Official
Mehmet Tevfik Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Istanbul (Dersaadet) in 1858/59 (AH 1275). On record 1876 to 1911, 34 annual entries.
Archive reference 0006_0307; 609
Life#
Born in Istanbul in 1858/59 (AH 1275) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community, Mehmet Tevfik Efendi was the child of a tomb keeper (türbedar). Work began in the Rusumat Kalemi in Istanbul in 1874/75, at about 16, with two unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 60 kuruş. From 1876/77 to 1910/11 every annual entry places Mehmet Tevfik in Istanbul, the birthplace, with four changes of title, from correspondence office (Tahrirat Kalemi) to Mahaberat Kitabeti in 1910/11. Only 11 per cent of the 775 officials whose entries span 30 years or more stayed in one place throughout.
The salary went from 60 kuruş a month in 1876/77 to 1,040 in 1908/09, the peak, as a customs official (Rüsumat Memuru) in Istanbul, when 82 per cent of paid officials earned less. The peak lasted a single year; the next list gives 990 kuruş. Over 34 years the salaries add up to 243,240 kuruş, 1.2 times what an official on the median salary earned. The peak was 17.3 times the first salary, a rise matched by fewer than 6 per cent of the 2,859 officials paid for ten years or more. The final annual entry is for 1910/11. The honours of Mehmet Tevfik were a rank (rütbe) and the Osmani order.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1876/77 | 60 | 582.5 | 600 | 0% |
| 1877/78 | 200 | 560 | 700 | 4% |
| 1878 | 250 | 600 | 400 | 6% |
| 1878/79 | 250 | 600 | 325 | 7% |
| 1879/80 | 200 | 500 | 400 | 6% |
| 1880/81 | 200 | 500 | 320 | 5% |
| 1881/82 | 200 | 500 | 300 | 5% |
| 1882/83 | 400 | 500 | 28% | |
| 1884/85 | 200 | 500 | 400 | 3% |
| 1885/86 | 300 | 500 | 400 | 12% |
| 1886/87 | 300 | 500 | 400 | 11% |
| 1887/88 | 350 | 500 | 400 | 17% |
| 1888/89 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 27% |
| 1889/90 | 600 | 500 | 500 | 58% |
| 1890/91 | 600 | 500 | 475 | 59% |
| 1891/92 | 750 | 500 | 350 | 75% |
| 1892/93 | 750 | 500 | 350 | 76% |
| 1893/94 | 750 | 500 | 375 | 76% |
| 1894/95 | 800 | 500 | 325 | 81% |
| 1895/96 | 800 | 500 | 275 | 80% |
| 1896/97 | 720 | 500 | 177.5 | 81% |
| 1897/98 | 720 | 500 | 255 | 81% |
| 1898/99 | 720 | 500 | 275 | 80% |
| 1899/1900 | 720 | 500 | 255 | 79% |
| 1900/01 | 720 | 500 | 360 | 77% |
| 1901/02 | 800 | 500 | 340 | 81% |
| 1902/03 | 900 | 500 | 380 | 84% |
| 1903/04 | 900 | 475 | 370 | 84% |
| 1904/05 | 900 | 450 | 420 | 84% |
| 1905/06 | 900 | 475 | 482.5 | 83% |
| 1906/07 | 940 | 450 | 530 | 84% |
| 1907/08 | 940 | 300 | 84% | |
| 1908/09 | 1,040 | 350 | 600 | 82% |
| 1910/11 | 990 | 500 | 73% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1874/75AH 1291 | Rusumat Kalemifirst work | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 60first-salary field |
| 1876 to 1878AH 1293 to 1294 | Tahrirat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 60 to 200 |
| 1878 to 1882AH 1295 to 1299 | Rüsumat Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 250 to 200 |
| 1882/83AH 1300 | Gumruk Makbuz Memur | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 400 |
| No annual entry: 1883/84 (AH 1301) | |||
| 1884 to 1909AH 1302 to 1326 | Rüsumat Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 200 to 1,040 |
| No annual entry: 1909/10 (AH 1327) | |||
| 1910/11AH 1328 | Mahaberat Kitabeti | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 990 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1858/59 (AH 1275)
- Birthplace
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- Turbedar
Education
- Rüşdiye
- Rüşdiye Mektebi (7 years)rüşdiye school (middle school); place of the school as worded: Beyazit
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 2 years
- Preparation route (classification of the paper)
- Middle
- Qualification (diploma, certificate, training or nişan)
- 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
- 1874/75 (AH 1291)
- Place
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- First job as worded
- Rusumat Kalemi
- Age at first work (workbook field)
- 16
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 60
- First-job salary of the original workbook (kuruş a month)
- 60
Honours and ranks
- Rank (recorded code)
- 3
- Osmani order (recorded code)
- 4
Notes from the record
- Merit and competence grade (recorded code)
- 1
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 1,616 officials with entries in Istanbul in the same years, Mehmet Tevfik Efendi had the 373rd highest salary.
- Melkok Efendi34 shared years; highest salary 5,000 kuruş
- Salih Tevfik Efendi34 shared years; highest salary 2,600 kuruş
- Mustafa İsmet Efendi34 shared years; highest salary 2,000 kuruş
- Haci Cemal Bey34 shared years; highest salary 1,030 kuruş
- Afif Efendi34 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 38 officials with the title Rüsumat Memuru in the same years, Mehmet Tevfik Efendi had the 8th highest salary.
- Ali Riza Efendi29 shared years; highest salary 600 kuruş
- Hafız Hasan Suphi Efendi25 shared years; highest salary 1,200 kuruş
- Mehmet İzzet Bey18 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Mahmut Celalettin Efendi17 shared years; highest salary 700 kuruş
- Mehmet Cemil Bey16 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
Same school
Of the 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi among their schools, 3,200 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Tevfik Efendi had the 286th highest salary of them.
- Abdulkadir Efendiborn 1858/59 (AH 1275); highest salary 800 kuruş
- Ahmed Hilmi Efendiborn 1858/59 (AH 1275); highest salary 500 kuruş
- AHMET CEMİL EFENDİborn 1858/59 (AH 1275); highest salary 400 kuruş
- Ahmet Faik Beyborn 1858/59 (AH 1275); highest salary 2,000 kuruş
- Ahmet Faik Efendiborn 1858/59 (AH 1275); highest salary 750 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 1,999 officials born in Istanbul, 1,997 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Tevfik Efendi had the 352nd highest salary of them.
- Ahmet Faik Efendiborn 1858/59 (AH 1275); highest salary 750 kuruş
- Ahmet Haydar Beyborn 1858/59 (AH 1275); highest salary 1,600 kuruş
- Ahmet Hayri Efendiborn 1858/59 (AH 1275); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Ali Agah Efendiborn 1858/59 (AH 1275); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Ali Fethi Beyborn 1858/59 (AH 1275); highest salary 1,400 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 120 officials whose first annual entry is for 1876/77 (AH 1293), Mehmet Tevfik Efendi had the 19th highest salary.
- Hüseyin Hüsnü Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 600 kuruş
- Kirkor Abdullah Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 600 kuruş
- Muhittin Sırrı Beyfirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 675 kuruş
- Osman İhsan Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 535 kuruş
- Todori Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 700 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (34)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1876/77AH 1293 | Tahrirat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 60 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0006_0307; 609 |
| 1877/78AH 1294 | Tahrirat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0006_0307; 609 |
| 1878AH 1295 | Rüsumat Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 250 | Customs (Gümrük) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 0006_0307; 609 |
| 1878/79AH 1296 | Rüsumat Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 250 | Customs (Gümrük) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 0006_0307; 609 |
| 1879/80AH 1297 | Rüsumat Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 200 | Customs (Gümrük) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 0006_0307; 609 |
| 1880/81AH 1298 | Rüsumat Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 200 | Customs (Gümrük) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 0006_0307; 609 |
| 1881/82AH 1299 | Rüsumat Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 200 | Customs (Gümrük) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 0006_0307; 609 |
| 1882/83AH 1300 | Gumruk Makbuz Memur | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 400 | Customs (Gümrük) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 0006_0307; 609 |
| 1884/85AH 1302 | Rüsumat Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 200 | Customs (Gümrük) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 0006_0307; 609 |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Rüsumat Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 300 | Customs (Gümrük) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 0006_0307; 609 |
| 1886/87AH 1304 | Rüsumat Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 300 | Customs (Gümrük) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 0006_0307; 609 |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Rüsumat Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 350 | Customs (Gümrük) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 0006_0307; 609 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Rüsumat Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 400 | Customs (Gümrük) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 0006_0307; 609 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Rüsumat Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 600 | Customs (Gümrük) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 0006_0307; 609 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Rüsumat Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 600 | Customs (Gümrük) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 0006_0307; 609 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Rüsumat Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 750 | Customs (Gümrük) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 0006_0307; 609 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Rüsumat Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 750 | Customs (Gümrük) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 0006_0307; 609 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Rüsumat Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 750 | Customs (Gümrük) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 0006_0307; 609 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Rüsumat Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 800 | Customs (Gümrük) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 0006_0307; 609 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Rüsumat Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 800 | Customs (Gümrük) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 0006_0307; 609 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Rüsumat Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 720 | Customs (Gümrük) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 0006_0307; 609 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | Rüsumat Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 720 | Customs (Gümrük) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 0006_0307; 609 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Rüsumat Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 720 | Customs (Gümrük) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 0006_0307; 609 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | Rüsumat Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 720 | Customs (Gümrük) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 0006_0307; 609 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | Rüsumat Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 720 | Customs (Gümrük) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 0006_0307; 609 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | Rüsumat Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 800 | Customs (Gümrük) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 0006_0307; 609 |
| 1902/03AH 1320 | Rüsumat Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 900 | Customs (Gümrük) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 0006_0307; 609 |
| 1903/04AH 1321 | Rüsumat Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 900 | Customs (Gümrük) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 0006_0307; 609 |
| 1904/05AH 1322 | Rüsumat Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 900 | Customs (Gümrük) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 0006_0307; 609 |
| 1905/06AH 1323 | Rüsumat Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 900 | Customs (Gümrük) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 0006_0307; 609 |
| 1906/07AH 1324 | Rüsumat Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 940 | Customs (Gümrük) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 0006_0307; 609 |
| 1907/08AH 1325 | Rüsumat Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 940 | Customs (Gümrük) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 0006_0307; 609 |
| 1908/09AH 1326 | Rüsumat Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,040 | Customs (Gümrük) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 0006_0307; 609 |
| 1910/11AH 1328 | Mahaberat Kitabeti | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 990 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0006_0307; 609 |
What the sources named in this table are
- Cross-ministry personnel workbook
- A personnel workbook with the annual entries in institutions other than the Post and Telegraph (justice, land registry, customs, police and others), with the same annual fields as the personnel workbook.
- 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 (29)
| Field | Recorded value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Name | Mehmet Tevfik Efendi | Linked personnel workbook |
| Birth year (AH) | 1275 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace | dersaadet used on this page | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birthplace | istanbul other value | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace: district (kaza) | istanbul | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace: sancak | istanbul | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace: province (vilayet) | istanbul | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Province of birth | dersaadet | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Father's occupation | Turbedar | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Religion | musluman | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Nationality or community | Turkish | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Schooling | ||
| School | rusdiye mektebi | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Place of the school | Beyazit | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Years of schooling | 7 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Years of apprenticeship (mülazemet) | 2 used on this page | Recovered annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Years of apprenticeship (mülazemet) | 0 other value | Recovered annual personnel extract |
| First work | ||
| First work: year (AH) | 1291 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Linked personnel workbook |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1874 | Recovered annual personnel extract |
| First work: place | istanbul | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work: district (kaza) | istanbul | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work: sancak | istanbul | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work: province (vilayet) | istanbul | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First job as worded | Rusumat Kalemi | Linked personnel workbook; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Age at first work (workbook field) | 16 | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First salary field (kuruş a month) | 60 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First-job salary of the original workbook (kuruş a month) | 60 | Linked personnel workbook; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Honours | ||
| Rank (recorded code) | 3 | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Osmani order (recorded code) | 4 | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Other recorded values | ||
| Merit and competence grade (recorded code) | 1 | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
What the sources named in this table are
- Cross-ministry personnel workbook
- A personnel workbook with the annual entries in institutions other than the Post and Telegraph (justice, land registry, customs, police and others), with the same annual fields as the personnel workbook.
- 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.
- Linked personnel workbook
- The original personnel workbook, from which selected fields on background and first work are taken.
- The sources give more than one value for a marked field. Every value is listed.
- Origin of the record: Post and Telegraph personnel records.
- 2 annual entries of 34 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 Tevfik Efendi
- Customs official (Rüsumat Memuru)
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Rüşdiye school (Rüşdiye Mektebi)
- Customs (Gümrük)
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Correspondence office (Tahrirat Kalemi)
- 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)