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Ottoman BureaucracyPeople, places and careers in Ottoman public service

Official

Mehmet Rauf Efendi

Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Istanbul (Dersaadet) in 1874/75 (AH 1291). On record 1890 to 1893, 3 annual entries.

Archive reference 54_89; 175

Compare Mehmet Rauf Efendi with other officials

Life

Born in Istanbul in 1874/75 (AH 1291) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community, Mehmet Rauf Efendi was the child of a teacher (muallim). Schooling took 12 years, at the Imperial School (Mekteb-i Sultani); Mehmet Rauf also wrote French as well as Turkish.

Mehmet Rauf began work in Istanbul in 1888/89, at about 15, with two unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 100 kuruş. The annual lists begin in 1890/91, with Mehmet Rauf as an official (Memur) in Istanbul, the birthplace. The last post was in Heybeliada in 1892/93, with a rise to communications official (Muhabere Memuru).

The salary went from 100 kuruş a month in 1890/91 to 400 in 1892/93, the peak, as Muhabere Memuru in Heybeliada, when 29 per cent of paid officials earned less. In all, three years of salary come to 7,800 kuruş, 43 per cent of what an official on the median salary earned in those years. The last annual entry is for 1892/93.

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 2 stops
birthplaceplace of annual entriesmove, with the year of the first entry there
1892/9312IstanbulHeybeliada

  1. Istanbul (Dersaadet)

    Born 1874/75 (AH 1291); First work 1888/89 (AH 1306); 1890 to 1892 (AH 1308 to 1309)

    Memur

    100 to 150 kuruş a month; entries in 2 years

  2. Heybeliada

    1892/93 (AH 1310)

    Muhabere Memuru

    400 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year

Career and salary

Monthly salary by year, kuruşsalary of the yearyears with one job titleno annual entry
01002003004001890/91AH 13081891/92AH 13091892/93AH 1310400 kuruşMemurMuhabere Memuru
Salary against the medians of the same year
1002005001890/91AH 13081891/92AH 13091892/93AH 1310This 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 Mehmet Rauf Efendi against the medians of the same year, kuruş a month
YearSalaryMedian, all officialsMedian, same titlePaid less
1890/911005002852%
1891/921505002006%
1892/9340050040029%

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 Mehmet Rauf Efendi, one row per stage
YearsTitlePlaceSalary (kuruş a month)
1888/89AH 1306First workIstanbul (Dersaadet)100first-salary field
1890 to 1892AH 1308 to 1309Memur
2 entries
YearSalary
1890/91100
1891/92150
Istanbul (Dersaadet)100 to 150
1892/93AH 1310Muhabere MemuruHeybeliada400

Record

Personal

Born
1874/75 (AH 1291)
Community
Muslim (Müslüman)
Nationality as recorded
Turkish
Father's occupation
Muallim

Education

Higher or professional
Mekteb-i Sultani (12 years)Imperial School (Galatasaray)
Unpaid years (mülazemet)
2 years
Preparation route (classification of the paper)
Other High
Qualification (diploma, certificate, training or nişan)
No

The years count all schooling up to that school, as the record gives them.

Languages

French
Kitabetwriting
Turkish
Kitabetwriting

The glosses are cautious historical readings of the recorded words, not modern levels of proficiency.

First work

Year
1888/89 (AH 1306)
First salary field (kuruş a month)
100

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 516 officials with entries in Istanbul in the same years, Mehmet Rauf Efendi had the 437th highest salary.

All 1,750 officials with entries in Istanbul

Same job title, same years

Of the 58 officials with the title Memur in the same years, Mehmet Rauf Efendi had the 42nd highest salary.

All 338 officials with the title Memur

Same school

Of the 53 officials with Mekteb-i Sultani among their schools, Mehmet Rauf Efendi had the 30th highest salary.

All 53 officials with Mekteb-i Sultani

Same birthplace

Of the 1,999 officials born in Istanbul, 1,997 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Rauf Efendi had the 1,196th highest salary of them.

The page of Istanbul, with the 1,999 officials born there

First annual entry in the same year

Of the 102 officials whose first annual entry is for 1890/91 (AH 1308), Mehmet Rauf Efendi had the 75th highest salary.

Full record

Annual entries (3)

Annual entries of Mehmet Rauf Efendi
YearTitlePlaceKuruş a monthInstitutionSourceArchive reference
1890/91AH 1308MemurIstanbul (Dersaadet)100Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract54_89; 175
1891/92AH 1309MemurIstanbul (Dersaadet)150Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract54_89; 175
1892/93AH 1310Muhabere MemuruHeybeliada400Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract54_89; 175
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)

Recorded values of Mehmet Rauf Efendi with their sources
FieldRecorded valueSource
Identity
NameMehmet Rauf EfendiPersonnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Birth year (AH)1291Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
BirthplacedersaadetRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Province of birthdersaadetRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Father's occupationmuallimRecovered 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
SchoolMektebi SultaniRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Years of schooling12Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Years of apprenticeship (mülazemet)2Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
First work
First work: year (AH)1306Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
First work: Gregorian year as stored1889Recovered annual personnel extract
First work: placeistanbulRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
First salary field (kuruş a month)100Recovered 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.
  • 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