Official
David Efendi
Greek Orthodox Christian (Rum). Born in Kayseri in 1845/46 (AH 1262). On record 1870 to 1907, 38 annual entries.
Archive reference 0007_0126; 249
Life#
Born in Kayseri in 1845/46 (AH 1262), David Efendi came from the Greek Orthodox Christian (Rum) community; the father's occupation was "Bakkal". David had nine years of schooling, at the Fener Mekteb-i Kebiri, and wrote French, Greek (Rum) and Turkish.
Work began in Istanbul in 1867/68, at about 21, with three unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 150 kuruş. From the first annual entry, for 1870/71, to 1906/07, every annual entry places David in the same office, foreign accounts office (Muhasebat-ı Ecnebiye Kalemi), in Istanbul. A career like this is rare; 13 of the 775 officials whose entries span 30 years or more kept one title in one place throughout. Few careers in the lists are as long; fewer than 5 per cent of the 5,211 officials have entries spanning 38 years or more.
Pay rose from 200 kuruş a month in 1870/71 to a peak of 975 in 1906/07, when 85 per cent of paid officials earned less. Over 38 years the salaries add up to 295,680 kuruş, 1.3 times what an official on the median salary earned. The final annual entry is for 1906/07. David probably has an entry in "Sicill-i Ahvâl kayıtlarına göre Kayseri doğumlu Gayrimüslim Osmanlı devlet adamları ..." by YAĞMUR ŞAHİN (2017) (the name and the birthplace agree).
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 1845/46 (AH 1262)
First work 1867/68 (AH 1284); 1870 to 1907 (AH 1287 to 1324)
200 to 975 kuruş a month; entries in 38 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870/71 | 200 | 600 | 250 | 5% |
| 1871/72 | 350 | 550 | 325 | 18% |
| 1872/73 | 350 | 550 | 385 | 15% |
| 1873/74 | 470 | 500 | 470 | 41% |
| 1874/75 | 520 | 535 | 520 | 48% |
| 1875/76 | 520 | 530 | 532.5 | 49% |
| 1876/77 | 600 | 582.5 | 600 | 50% |
| 1877/78 | 600 | 560 | 600 | 50% |
| 1878 | 650 | 600 | 650 | 60% |
| 1878/79 | 650 | 600 | 650 | 61% |
| 1879/80 | 570 | 500 | 600 | 58% |
| 1880/81 | 570 | 500 | 600 | 58% |
| 1881/82 | 570 | 500 | 600 | 58% |
| 1882/83 | 570 | 500 | 650 | 58% |
| 1883/84 | 570 | 500 | 600 | 57% |
| 1884/85 | 570 | 500 | 600 | 57% |
| 1885/86 | 570 | 500 | 600 | 57% |
| 1886/87 | 570 | 500 | 600 | 57% |
| 1887/88 | 570 | 500 | 600 | 57% |
| 1888/89 | 630 | 500 | 645 | 70% |
| 1889/90 | 630 | 500 | 630 | 70% |
| 1890/91 | 630 | 500 | 645 | 71% |
| 1891/92 | 630 | 500 | 645 | 71% |
| 1892/93 | 630 | 500 | 710 | 71% |
| 1893/94 | 700 | 500 | 730 | 74% |
| 1894/95 | 700 | 500 | 710 | 74% |
| 1895/96 | 850 | 500 | 710 | 84% |
| 1896/97 | 765 | 500 | 600 | 85% |
| 1897/98 | 765 | 500 | 665 | 85% |
| 1898/99 | 765 | 500 | 750 | 84% |
| 1899/1900 | 800 | 500 | 775 | 83% |
| 1900/01 | 800 | 500 | 825 | 81% |
| 1901/02 | 840 | 500 | 820 | 84% |
| 1902/03 | 840 | 500 | 820 | 84% |
| 1903/04 | 840 | 475 | 820 | 84% |
| 1904/05 | 890 | 450 | 880 | 84% |
| 1905/06 | 920 | 475 | 85% | |
| 1906/07 | 975 | 450 | 85% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1867/68AH 1284 | First work | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 150first-salary field |
| 1870 to 1907AH 1287 to 1324 | Muhasebat-ı Ecnebiye Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 200 to 975 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1845/46 (AH 1262)
- Birthplace
- Kayseri
- Community
- Greek Orthodox Christian (Rum)
- Nationality as recorded
- Rum
- Father's occupation
- Bakkal
Education
- Other named school
- Fener Mekteb-i Kebiri (9 years)
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 3 years
- Preparation route (classification of the paper)
- Middle
- Qualification (diploma, certificate, training or nişan)
- No
The years count all schooling up to that school, as the record gives them.
Languages
- French
- Kitabetwriting
- 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
- 1867/68 (AH 1284)
- Place
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 150
Named in scholarly works#
No link between a work and an official has been accepted. Each entry was found by fixed rules on the name and the recorded fields, and says what it rests on.
Sicill-i Ahvâl kayıtlarına göre Kayseri doğumlu Gayrimüslim Osmanlı devlet adamları (h. 1255/m. 1839-40-h. 1300/m. 1882-83) (YAĞMUR ŞAHİN, 2017). Name as printed: David Efendi. Printed pages 51, 52, PDF pages 65 and 66.
Probable link: same name and birthplace
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 1,529 officials with entries in Istanbul in the same years, David Efendi had the 451st highest salary.
- Suleyman Resat Bey38 shared years; highest salary 7,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Hayri Bey38 shared years; highest salary 5,500 kuruş
- Melkok Efendi38 shared years; highest salary 5,000 kuruş
- Unnamed official (0007_0144; 285)38 shared years; highest salary 2,750 kuruş
- Mehmet Şükrü Efendi38 shared years; highest salary 2,500 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 26 officials with the title Muhasebat-ı Ecnebiye Kalemi in the same years, David Efendi had the 14th highest salary.
- Andon Tomasyan Efendi36 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Andon Fakaro Efendi32 shared years; highest salary 2,350 kuruş
- Apostolaki Cizli Efendi27 shared years; highest salary 1,440 kuruş
- Anastasyadi Hristo Efendi27 shared years; highest salary 710 kuruş
- Teohari Efendi19 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
Same school
Of the 2 officials with Fener Mekteb-i Kebiri among their schools, David Efendi had the lowest salary.
- Yanko Makridi Efendiborn 1837/38 (AH 1253); highest salary 3,200 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 23 officials born in Kayseri, David Efendi had the 5th highest salary.
- Mehteri Ömer İzzet Efendiborn 1845/46 (AH 1262); highest salary 482 kuruş
- Mihalaki Efendiborn 1845/46 (AH 1262); highest salary 480 kuruş
- Parsah Zurniyan Efendiborn 1845/46 (AH 1262); highest salary 800 kuruş
- Yordan Resmi Efendiborn 1847/48 (AH 1264); highest salary 800 kuruş
- İbrahim Hakkı Efendiborn 1843/44 (AH 1259); highest salary 285 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 66 officials whose first annual entry is for 1870/71 (AH 1287), David Efendi had the 34th highest salary.
- Mehmet Vehbi Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 6,400 kuruş
- Mehmet Emin Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 1,580 kuruş
- Afif Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Enver Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 950 kuruş
- İbrahim Sarim Beyfirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 3,000 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (38)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870/71AH 1287 | Muhasebat-ı Ecnebiye Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0007_0126; 249 |
| 1871/72AH 1288 | Muhasebat-ı Ecnebiye Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 350 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0007_0126; 249 |
| 1872/73AH 1289 | Muhasebat-ı Ecnebiye Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 350 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0007_0126; 249 |
| 1873/74AH 1290 | Muhasebat-ı Ecnebiye Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 470 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0007_0126; 249 |
| 1874/75AH 1291 | Muhasebat-ı Ecnebiye Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 520 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0007_0126; 249 |
| 1875/76AH 1292 | Muhasebat-ı Ecnebiye Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 520 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0007_0126; 249 |
| 1876/77AH 1293 | Muhasebat-ı Ecnebiye Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0007_0126; 249 |
| 1877/78AH 1294 | Muhasebat-ı Ecnebiye Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0007_0126; 249 |
| 1878AH 1295 | Muhasebat-ı Ecnebiye Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 650 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0007_0126; 249 |
| 1878/79AH 1296 | Muhasebat-ı Ecnebiye Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 650 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0007_0126; 249 |
| 1879/80AH 1297 | Muhasebat-ı Ecnebiye Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 570 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0007_0126; 249 |
| 1880/81AH 1298 | Muhasebat-ı Ecnebiye Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 570 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0007_0126; 249 |
| 1881/82AH 1299 | Muhasebat-ı Ecnebiye Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 570 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0007_0126; 249 |
| 1882/83AH 1300 | Muhasebat-ı Ecnebiye Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 570 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0007_0126; 249 |
| 1883/84AH 1301 | Muhasebat-ı Ecnebiye Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 570 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0007_0126; 249 |
| 1884/85AH 1302 | Muhasebat-ı Ecnebiye Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 570 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0007_0126; 249 |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Muhasebat-ı Ecnebiye Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 570 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0007_0126; 249 |
| 1886/87AH 1304 | Muhasebat-ı Ecnebiye Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 570 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0007_0126; 249 |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Muhasebat-ı Ecnebiye Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 570 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0007_0126; 249 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Muhasebat-ı Ecnebiye Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 630 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0007_0126; 249 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Muhasebat-ı Ecnebiye Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 630 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0007_0126; 249 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Muhasebat-ı Ecnebiye Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 630 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0007_0126; 249 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Muhasebat-ı Ecnebiye Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 630 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0007_0126; 249 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Muhasebat-ı Ecnebiye Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 630 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0007_0126; 249 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Muhasebat-ı Ecnebiye Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 700 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0007_0126; 249 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Muhasebat-ı Ecnebiye Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 700 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0007_0126; 249 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Muhasebat-ı Ecnebiye Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 850 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0007_0126; 249 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Muhasebat-ı Ecnebiye Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 765 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0007_0126; 249 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | Muhasebat-ı Ecnebiye Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 765 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0007_0126; 249 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Muhasebat-ı Ecnebiye Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 765 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0007_0126; 249 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | Muhasebat-ı Ecnebiye Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0007_0126; 249 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | Muhasebat-ı Ecnebiye Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0007_0126; 249 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | Muhasebat-ı Ecnebiye Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 840 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0007_0126; 249 |
| 1902/03AH 1320 | Muhasebat-ı Ecnebiye Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 840 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0007_0126; 249 |
| 1903/04AH 1321 | Muhasebat-ı Ecnebiye Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 840 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0007_0126; 249 |
| 1904/05AH 1322 | Muhasebat-ı Ecnebiye Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 890 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0007_0126; 249 |
| 1905/06AH 1323 | Muhasebat-ı Ecnebiye Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 920 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0007_0126; 249 |
| 1906/07AH 1324 | Muhasebat-ı Ecnebiye Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 975 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0007_0126; 249 |
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 | David Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1262 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birthplace | kayseri | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Province of birth | ankara | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Father's occupation | bakkal | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Religion | Hristiyan | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Nationality or community | Rum | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Schooling | ||
| School | Fener Mekteb-i Kebiri | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Years of schooling | 9 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Years of apprenticeship (mülazemet) | 3 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work | ||
| First work: year (AH) | 1284 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1867 | 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) | 150 | 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.
- 37 annual entries of 38 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
- David Efendi
- Foreign accounts office (Muhasebat-ı Ecnebiye Kalemi)
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Kayseri
- Fener Mekteb-i Kebiri
- Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)
- Greek Orthodox Christian (Rum)
- 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)