Official
Mustafa Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Bihcova in 1869/70 (AH 1286). On record 1888 to 1907, 13 annual entries.
Archive reference 0049_0012; 21
Life#
Mustafa Efendi was born in Bihcova in 1869/70 (AH 1286) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community; the father was an official (memur). Schooling took four years, at a school for young children (Sıbyan Mektebi); Mustafa also knew four languages, Turkish in writing and Albanian, Bosnian and Bulgarian in speech. Few officials knew Bosnian; only 11 of the 5,211 officials did.
Mustafa began work in the telegraph service (Telgraf) in Bihcova in 1882/83, at about 14, with six unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 300 kuruş. The first annual entry, for 1888/89, places Mustafa in Istanbul as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru). The annual lists then follow Mustafa to Sjenica (Seniçe), Tetovo (Kalkandelen), Prizren, Trgovište (Tırgovişte) and Nova Varoš (Yenivaroş), five places in 16 years, with a rise to director of the third grade (3. Müdür) in 1902/03. The lists have no entry for 1892 to 1898. The last posts were in Zabrice from 1905 to 1907.
The salary went from 300 kuruş a month in 1888/89 to 600 in 1905/06, the peak, as 3. Müdür in Zabrice, when two in three paid officials earned less. The final annual entry is for 1906/07. A note in the workbook reads: "Askere Alindi".
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 4 (Place not recorded).
Place not recorded not on the map
1891/92 (AH 1309)
entries in 1 year
1898/99 (AH 1316)
No annual entry for 1892 to 1898 (AH 1310 to 1315) before it.
380 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year
1900 to 1902 (AH 1318 to 1319)
500 kuruş a month; entries in 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1888/89 | 300 | 500 | 400 | 12% |
| 1889/90 | 380 | 500 | 400 | 21% |
| 1890/91 | 380 | 500 | 400 | 22% |
| 1898/99 | 380 | 500 | 400 | 28% |
| 1899/1900 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 47% |
| 1900/01 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 47% |
| 1901/02 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 49% |
| 1902/03 | 510 | 500 | 540 | 60% |
| 1903/04 | 510 | 475 | 540 | 60% |
| 1904/05 | 510 | 450 | 540 | 61% |
| 1905/06 | 600 | 475 | 540 | 67% |
| 1906/07 | 600 | 450 | 540 | 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1882/83AH 1300 | Telgraffirst work | Bihcova | 300first-salary field |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 300 |
| 1889 to 1891AH 1307 to 1308 | Muhabere Memuru | Sjenica (Seniçe) | 380 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | |||
| No annual entry: 1892 to 1898 (AH 1310 to 1315) | |||
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Muhabere Memuru | Tetovo (Kalkandelen) | 380 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | Muhabere Memuru | Prizren | 500 |
| 1900 to 1902AH 1318 to 1319 | Muhabere Memuru | Trgovište (Tırgovişte) | 500 |
| 1902 to 1905AH 1320 to 1322 | 3. Müdür | Nova Varoš (Yenivaroş) | 510 |
| 1905 to 1907AH 1323 to 1324 | 3. Müdür | Zabrice | 600 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1869/70 (AH 1286)
- Birthplace
- Bihcova
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- Memur
Education
- Primary
- Sıbyan Mektebi (4 years)school for young children (primary school)
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 6 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
- Albanian
- Tekellumspeaking
- Bosnian
- Tekellumspeaking
- Bulgarian
- Tekellumspeaking
- Turkish
- Kitabetwriting
The glosses are cautious historical readings of the recorded words, not modern levels of proficiency.
First work
- Year
- 1882/83 (AH 1300)
- Place
- Bihcova
- First job as worded
- Telgraf
- Age at first work (workbook field)
- 17
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 300
- First-job salary of the original workbook (kuruş a month)
- 300
Notes from the record
- Note as worded
- Askere Alindi
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 3 officials with entries in Sjenica (Seniçe) in the same years, Mustafa Efendi had the 2nd highest salary.
- Osman Hayri Efendi2 shared years; highest salary 600 kuruş
- Muharrem Vehbi Efendi1 shared year; highest salary 1,200 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 1,643 officials with the title Muhabere Memuru in the same years, Mustafa Efendi had the 528th highest salary.
- Mehmet Arif Efendi7 shared years; highest salary 3,600 kuruş
- Mehmet Hulusi Bey7 shared years; highest salary 2,600 kuruş
- Mehmet Sadullah Efendi7 shared years; highest salary 1,650 kuruş
- Mehmet Tevfik Efendi7 shared years; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Ali Şevket Efendi7 shared years; highest salary 1,450 kuruş
Same school
Of the 746 officials with Sıbyan Mektebi among their schools, 745 have a recorded salary; Mustafa Efendi had the 400th highest salary of them.
- Abdullah Raif Efendiborn 1869/70 (AH 1286); highest salary 540 kuruş
- Bekir Efendiborn 1869/70 (AH 1286); highest salary 900 kuruş
- Hacı Ahmet Lütfü Efendiborn 1869/70 (AH 1286); highest salary 350 kuruş
- Hafız İsmail Edendiborn 1869/70 (AH 1286); highest salary 300 kuruş
- Osman Efendi Efendiborn 1869/70 (AH 1286); highest salary 250 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 2 officials born in Bihcova, Mustafa Efendi had the highest salary.
- Ahmet Besim Efendiborn 1846/47 (AH 1263); highest salary 500 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 114 officials whose first annual entry is for 1888/89 (AH 1306), 113 have a recorded salary; Mustafa Efendi had the 43rd highest salary of them.
- Mehmet Bahattin Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Mustafa Tevfik Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 540 kuruş
- Unnamed official (0049_0032; 61)first entry in Istanbul; highest salary 530 kuruş
- Ahmet Sami Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Mehmet Sabri Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 550 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (13)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0049_0012; 21 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Muhabere Memuru | Sjenica (Seniçe) | 380 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0049_0012; 21 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Muhabere Memuru | Sjenica (Seniçe) | 380 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0049_0012; 21 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Other | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 0049_0012; 21 | |||
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Muhabere Memuru | Tetovo (Kalkandelen) | 380 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0049_0012; 21 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | Muhabere Memuru | Prizren | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0049_0012; 21 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | Muhabere Memuru | Trgovište (Tırgovişte) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0049_0012; 21 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | Muhabere Memuru | Trgovište (Tırgovişte) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0049_0012; 21 |
| 1902/03AH 1320 | 3. Müdür | Nova Varoš (Yenivaroş) | 510 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0049_0012; 21 |
| 1903/04AH 1321 | 3. Müdür | Nova Varoš (Yenivaroş) | 510 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0049_0012; 21 |
| 1904/05AH 1322 | 3. Müdür | Nova Varoš (Yenivaroş) | 510 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0049_0012; 21 |
| 1905/06AH 1323 | 3. Müdür | Zabrice | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0049_0012; 21 |
| 1906/07AH 1324 | 3. Müdür | Zabrice | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0049_0012; 21 |
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 (24)
| Field | Recorded value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Name | Mustafa Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Linked personnel workbook |
| Birth year (AH) | 1286 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace | bihcova | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace: district (kaza) | Bihcova | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace: sancak | Uskup | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace: province (vilayet) | Kosova | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Province of birth | kosova | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Father's occupation | Memur | 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 | Sibyan Mektebi | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Years of schooling | 4 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Years of apprenticeship (mülazemet) | 6 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work | ||
| First work: year (AH) | 1300 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Linked personnel workbook |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1883 | Recovered annual personnel extract |
| First work: place | Bihcova | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work: district (kaza) | Bihcova | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work: sancak | Uskup | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work: province (vilayet) | Kosova | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First job as worded | Telgraf | Linked personnel workbook; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Age at first work (workbook field) | 17 | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First salary field (kuruş a month) | 300 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First-job salary of the original workbook (kuruş a month) | 300 | Linked personnel workbook; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Other recorded values | ||
| Note as worded | Askere Alindi | 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.
- Origin of the record: Post and Telegraph personnel records.
- 11 annual entries of 13 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 Efendi
- Communications official (Muhabere Memuru)
- Nova Varoš (Yenivaroş)
- Bihcova
- 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)