Official
Mehmet Halit Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Istanbul (Dersaadet) in 1873/74 (AH 1290). On record 1892 to 1907, 14 annual entries.
Archive reference 0084_0191; 377
Life#
Born in Istanbul in 1873/74 (AH 1290) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community, Mehmet Halit Efendi was the child of an army captain (yüzbaşı). Schooling took seven years, at a middle school (Rüşdiye Mektebi); Mehmet Halit also wrote Greek (Rum) as well as Turkish.
Work began in Humus in 1888/89, at about 16, with four unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 400 kuruş. The annual lists begin in 1892/93, with Mehmet Halit as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru) in Edirne. Mehmet Halit then moved to Yemen, Sivas, Salihli, Eşme and Ödemiş, five places in 12 years, with a rise to acting director (Müdür Vekili) in 1894/95. The last post was in Düzce in 1906/07. Yemen, about 3,200 km from Istanbul, was the post farthest from the birthplace; fewer than 2 per cent of the 5,162 officials with a known birthplace and place of service served as far from home.
Pay rose from 400 kuruş a month in 1892/93 to a peak of 950 in 1894/95, as Müdür Vekili in Yemen, when 87 per cent of paid officials earned less. The final annual entry is for 1906/07.
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.
Not on the map, as no position is recorded: stop 2 (Humus).
Born 1873/74 (AH 1290)
Humus not on the map
First work 1888/89 (AH 1306)
1894 to 1897 (AH 1312 to 1314)
No annual entry for 1893/94 (AH 1311) before it.
Müdür Vekili 1894 to 1896 (AH 1312 to 1313); Muhabere Memuru 1896/97 (AH 1314)
675 to 950 kuruş a month; entries in 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1892/93 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 475 | 29% |
| 1894/95 | 950 | 500 | 750 | 87% | |
| 1895/96 | 950 | 500 | 950 | 87% | |
| 1896/97 | 675 | 500 | 400 | 800 | 77% |
| 1897/98 | 475 | 500 | 400 | 400 | 47% |
| 1898/99 | 475 | 500 | 400 | 400 | 46% |
| 1899/1900 | 475 | 500 | 400 | 400 | 45% |
| 1900/01 | 475 | 500 | 400 | 400 | 45% |
| 1901/02 | 475 | 500 | 400 | 495 | 47% |
| 1902/03 | 475 | 500 | 380 | 500 | 48% |
| 1903/04 | 540 | 475 | 540 | 497.5 | 61% |
| 1904/05 | 600 | 450 | 600 | 425 | 67% |
| 1905/06 | 600 | 475 | 540 | 475 | 67% |
| 1906/07 | 600 | 450 | 540 | 400 | 65% |
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 | Humus | 400first-salary field |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Muhabere Memuru | Edirne | 400 |
| No annual entry: 1893/94 (AH 1311) | |||
| 1894 to 1896AH 1312 to 1313 | Müdür Vekili | Yemen | 950 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Muhabere Memuru | Yemen | 675 |
| 1897 to 1901AH 1315 to 1318 | Muhabere Memuru | Sivas | 475 |
| 1901 to 1903AH 1319 to 1320 | Muhabere Memuru | Salihli | 475 |
| 1903/04AH 1321 | 3. Müdür | Eşme | 540 |
| 1904 to 1906AH 1322 to 1323 | Seyyar Memur | Ödemiş | 600 |
| 1906/07AH 1324 | 3. Müdür | Düzce | 600 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1873/74 (AH 1290)
- Birthplace
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- Yuzbasi
Education
- Rüşdiye
- Rüşdiye Mektebi (7 years)rüşdiye school (middle school)
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 4 years
- 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
- Greek (Rum)
- Kitabetwriting. Rum is the word of the records for Greek as spoken by the Orthodox Christians of the empire. It is kept apart from the column Greek, which the records also have
- 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
- Humus
- 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 16 officials who held Muhabere Memuru in Sivas in the same years, Mehmet Halit Efendi had the highest salary.
- Ahmet Refik Efendi4 shared years; highest salary 720 kuruş
- Ahmet Servet Efendi4 shared years; highest salary 600 kuruş
- Salih Sezai Efendi4 shared years; highest salary 500 kuruş
- Kasım Sırrı Efendi4 shared years; highest salary 400 kuruş
- Mehmet Refik Efendi4 shared years; highest salary 400 kuruş
Same place, same years
Of the 33 officials with entries in Sivas in the same years, Mehmet Halit Efendi had the 10th highest salary.
- Mustafa Sabri Efendi4 shared years; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- İsmail Hakkı Efendi4 shared years; highest salary 900 kuruş
- Ahmet Refik Efendi4 shared years; highest salary 720 kuruş
- Ahmet Servet Efendi4 shared years; highest salary 600 kuruş
- Ali Mazhar Efendi4 shared years; highest salary 600 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 1,695 officials with the title Muhabere Memuru in the same years, Mehmet Halit Efendi had the 167th highest salary.
- Mehmet Hulusi Bey8 shared years; highest salary 2,600 kuruş
- Mustafa Fazıl Bey8 shared years; highest salary 1,700 kuruş
- Mehmet Sadullah Efendi8 shared years; highest salary 1,650 kuruş
- Mehmet Asım Efendi8 shared years; highest salary 1,550 kuruş
- Mehmet Tevfik Efendi8 shared years; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
Same school
Of the 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi among their schools, 3,200 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Halit Efendi had the 409th highest salary of them.
- Abbas Rüştü Efendiborn 1873/74 (AH 1290); highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Abdülaziz Efendiborn 1873/74 (AH 1290); highest salary 750 kuruş
- Abdülbaki Efendiborn 1873/74 (AH 1290); highest salary 400 kuruş
- Abdülkerim Efendiborn 1873/74 (AH 1290); highest salary 675 kuruş
- Abdullah Efendiborn 1873/74 (AH 1290); highest salary 720 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 1,999 officials born in Istanbul, 1,997 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Halit Efendi had the 449th highest salary of them.
- Abdullah Zühdü Efendiborn 1873/74 (AH 1290); highest salary 400 kuruş
- Abdülvahap Efendiborn 1873/74 (AH 1290); highest salary 750 kuruş
- Abdürrahim Haşim Efendiborn 1873/74 (AH 1290); highest salary 750 kuruş
- Ahmet Efendiborn 1873/74 (AH 1290); highest salary 100 kuruş
- Ahmet Fuat Efendiborn 1873/74 (AH 1290); highest salary 800 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 189 officials whose first annual entry is for 1892/93 (AH 1310), Mehmet Halit Efendi had the 15th highest salary.
- Seyyit Safa Efendifirst entry in Edirne; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Yusuf Ziya Efendifirst entry in Edirne; highest salary 550 kuruş
- Mustafa İzzet Beyfirst entry in Edirne; highest salary 1,800 kuruş
- Bekir Selami Efendifirst entry in Edirne; highest salary 600 kuruş
- Kigork Sırrı Efendifirst entry in Edirne; highest salary 500 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (14)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Muhabere Memuru | Edirne | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0084_0191; 377 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Müdür Vekili | Yemen | 950 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0084_0191; 377 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Müdür Vekili | Yemen | 950 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0084_0191; 377 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Muhabere Memuru | Yemen | 675 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0084_0191; 377 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | Muhabere Memuru | Sivas | 475 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0084_0191; 377 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Muhabere Memuru | Sivas | 475 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0084_0191; 377 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | Muhabere Memuru | Sivas | 475 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0084_0191; 377 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | Muhabere Memuru | Sivas | 475 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0084_0191; 377 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | Muhabere Memuru | Salihli | 475 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0084_0191; 377 |
| 1902/03AH 1320 | Muhabere Memuru | Salihli | 475 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0084_0191; 377 |
| 1903/04AH 1321 | 3. Müdür | Eşme | 540 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0084_0191; 377 |
| 1904/05AH 1322 | Seyyar Memur | Ödemiş | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0084_0191; 377 |
| 1905/06AH 1323 | Seyyar Memur | Ödemiş | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0084_0191; 377 |
| 1906/07AH 1324 | 3. Müdür | Düzce | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0084_0191; 377 |
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 | Mehmet Halit Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1290 | 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 | Yuzbasi | 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) | 4 | 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 | Humus | 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.
- 13 annual entries of 14 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 Halit Efendi
- Communications official (Muhabere Memuru)
- Sivas
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- 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)