı | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 27_139; 275 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Muhabere Memuru | Izmir (İzmir) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 27_139; 275 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Muhabere Memuru | Izmir (İzmir) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 27_139; 275 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Muhabere Memuru | Izmir (İzmir) | 650 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 27_139; 275 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Muhabere Memuru | Izmir (İzmir) | 650 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 27_139; 275 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Muhabere Memuru | Izmir (İzmir) | 650 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 27_139; 275 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Muhabere Memuru | Izmir (İzmir) | 650 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 27_139; 275 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Muhabere Memuru | Izmir (İzmir) | 650 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 27_139; 275 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Muhabere Memuru | Izmir (İzmir) | 585 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 27_139; 275 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | Muhabere Memuru | Izmir (İzmir) | 585 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 27_139; 275 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Muhabere Memuru | Izmir (İzmir) | 585 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 27_139; 275 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | Muhabere Memuru | Izmir (İzmir) | 635 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 27_139; 275 |
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)
| Field | Recorded value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Name | Mustafa Fehmi Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1273 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birthplace | dersaadet | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Province of birth | dersaadet | 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 | 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 |
| Years of apprenticeship (mülazemet) | 0 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work | ||
| First work: year (AH) | 1294 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1877 | 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 |
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.
- 18 annual entries of 18 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
- Mustafa Fehmi Efendi
- Communications official (Muhabere Memuru)
- Izmir (İzmir)
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- 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)