Official
Mehmet Hüsnü Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Istanbul (Dersaadet) in 1868/69 (AH 1285). On record 1888 to 1908, 20 annual entries.
Archive reference 0065_0116; 229
Life#
Born in Istanbul in 1868/69 (AH 1285), Mehmet Hüsnü Efendi came from the Muslim (Müslüman) community; the father was a tradesman (esnaf). At about 18, in 1886/87, Mehmet Hüsnü began work in Istanbul, with two unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 50 kuruş. The first annual entry, for 1888/89, places Mehmet Hüsnü in Beyoğlu in the accounts office (Muhasebe Kalemi), where the entries run to 1896/97. Mehmet Hüsnü then moved back to Istanbul, the birthplace, from 1897 to 1901, with a rise to a post in the council clerkship (Meclis Kitabeti) in 1900/01. The last posts were in Arta (Narda) from 1901 to 1908, with a rise to director of the second grade (2. Müdür).
The salary went from 50 kuruş a month in 1888/89 to 900 in 1901/02, the peak, as 2. Müdür in Arta, when 85 per cent of paid officials earned less. The peak was 18 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 last annual entry is for 1907/08.
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 1868/69 (AH 1285); First work 1886/87 (AH 1304)
1897 to 1901 (AH 1315 to 1318)
Muhabere Memuru 1897 to 1900 (AH 1315 to 1317); Meclis Kitabeti 1900/01 (AH 1318)
220 to 350 kuruş a month; entries in 4 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 | 50 | 500 | 310 | 0% |
| 1889/90 | 100 | 500 | 250 | 2% |
| 1890/91 | 150 | 500 | 272.5 | 5% |
| 1891/92 | 150 | 500 | 200 | 6% |
| 1892/93 | 150 | 500 | 182.5 | 7% |
| 1893/94 | 200 | 500 | 200 | 9% |
| 1894/95 | 200 | 500 | 250 | 9% |
| 1895/96 | 220 | 500 | 250 | 12% |
| 1896/97 | 220 | 500 | 245 | 12% |
| 1897/98 | 220 | 500 | 400 | 12% |
| 1898/99 | 240 | 500 | 400 | 13% |
| 1899/1900 | 240 | 500 | 400 | 12% |
| 1900/01 | 350 | 500 | 125 | 25% |
| 1901/02 | 900 | 500 | 800 | 85% |
| 1902/03 | 900 | 500 | 800 | 84% |
| 1903/04 | 900 | 475 | 800 | 84% |
| 1904/05 | 900 | 450 | 800 | 84% |
| 1905/06 | 900 | 475 | 805 | 83% |
| 1906/07 | 900 | 450 | 800 | 82% |
| 1907/08 | 900 | 300 | 900 | 82% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1886/87AH 1304 | First work | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 50first-salary field |
| 1888 to 1897AH 1306 to 1314 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Beyoğlu | 50 to 220 |
| 1897 to 1900AH 1315 to 1317 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 220 to 240 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | Meclis Kitabeti | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 350 |
| 1901 to 1908AH 1319 to 1325 | 2. Müdür | Arta (Narda) | 900 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1868/69 (AH 1285)
- Birthplace
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- Esnaf
Education
- Rüşdiye
- Rüşdiye Mektebi (7 years)rüşdiye school (middle school)
- 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
- 1886/87 (AH 1304)
- Place
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 50
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 207 officials with entries in Beyoğlu in the same years, Mehmet Hüsnü Efendi had the 71st highest salary.
- Mustafa Habip Efendi9 shared years; highest salary 15,000 kuruş
- Muftuzade Mehmet Hilmi Efendi9 shared years; highest salary 10,000 kuruş
- Paskal Mıgırdıç Kazancıyan Efendi9 shared years; highest salary 2,905 kuruş
- Melkon Berhadar Efendi9 shared years; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Nikola Yunani Efendi9 shared years; highest salary 1,350 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 121 officials with the title Muhasebe Kalemi in the same years, Mehmet Hüsnü Efendi had the 33rd highest salary.
- Osman Kamil Efendi9 shared years; highest salary 2,000 kuruş
- Refet Efendi9 shared years; highest salary 1,480 kuruş
- Mehmet Tevfik Efendi9 shared years; highest salary 1,300 kuruş
- Berdos [Bedros] Efendi9 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Macit Efendi9 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 Hüsnü Efendi had the 421st highest salary of them.
- Ahmed Tevfik Efendiborn 1868/69 (AH 1285); highest salary 594 kuruş
- Ahmet Hamdi Efendiborn 1868/69 (AH 1285); highest salary 450 kuruş
- Ahmet Rifat Efendiborn 1868/69 (AH 1285); highest salary 540 kuruş
- Ahmet Sami Efendiborn 1868/69 (AH 1285); highest salary 200 kuruş
- Ahmet Sami Efendiborn 1868/69 (AH 1285); highest salary 800 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 1,999 officials born in Istanbul, 1,997 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Hüsnü Efendi had the 457th highest salary of them.
- Ahmet Sami Efendiborn 1868/69 (AH 1285); highest salary 200 kuruş
- Ali Ekrem Beyborn 1868/69 (AH 1285); highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Hafız Ahmet Hamdi Efendiborn 1868/69 (AH 1285); highest salary 200 kuruş
- Hafız Mahmut Nazif Efendiborn 1868/69 (AH 1285); highest salary 330 kuruş
- Hafız Yusuf Hüsamettin Efendiborn 1868/69 (AH 1285); highest salary 495 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; Mehmet Hüsnü Efendi had the 17th highest salary of them.
- Mıgırdıç Efendifirst entry in Beyoğlu; highest salary 400 kuruş
- Mehmet Bahaettin Efendifirst entry in Beyoğlu; highest salary 1,080 kuruş
- Ali Efendifirst entry in Beyoğlu; highest salary 600 kuruş
- Yosef Arya Efendifirst entry in Beyoğlu; highest salary 1,020 kuruş
- Ahmet Sami Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 800 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (20)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Beyoğlu | 50 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0116; 229 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Beyoğlu | 100 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0116; 229 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Beyoğlu | 150 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0116; 229 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Beyoğlu | 150 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0116; 229 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Beyoğlu | 150 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0116; 229 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Beyoğlu | 200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0116; 229 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Beyoğlu | 200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0116; 229 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Beyoğlu | 220 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0116; 229 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Beyoğlu | 220 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0116; 229 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 220 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0116; 229 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 240 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0116; 229 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 240 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0116; 229 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | Meclis Kitabeti | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 350 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0116; 229 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | 2. Müdür | Arta (Narda) | 900 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0116; 229 |
| 1902/03AH 1320 | 2. Müdür | Arta (Narda) | 900 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0116; 229 |
| 1903/04AH 1321 | 2. Müdür | Arta (Narda) | 900 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0116; 229 |
| 1904/05AH 1322 | 2. Müdür | Arta (Narda) | 900 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0116; 229 |
| 1905/06AH 1323 | 2. Müdür | Arta (Narda) | 900 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0116; 229 |
| 1906/07AH 1324 | 2. Müdür | Arta (Narda) | 900 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0116; 229 |
| 1907/08AH 1325 | 2. Müdür | Arta (Narda) | 900 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0116; 229 |
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)
| Field | Recorded value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Name | Mehmet Hüsnü Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1285 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birthplace | dersaadet | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Province of birth | dersaadet | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Father's occupation | esnaf | 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) | 2 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work | ||
| First work: year (AH) | 1304 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1887 | 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) | 50 | Recovered 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.
- 18 annual entries of 20 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 Hüsnü Efendi
- Accounts office (Muhasebe Kalemi)
- Beyoğlu
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- 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)