Official
Mehmet Lütfi Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Loma in 1851/52 (AH 1268). On record 1872 to 1905, 32 annual entries.
Archive reference 54_161; 319
Life#
Born in Loma in 1851/52 (AH 1268), Mehmet Lütfi Efendi came from the Muslim (Müslüman) community; the father was a tradesman (esnaf). Schooling took seven years, at a middle school (Rüşdiye Mektebi); Mehmet Lütfi also attended the telegraph school.
At about 18, in 1870/71, Mehmet Lütfi began work in Istanbul, with one unpaid year as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 400 kuruş. The annual lists begin in 1872/73, with Mehmet Lütfi as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru) in Sjenica (Seniçe), where the entries run to 1875/76. Mehmet Lütfi then moved to six places in 14 years, from Nova Varoš (Yenivaroş) to Tetovo (Kalkandelen), then Mitrovica (Mitroviça) from 1889 to 1895. Next came Prizren from 1895 to 1898, with a rise to director of the second grade (2. Müdür) in 1895/96. The last posts were in Sjenica again from 1898 to 1905. Few officials served in as many places; fewer than 6 per cent of the 5,200 officials with a place of service did.
The salary went from 400 kuruş a month in 1872/73 to 800 in 1877/78, the peak, as 2. Müdür in Belen, when 68 per cent of paid officials earned less. Over 32 years the salaries add up to 238,560 kuruş, 1.2 times what an official on the median salary earned. The final annual entry is for 1904/05.
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 1851/52 (AH 1268)
First work 1870/71 (AH 1287)
1878/79 (AH 1296)
No annual entry for 1878 (AH 1295) before it.
600 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year
1880 to 1884 (AH 1298 to 1301)
No annual entry for 1879/80 (AH 1297) before it.
600 kuruş a month; entries in 4 years
1885 to 1889 (AH 1303 to 1306)
600 kuruş a month; entries in 4 years
1889 to 1895 (AH 1307 to 1312)
600 kuruş a month; entries in 6 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, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1872/73 | 400 | 550 | 400 | 750 | 26% |
| 1873/74 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 625 | 24% |
| 1874/75 | 400 | 535 | 450 | 500 | 23% |
| 1875/76 | 400 | 530 | 400 | 487.5 | 23% |
| 1876/77 | 600 | 582.5 | 410 | 550 | 50% |
| 1877/78 | 800 | 560 | 800 | 600 | 68% |
| 1878/79 | 600 | 600 | 420 | 600 | 47% |
| 1880/81 | 600 | 500 | 570 | 600 | 60% |
| 1881/82 | 600 | 500 | 600 | 600 | 60% |
| 1882/83 | 600 | 500 | 600 | 600 | 59% |
| 1883/84 | 600 | 500 | 600 | 600 | 59% |
| 1884/85 | 600 | 500 | 600 | 600 | 59% |
| 1885/86 | 600 | 500 | 600 | 500 | 58% |
| 1886/87 | 600 | 500 | 600 | 500 | 59% |
| 1887/88 | 600 | 500 | 600 | 500 | 58% |
| 1888/89 | 600 | 500 | 600 | 500 | 58% |
| 1889/90 | 600 | 500 | 600 | 500 | 58% |
| 1890/91 | 600 | 500 | 600 | 500 | 59% |
| 1891/92 | 600 | 500 | 600 | 500 | 59% |
| 1892/93 | 600 | 500 | 600 | 500 | 59% |
| 1893/94 | 600 | 500 | 600 | 500 | 60% |
| 1894/95 | 600 | 500 | 600 | 500 | 60% |
| 1895/96 | 800 | 500 | 800 | 500 | 80% |
| 1896/97 | 720 | 500 | 765 | 500 | 81% |
| 1897/98 | 720 | 500 | 778.5 | 500 | 81% |
| 1898/99 | 720 | 500 | 800 | 500 | 80% |
| 1899/1900 | 720 | 500 | 783 | 513 | 79% |
| 1900/01 | 720 | 500 | 800 | 540 | 77% |
| 1901/02 | 720 | 500 | 800 | 540 | 77% |
| 1902/03 | 720 | 500 | 800 | 500 | 77% |
| 1903/04 | 720 | 475 | 800 | 500 | 77% |
| 1904/05 | 720 | 450 | 800 | 500 | 77% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1870/71AH 1287 | First work | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 400first-salary field |
| 1872 to 1876AH 1289 to 1292 | Muhabere Memuru | Sjenica (Seniçe) | 400 |
| 1876/77AH 1293 | Muhabere Memuru | Nova Varoš (Yenivaroş) | 600 |
| 1877/78AH 1294 | 2. Müdür | Belen | 800 |
| No annual entry: 1878 (AH 1295) | |||
| 1878/79AH 1296 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 600 |
| No annual entry: 1879/80 (AH 1297) | |||
| 1880 to 1884AH 1298 to 1301 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Margilic | 600 |
| 1884/85AH 1302 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Preveza (Preveze) | 600 |
| 1885 to 1889AH 1303 to 1306 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Tetovo (Kalkandelen) | 600 |
| 1889 to 1895AH 1307 to 1312 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Mitrovica (Mitroviça) | 600 |
| 1895 to 1898AH 1313 to 1315 | 2. Müdür | Prizren | 800 to 720 |
| 1898 to 1905AH 1316 to 1322 | 2. Müdür | Sjenica (Seniçe) | 720 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1851/52 (AH 1268)
- Birthplace
- Loma
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- Esnaf
Education
- Rüşdiye
- Rüşdiye Mektebi (7 years)rüşdiye school (middle 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)
- No
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
- 1870/71 (AH 1287)
- 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 post (job title and place), same years
Of the 3 officials who held Muhabere Memuru in Sjenica (Seniçe) in the same years, Mehmet Lütfi Efendi had the highest salary.
- Mehmet Hilmi Efendi3 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
- İsmail Hakkı Efendi1 shared year; highest salary 600 kuruş
Same place, same years
Of the 13 officials with entries in Sjenica (Seniçe) in the same years, Mehmet Lütfi Efendi had the 3rd highest salary.
- İmamzade Mehmet Sabri Efendi4 shared years; highest salary 1,250 kuruş
- Mustafa Remzi Efendi4 shared years; highest salary 500 kuruş
- Mehmet Hilmi Efendi3 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Mehmet Cemalettin Efendi2 shared years; highest salary 500 kuruş
- Mustafa Efendi2 shared years; highest salary 380 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 107 officials with the title Başmuhabere Memuru in the same years, Mehmet Lütfi Efendi had the 48th highest salary.
- Esperdiyon Diloti Efendi15 shared years; highest salary 3,360 kuruş
- Mehmet Hilmi Efendi15 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Mehmet İzzet Efendi15 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Mehmed Şakir Efendi15 shared years; highest salary 700 kuruş
- Mehmet Ali Efendi15 shared years; highest salary 700 kuruş
Same school
Of the 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi among their schools, 3,200 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Lütfi Efendi had the 477th highest salary of them.
- Ahmet Cevdet Efendiborn 1851/52 (AH 1268); highest salary 450 kuruş
- Ahmet Hilmi Efendiborn 1851/52 (AH 1268); highest salary 800 kuruş
- Ahmet Kâşif Efendiborn 1851/52 (AH 1268); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Ahmet Nazif Efendiborn 1851/52 (AH 1268); highest salary 400 kuruş
- Ahmet Safvet Efendiborn 1851/52 (AH 1268); highest salary 700 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 3 officials born in Loma, Mehmet Lütfi Efendi had the highest salary.
- Ali Rıza Efendiborn 1847/48 (AH 1264); highest salary 760 kuruş
- Halil Hilmi Efendiborn 1869/70 (AH 1286); highest salary 300 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 84 officials whose first annual entry is for 1872/73 (AH 1289), Mehmet Lütfi Efendi had the 40th highest salary.
- Ahmet Daim Efendifirst entry in Merzifon; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Ali Riza Beyfirst entry in Galata; highest salary 2,500 kuruş
- Hasan Ruhi Efendifirst entry in Thessaloniki (Selanik); highest salary 1,200 kuruş
- İstepan Çadırcıyan Efendifirst entry in Yozgat; highest salary 570 kuruş
- Mustafa Ferid Efendifirst entry in Gjirokastër (Ergiri); highest salary 1,200 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (32)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1872/73AH 1289 | Muhabere Memuru | Sjenica (Seniçe) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_161; 319 |
| 1873/74AH 1290 | Muhabere Memuru | Sjenica (Seniçe) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_161; 319 |
| 1874/75AH 1291 | Muhabere Memuru | Sjenica (Seniçe) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_161; 319 |
| 1875/76AH 1292 | Muhabere Memuru | Sjenica (Seniçe) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_161; 319 |
| 1876/77AH 1293 | Muhabere Memuru | Nova Varoš (Yenivaroş) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_161; 319 |
| 1877/78AH 1294 | 2. Müdür | Belen | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_161; 319 |
| 1878/79AH 1296 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_161; 319 |
| 1880/81AH 1298 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Margilic | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_161; 319 |
| 1881/82AH 1299 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Margilic | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_161; 319 |
| 1882/83AH 1300 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Margilic | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_161; 319 |
| 1883/84AH 1301 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Margilic | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_161; 319 |
| 1884/85AH 1302 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Preveza (Preveze) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_161; 319 |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Tetovo (Kalkandelen) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_161; 319 |
| 1886/87AH 1304 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Tetovo (Kalkandelen) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_161; 319 |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Tetovo (Kalkandelen) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_161; 319 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Tetovo (Kalkandelen) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_161; 319 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Mitrovica (Mitroviça) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_161; 319 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Mitrovica (Mitroviça) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_161; 319 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Mitrovica (Mitroviça) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_161; 319 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Mitrovica (Mitroviça) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_161; 319 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Mitrovica (Mitroviça) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_161; 319 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Mitrovica (Mitroviça) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_161; 319 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | 2. Müdür | Prizren | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_161; 319 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | 2. Müdür | Prizren | 720 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_161; 319 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | 2. Müdür | Prizren | 720 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_161; 319 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | 2. Müdür | Sjenica (Seniçe) | 720 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_161; 319 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | 2. Müdür | Sjenica (Seniçe) | 720 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_161; 319 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | 2. Müdür | Sjenica (Seniçe) | 720 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_161; 319 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | 2. Müdür | Sjenica (Seniçe) | 720 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_161; 319 |
| 1902/03AH 1320 | 2. Müdür | Sjenica (Seniçe) | 720 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_161; 319 |
| 1903/04AH 1321 | 2. Müdür | Sjenica (Seniçe) | 720 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_161; 319 |
| 1904/05AH 1322 | 2. Müdür | Sjenica (Seniçe) | 720 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_161; 319 |
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 | Mehmet Lütfi Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1268 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birthplace | loma | 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 |
| 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 |
| 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) | 1287 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1870 | 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.
- 32 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
- Mehmet Lütfi Efendi
- Chief communications official (Başmuhabere Memuru)
- Sjenica (Seniçe)
- Loma
- 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)