Official
Mehmet Arif Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Boyabat in 1855/56 (AH 1272). On record 1877 to 1905, 27 annual entries.
Archive reference 54_193; 373
Life#
Mehmet Arif Efendi was born in Boyabat in 1855/56 (AH 1272) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community; the father was a medrese teacher (müderris). Schooling took seven years, at a middle school (Rüşdiye Mektebi).
Work began in Istanbul in 1876/77, at about 20, with one unpaid year as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 500 kuruş. The first annual entry, for 1877/78, places Mehmet Arif in Pirot (Şehirköy) as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru). Mehmet Arif then moved to Shkodër in 1878, then Shëngjin (Şengin) from 1878 to 1883. The annual lists then follow Mehmet Arif to Debrei bala from 1883 to 1896, then Vlorë in 1896/97, as a director of the second grade (2. Müdür). Next came Taif from 1898 to 1903. The last posts were in Mecca (Mekke) from 1903 to 1905. The farthest post, Taif, lay about 2,300 km from Boyabat, and fewer than 5 per cent of the 5,162 officials with a known birthplace and place of service served as far from the birthplace.
The salary went from 500 kuruş a month in 1877/78 to 900 in 1898/99, the peak, as 2. Müdür in Taif, when 87 per cent of paid officials earned less. Over 27 years the salaries add up to 213,840 kuruş, 1.3 times what an official on the median salary earned. The last annual entry is for 1904/05.
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 1855/56 (AH 1272)
First work 1876/77 (AH 1293)
1878 to 1883 (AH 1296 to 1300)
Muhabere Memuru 1878/79 (AH 1296); Memur 1880 to 1883 (AH 1298 to 1300)
500 kuruş a month; entries in 4 years
No annual entry for 1879/80 (AH 1297).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1877/78 | 500 | 560 | 410 | 36% |
| 1878 | 500 | 600 | 500 | 33% |
| 1878/79 | 500 | 600 | 420 | 34% |
| 1880/81 | 500 | 500 | 350 | 47% |
| 1881/82 | 500 | 500 | 390 | 46% |
| 1882/83 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 43% |
| 1883/84 | 600 | 500 | 425 | 59% |
| 1884/85 | 600 | 500 | 400 | 59% |
| 1885/86 | 600 | 500 | 500 | 58% |
| 1886/87 | 600 | 500 | 400 | 59% |
| 1887/88 | 600 | 500 | 300 | 58% |
| 1888/89 | 600 | 500 | 375 | 58% |
| 1889/90 | 600 | 500 | 300 | 58% |
| 1890/91 | 600 | 500 | 285 | 59% |
| 1891/92 | 600 | 500 | 200 | 59% |
| 1892/93 | 600 | 500 | 200 | 59% |
| 1893/94 | 600 | 500 | 225 | 60% |
| 1894/95 | 600 | 500 | 268.5 | 60% |
| 1895/96 | 600 | 500 | 281 | 59% |
| 1896/97 | 720 | 500 | 765 | 81% |
| 1898/99 | 900 | 500 | 800 | 87% |
| 1899/1900 | 900 | 500 | 783 | 85% |
| 1900/01 | 900 | 500 | 800 | 85% |
| 1901/02 | 900 | 500 | 800 | 85% |
| 1902/03 | 900 | 500 | 800 | 84% |
| 1903/04 | 900 | 475 | 600 | 84% |
| 1904/05 | 900 | 450 | 600 | 84% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1876/77AH 1293 | First work | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 500first-salary field |
| 1877/78AH 1294 | Muhabere Memuru | Pirot (Şehirköy) | 500 |
| 1878AH 1295 | Muhabere Memuru | Shkodër (İşkodra) | 500 |
| 1878/79AH 1296 | Muhabere Memuru | Shëngjin (Şengin) | 500 |
| No annual entry: 1879/80 (AH 1297) | |||
| 1880 to 1883AH 1298 to 1300 | Memur | Shëngjin (Şengin) | 500 |
| 1883 to 1896AH 1301 to 1313 | Memur | Debrei bala | 600 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | 2. Müdür | Vlorë (Avlonya) | 720 |
| No annual entry: 1897/98 (AH 1315) | |||
| 1898 to 1903AH 1316 to 1320 | 2. Müdür | Taif | 900 |
| 1903 to 1905AH 1321 to 1322 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Mecca (Mekke) | 900 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1855/56 (AH 1272)
- Birthplace
- Boyabat
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- Muderris
Education
- Rüşdiye
- Rüşdiye Mektebi (7 years)rüşdiye school (middle school)
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 1 year
- Preparation route (classification of the paper)
- Low
- Qualification (diploma, certificate, training or nişan)
- No
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
- 1876/77 (AH 1293)
- Place
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 500
Legal records
- Legal record note as worded
- Muhbir / İtalya hükumetine ait bazı mesail-i siyasiyeye mebni tebdiline lüzum görüldüğü Yanya Valisi ve Kolordu-yu Hümayun'u Kumandanlığı canibinden bildirilmesi üzerine sene-i merkume Zilkadesinin yirmi beşinde 15 Nisan sene 1313 idareten azl il; Siyasi
- Years (AH) with a criminal-record mark in the annual records
- 1316; 1317; 1318; 1319; 1320; 1321; 1322
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 2 officials with entries in Debrei bala in the same years, Mehmet Arif Efendi had the highest salary.
- Mustafa Ragıp Efendi5 shared years; highest salary 500 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 138 officials with the title Memur in the same years, Mehmet Arif Efendi had the 25th highest salary.
- Hasan Sıtkı Efendi16 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Mehmet Safvet Efendi16 shared years; highest salary 650 kuruş
- Mehmet Ali Bey15 shared years; highest salary 2,200 kuruş
- Bagdik Maksut Efendi15 shared years; highest salary 550 kuruş
- Ohannes Papasyan Efendi14 shared years; highest salary 2,000 kuruş
Same school
Of the 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi among their schools, 3,200 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Arif Efendi had the 421st highest salary of them.
- Abdullah Süreyya Efendiborn 1855/56 (AH 1272); highest salary 540 kuruş
- Abdülmecit Efendiborn 1855/56 (AH 1272); highest salary 700 kuruş
- Ahmet Fuat Beyborn 1855/56 (AH 1272); highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Ahmet Hayri Efendiborn 1855/56 (AH 1272); highest salary 675 kuruş
- Ahmet Raşit Efendiborn 1855/56 (AH 1272); highest salary 975 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 3 officials born in Boyabat, Mehmet Arif Efendi had the 2nd highest salary.
- Osman Şadi Efendiborn 1872/73 (AH 1289); highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Hafız Yusuf Efendiborn 1875/76 (AH 1292); highest salary 300 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 118 officials whose first annual entry is for 1877/78 (AH 1294), Mehmet Arif Efendi had the 35th highest salary.
- Unnamed official (0049_0042; 81)first entry in Pirot (Şehirköy); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Osman Nuri Efendifirst entry in Pirot (Şehirköy); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Ahmet Rüştü Efendifirst entry in Ruse (Rusçuk); highest salary 1,800 kuruş
- Esat Efendifirst entry in Vize; highest salary 540 kuruş
- Mehmet Sait Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 1,250 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (27)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1877/78AH 1294 | Muhabere Memuru | Pirot (Şehirköy) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_193; 373 |
| 1878AH 1295 | Muhabere Memuru | Shkodër (İşkodra) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_193; 373 |
| 1878/79AH 1296 | Muhabere Memuru | Shëngjin (Şengin) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_193; 373 |
| 1880/81AH 1298 | Memur | Shëngjin (Şengin) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_193; 373 |
| 1881/82AH 1299 | Memur | Shëngjin (Şengin) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_193; 373 |
| 1882/83AH 1300 | Memur | Shëngjin (Şengin) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_193; 373 |
| 1883/84AH 1301 | Memur | Debrei bala | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_193; 373 |
| 1884/85AH 1302 | Memur | Debrei bala | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_193; 373 |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Memur | Debrei bala | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_193; 373 |
| 1886/87AH 1304 | Memur | Debrei bala | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_193; 373 |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Memur | Debrei bala | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_193; 373 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Memur | Debrei bala | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_193; 373 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Memur | Debrei bala | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_193; 373 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Memur | Debrei bala | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_193; 373 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Memur | Debrei bala | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_193; 373 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Memur | Debrei bala | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_193; 373 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Memur | Debrei bala | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_193; 373 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Memur | Debrei bala | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_193; 373 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Memur | Debrei bala | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_193; 373 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | 2. Müdür | Vlorë (Avlonya) | 720 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_193; 373 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | 2. Müdür | Taif | 900 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_193; 373 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | 2. Müdür | Taif | 900 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_193; 373 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | 2. Müdür | Taif | 900 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_193; 373 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | 2. Müdür | Taif | 900 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_193; 373 |
| 1902/03AH 1320 | 2. Müdür | Taif | 900 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_193; 373 |
| 1903/04AH 1321 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Mecca (Mekke) | 900 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_193; 373 |
| 1904/05AH 1322 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Mecca (Mekke) | 900 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_193; 373 |
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 (17)
| Field | Recorded value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Name | Mehmet Arif Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1272 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birthplace | boyabad | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Province of birth | kastamonu | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Father's occupation | muderris | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Religion | Musluman | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Nationality or community | Turkish | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Schooling | ||
| School | Rusdiye Mektebi | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Years of schooling | 7 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Years of apprenticeship (mülazemet) | 1 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work | ||
| First work: year (AH) | 1293 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1876 | 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) | 500 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Legal records | ||
| Legal record note as worded | Muhbir / İtalya hükumetine ait bazı mesail-i siyasiyeye mebni tebdiline lüzum görüldüğü Yanya Valisi ve Kolordu-yu Hümayun'u Kumandanlığı canibinden bildirilmesi üzerine sene-i merkume Zilkadesinin yirmi beşinde 15 Nisan sene 1313 idareten azl il used on this page | Legal notes (earlier workbook copy); Legal notes (later workbook copy) |
| Legal record note as worded | Siyasi other value | Legal notes (earlier workbook copy); Legal notes (later workbook copy) |
| Years (AH) with a criminal-record mark in the annual records | 1316; 1317; 1318; 1319; 1320; 1321; 1322 | Later annual personnel extract |
What the sources named in this table are
- Legal notes (earlier workbook copy)
- A workbook of notes on legal records. The wording is kept as written. It may hold an accusation or an acquittal, it is not the finding of a court, and its year is the year of the record, not the date of an event.
- Legal notes (later workbook copy)
- A later copy of the workbook of notes on legal records. The same wording in both copies is one note, not two.
- Later annual personnel extract
- The detailed annual personnel file of October 2025. It marks single annual entries with a criminal-record flag and holds status words such as Vefat. For a death, the year is the year of the annual list in which the status word stands.
- 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.
- The sources give more than one value for a marked field. Every value is listed.
- Origin of the record: Post and Telegraph personnel records.
- 27 annual entries of 27 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 Arif Efendi
- Official (Memur)
- Debrei bala
- Boyabat
- Rüşdiye school (Rüşdiye 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)