Mehmet Celalettin Efendi

Mehmet Celalettin Efendi was born in Damascus (Şam) in 1839/40 (AH 1255). The record gives the community as Muslim (Müslüman), the nationality as Turkish and the father's occupation as Mulkiye memuru. By-name or family epithet as recorded: Benlizade.

Schooling recorded: Enderun-ı Hümayun Mektebi, with 7 years of schooling recorded. The record marks no qualification (diploma, certificate, training or decoration). Languages recorded, with the skill words of the record: Arabic, with asina; Persian, with asina; Turkish, with Kitabet.

First work is recorded in Damascus in 1848/49 (AH 1265): Muhasebe kalemi. The official was then about 10 years old. The record gives 1 year of unpaid apprenticeship (mülazemet) before the first salary. The first-salary field gives 25 kuruş a month. At the first annual entry, in 1862/63, the official was about 23 years old.

The first annual entry, for 1862/63, shows no title. In 1863/64 the record shows Muhasebe Kalemi in Istanbul, with 100 kuruş a month (before: no title). In 1879/80 the record shows Icmal Sermumeyyiz in Istanbul, the salary going from 1,500 to 1,200 kuruş a month (before: Muhasebe Kalemi in Istanbul).

The highest salary, 1,500 kuruş a month, is first recorded in 1876/77 as Muhasebe Kalemi. 89 per cent of the other officials with a recorded salary that year earned less. The median salary of all officials that year was 582.5 kuruş. Over 22 years with a salary the median is 1,150 kuruş a month, with 8 rises and 3 cuts. The largest rise, 380 kuruş, is seen in 1864/65. From the first salary to the last the salary grew by 12.56 per cent a year on average. The last salary is recorded in 1883/84, when 86 per cent of the other officials with a recorded salary that year earned less.

A death is recorded under 1884/85 (AH 1302): the year of the annual list that holds the status word Vefat, not a date of death.