Skip to content
Ottoman BureaucracyPeople, places and careers in Ottoman public service

Official

Ali Mihri Efendi

Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Kastoria (Kesriye) in 1876/77 (AH 1293). On record 1899 to 1902, 3 annual entries. Death recorded 1904/05.

Archive reference 107_131; 259

Compare Ali Mihri Efendi with other officials

Life

Ali Mihri Efendi was born in Kastoria (Kesriye) in 1876/77 (AH 1293) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community; the father was a tradesman (esnaf). Schooling took seven years, at a middle school (Rüşdiye Mektebi); Ali Mihri also wrote French, Greek (Rum) and Turkish, and held a qualification (a diploma, certificate, training or decoration).

Work began in Istanbul in 1895/96, at about 19, with four unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 720 kuruş. The first annual entry, for 1899/1900, places Ali Mihri in Jeddah (Cidde) as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru). In 1901/02 the lists place Ali Mihri in Tarabya. Jeddah, about 2,700 km from Kastoria, was the post farthest from the birthplace; fewer than 3 per cent of the 5,162 officials with a known birthplace and place of service served as far from home.

The salary never rose above the first in the lists, 720 kuruş a month in 1899/1900, as Muhabere Memuru in Jeddah, when four in five paid officials earned less. The last annual entry is for 1901/02; the list of 1904/05 (AH 1322) gives the status word Vefat (death).

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.

All 4 stops
birthplacefirst workplace of annual entriesmove, with the year of the first entry there
1895/961899/19001901/021234KastoriaIstanbul, TarabyaJeddah

  1. Kastoria (Kesriye)

    Born 1876/77 (AH 1293)

  2. Istanbul (Dersaadet)

    First work 1895/96 (AH 1313)

  3. Jeddah (Cidde)

    1899 to 1901 (AH 1317 to 1318)

    Muhabere Memuru

    720 kuruş a month; entries in 2 years

  4. Tarabya

    1901/02 (AH 1319)

    Muhabere Memuru

    400 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year

  5. Death recorded in the annual list of 1904/05 (AH 1322): the word Vefat, not a date of death.

Career and salary

Monthly salary by year, kuruşsalary of the yearyears with one job titleno annual entry
02004006008001899/1900AH 13171900/01AH 13181901/02AH 1319720 kuruşMuhabere Memuru
Salary against the medians of the same year
2005001,0001899/1900AH 13171900/01AH 13181901/02AH 1319This officialMedian, all officialsMedian, same title

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
Salary of Ali Mihri Efendi against the medians of the same year, kuruş a month
YearSalaryMedian, all officialsMedian, same titlePaid less
1899/190072050040079%
1900/0172050040077%
1901/0240050040032%

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.

Career of Ali Mihri Efendi, one row per stage
YearsTitlePlaceSalary (kuruş a month)
1895/96AH 1313First workIstanbul (Dersaadet)720first-salary field
1899 to 1901AH 1317 to 1318Muhabere Memuru
2 entries
YearSalary
1899/1900720
1900/01720
Jeddah (Cidde)720
1901/02AH 1319Muhabere MemuruTarabya400
1904/05AH 1322Death recorded

Record

Personal

Born
1876/77 (AH 1293)
Community
Muslim (Müslüman)
Nationality as recorded
Turkish
Father's occupation
Esnaf
Death recorded
1904/05 (AH 1322)the year of the annual list with the word Vefat, not a date of death

Education

Rüşdiye
Rüşdiye Mektebi (7 years)rüşdiye school (middle school)
Unpaid years (mülazemet)
4 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

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
1895/96 (AH 1313)
First salary field (kuruş a month)
720

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 8 officials with entries in Jeddah (Cidde) in the same years, Ali Mihri Efendi had the 4th highest salary.

All 43 officials with entries in Jeddah (Cidde)

Same job title, same years

Of the 1,042 officials with the title Muhabere Memuru in the same years, Ali Mihri Efendi had the 179th highest salary.

All 3,162 officials with the title Muhabere Memuru

Same school

Of the 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi among their schools, 3,200 have a recorded salary; Ali Mihri Efendi had the 706th highest salary of them.

All 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi

Same birthplace

Of the 3 officials born in Kastoria (Kesriye), Ali Mihri Efendi had the highest salary.

The page of Kastoria (Kesriye), with the 3 officials born there

First annual entry in the same year

Of the 87 officials whose first annual entry is for 1899/1900 (AH 1317), Ali Mihri Efendi had the 14th highest salary.

Full record

Annual entries (3)

Annual entries of Ali Mihri Efendi
YearTitlePlaceKuruş a monthInstitutionSourceArchive reference
1899/1900AH 1317Muhabere MemuruJeddah (Cidde)720Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract107_131; 259
1900/01AH 1318Muhabere MemuruJeddah (Cidde)720Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract107_131; 259
1901/02AH 1319Muhabere MemuruTarabya400Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract107_131; 259
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)

Recorded values of Ali Mihri Efendi with their sources
FieldRecorded valueSource
Identity
NameAli Mihri EfendiPersonnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Birth year (AH)1293Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
BirthplacekesriyeRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Province of birthmanastirRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Father's occupationesnafRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
ReligionMuslumanRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Nationality or communityTurkishRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Schooling
SchoolRusdiye MektebiRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Years of schooling7Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Years of apprenticeship (mülazemet)4Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
First work
First work: year (AH)1313Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
First work: Gregorian year as stored1895Recovered annual personnel extract
First work: placeistanbulRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
First salary field (kuruş a month)720Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Status
Death recorded under the year (AH)1322Earlier annual personnel extract (original copy); Earlier annual personnel extract (parallel copy)
What the sources named in this table are
Earlier annual personnel extract (original copy)
A copy of the earlier annual personnel file, read for the title wording of each year. A death taken from it is the status word Vefat in the title field of one annual list: the year is the year of that list, not a date of death.
Earlier annual personnel extract (parallel copy)
A second copy of the earlier annual personnel file, read in the same way. A death taken from it is the status word Vefat in the title field of one annual list: the year is the year of that list, not a date of death. Two copies that agree are one piece of evidence, not two.
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.
  • 3 annual entries of 3 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