Official
Hoca Sar Efendi
Armenian Christian (Ermeni). Born in Istanbul (Dersaadet) in 1853/54 (AH 1270). On record 1873 to 1907, 35 annual entries.
Archive reference 58- 132;257
Life#
Born in Istanbul in 1853/54 (AH 1270), Hoca Sar Efendi came from the Armenian Christian (Ermeni) community. Hoca Sar had 12 years of schooling, at the Imperial School (Mekteb-i Sultani), and wrote Armenian, French and Turkish.
Work began in Istanbul in 1872/73, at about 18, with one unpaid year as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 300 kuruş. The annual lists begin in 1873/74, with Hoca Sar as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru) in Beyoğlu. Hoca Sar then moved to Büyükdere from 1874 to 1876, then back to Beyoğlu from 1876 to 1905, with a rise to official for foreign communications (Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti) in 1893/94. The last posts were in Aleppo (Halep) from 1905 to 1907, with a rise to official of a telegraph or post office (Merkez Memuru).
The salary went from 300 kuruş a month in 1873/74 to 1,200 in 1905/06, the peak, as Merkez Memuru in Aleppo, when nine in ten paid officials earned less. Over 35 years the salaries add up to 227,376 kuruş, about what an official on the median salary earned. The last annual entry is for 1906/07.
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 1853/54 (AH 1270); First work 1872/73 (AH 1289)
1876 to 1905 (AH 1293 to 1322)
Muhabere Memuru 1876 to 1893 (AH 1293 to 1310); Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti 1893 to 1905 (AH 1311 to 1322)
400 to 600 kuruş a month; entries in 30 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, and the median of the same province for the years in which at least 5 officials were paid in the province of the official's salary that year.
The numbers of the chart
| Year | Salary | Median, all officials | Median, same title | Median, same province | Paid less |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1873/74 | 300 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 12% |
| 1874/75 | 300 | 535 | 450 | 522.5 | 13% |
| 1875/76 | 300 | 530 | 400 | 550 | 12% |
| 1876/77 | 500 | 582.5 | 410 | 587.5 | 36% |
| 1877/78 | 500 | 560 | 410 | 600 | 36% |
| 1878 | 500 | 600 | 500 | 600 | 33% |
| 1878/79 | 550 | 600 | 420 | 600 | 45% |
| 1879/80 | 400 | 500 | 380 | 500 | 35% |
| 1880/81 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 34% |
| 1881/82 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 31% |
| 1882/83 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 28% |
| 1883/84 | 450 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 38% |
| 1884/85 | 450 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 37% |
| 1885/86 | 450 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 37% |
| 1886/87 | 450 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 37% |
| 1887/88 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 41% |
| 1888/89 | 550 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 55% |
| 1889/90 | 550 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 55% |
| 1890/91 | 550 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 56% |
| 1891/92 | 550 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 57% |
| 1892/93 | 550 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 57% |
| 1893/94 | 575 | 500 | 500 | 480 | 59% |
| 1894/95 | 575 | 500 | 500 | 450 | 59% |
| 1895/96 | 600 | 500 | 500 | 440 | 59% |
| 1896/97 | 562 | 500 | 495 | 425 | 71% |
| 1897/98 | 562 | 500 | 480 | 425 | 71% |
| 1898/99 | 562 | 500 | 495 | 440 | 70% |
| 1899/1900 | 562 | 500 | 500 | 450 | 68% |
| 1900/01 | 562 | 500 | 500 | 450 | 66% |
| 1901/02 | 597 | 500 | 480 | 440 | 67% |
| 1902/03 | 597 | 500 | 400 | 450 | 67% |
| 1903/04 | 597 | 475 | 450 | 450 | 67% |
| 1904/05 | 597 | 450 | 455 | 450 | 67% |
| 1905/06 | 1,200 | 475 | 500 | 500 | 90% |
| 1906/07 | 1,200 | 450 | 620 | 500 | 90% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1872/73AH 1289 | First work | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 300first-salary field |
| 1873/74AH 1290 | Muhabere Memuru | Beyoğlu | 300 |
| 1874 to 1876AH 1291 to 1292 | Muhabere Memuru | Büyükdere | 300 |
| 1876 to 1893AH 1293 to 1310 | Muhabere Memuru | Beyoğlu | 500 to 550 |
| 1893 to 1905AH 1311 to 1322 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Beyoğlu | 575 to 597 |
| 1905 to 1907AH 1323 to 1324 | Merkez Memuru | Aleppo (Halep) | 1,200 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1853/54 (AH 1270)
- Birthplace
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Community
- Armenian Christian (Ermeni)
- Nationality as recorded
- Ermeni
Education
- Higher or professional
- Mekteb-i Sultani (12 years)Imperial School (Galatasaray)
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 1 year
- 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
- Armenian
- Kitabetwriting
- French
- Kitabetwriting
- Turkish
- Kitabetwriting
The glosses are cautious historical readings of the recorded words, not modern levels of proficiency.
First work
- Year
- 1872/73 (AH 1289)
- Place
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 300
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 post (job title and place), same years
Of the 82 officials who held Muhabere Memuru in Beyoğlu in the same years, Hoca Sar Efendi had the 18th highest salary.
- Taşçıyan Markar Efendi19 shared years; highest salary 1,300 kuruş
- Benjamin Kohen Efendi19 shared years; highest salary 700 kuruş
- Nikola Yunani Efendi18 shared years; highest salary 1,350 kuruş
- Süleyman Sabri Efendi18 shared years; highest salary 1,100 kuruş
- Kirkor Kakmaciyan Efendi18 shared years; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
Same place, same years
Of the 385 officials with entries in Beyoğlu in the same years, Hoca Sar Efendi had the 85th highest salary.
- Paskal Mıgırdıç Kazancıyan Efendi31 shared years; highest salary 2,905 kuruş
- Taşçıyan Markar Efendi31 shared years; highest salary 1,300 kuruş
- Andon Körkis Efendi31 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Andon Tomasyan Efendi31 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Jan Mıçı Efendi31 shared years; highest salary 720 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 1,424 officials with the title Muhabere Memuru in the same years, Hoca Sar Efendi had the 142nd highest salary.
- Tahir Efendi21 shared years; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Nikola Yunani Efendi21 shared years; highest salary 1,350 kuruş
- Mehmet Nazım Efendi21 shared years; highest salary 1,300 kuruş
- Taşçıyan Markar Efendi21 shared years; highest salary 1,300 kuruş
- Şarl Laze Efendi21 shared years; highest salary 1,250 kuruş
Same school
Of the 53 officials with Mekteb-i Sultani among their schools, Hoca Sar Efendi had the 10th highest salary.
- İstapan Parunaki Efendiborn 1853/54 (AH 1270); highest salary 1,550 kuruş
- Ovadis Kadikyanborn 1853/54 (AH 1270); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Abdurrahman Serafettin Efendiborn 1852/53 (AH 1269); highest salary 25,000 kuruş
- Ömer Mustafa Beyborn 1854/55 (AH 1271); highest salary 430 kuruş
- Vahram Beyborn 1855/56 (AH 1272); highest salary 2,000 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 1,999 officials born in Istanbul, 1,997 have a recorded salary; Hoca Sar Efendi had the 282nd highest salary of them.
- Agop Maryan Efendiborn 1853/54 (AH 1270); highest salary 750 kuruş
- Ahmet Canib Efendiborn 1853/54 (AH 1270); highest salary 590 kuruş
- Ahmet Naim Efendiborn 1853/54 (AH 1270); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Ali Haydar Efendiborn 1853/54 (AH 1270); highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Ali Riza Efendiborn 1853/54 (AH 1270); highest salary 600 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 69 officials whose first annual entry is for 1873/74 (AH 1290), Hoca Sar Efendi had the 14th highest salary.
- Andon Efendifirst entry in Beyoğlu; highest salary 900 kuruş
- Kirkor Tütüncüyan Efendifirst entry in Beyoğlu; highest salary 500 kuruş
- Sezar Lanse Efendifirst entry in Beyoğlu; highest salary 650 kuruş
- Hüseyin Remzi Efendifirst entry in Niš (Niş); highest salary 500 kuruş
- İsmail Hakkı Efendifirst entry in Hillah (Hille); highest salary 760 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (35)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1873/74AH 1290 | Muhabere Memuru | Beyoğlu | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 132;257 |
| 1874/75AH 1291 | Muhabere Memuru | Büyükdere | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 132;257 |
| 1875/76AH 1292 | Muhabere Memuru | Büyükdere | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 132;257 |
| 1876/77AH 1293 | Muhabere Memuru | Beyoğlu | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 132;257 |
| 1877/78AH 1294 | Muhabere Memuru | Beyoğlu | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 132;257 |
| 1878AH 1295 | Muhabere Memuru | Beyoğlu | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 132;257 |
| 1878/79AH 1296 | Muhabere Memuru | Beyoğlu | 550 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 132;257 |
| 1879/80AH 1297 | Muhabere Memuru | Beyoğlu | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 132;257 |
| 1880/81AH 1298 | Muhabere Memuru | Beyoğlu | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 132;257 |
| 1881/82AH 1299 | Muhabere Memuru | Beyoğlu | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 132;257 |
| 1882/83AH 1300 | Muhabere Memuru | Beyoğlu | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 132;257 |
| 1883/84AH 1301 | Muhabere Memuru | Beyoğlu | 450 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 132;257 |
| 1884/85AH 1302 | Muhabere Memuru | Beyoğlu | 450 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 132;257 |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Muhabere Memuru | Beyoğlu | 450 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 132;257 |
| 1886/87AH 1304 | Muhabere Memuru | Beyoğlu | 450 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 132;257 |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Muhabere Memuru | Beyoğlu | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 132;257 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Muhabere Memuru | Beyoğlu | 550 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 132;257 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Muhabere Memuru | Beyoğlu | 550 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 132;257 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Muhabere Memuru | Beyoğlu | 550 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 132;257 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Muhabere Memuru | Beyoğlu | 550 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 132;257 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Muhabere Memuru | Beyoğlu | 550 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 132;257 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Beyoğlu | 575 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 132;257 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Beyoğlu | 575 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 132;257 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Beyoğlu | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 132;257 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Beyoğlu | 562 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 132;257 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Beyoğlu | 562 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 132;257 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Beyoğlu | 562 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 132;257 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Beyoğlu | 562 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 132;257 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Beyoğlu | 562 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 132;257 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Beyoğlu | 597 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 132;257 |
| 1902/03AH 1320 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Beyoğlu | 597 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 132;257 |
| 1903/04AH 1321 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Beyoğlu | 597 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 132;257 |
| 1904/05AH 1322 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Beyoğlu | 597 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 132;257 |
| 1905/06AH 1323 | Merkez Memuru | Aleppo (Halep) | 1,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 132;257 |
| 1906/07AH 1324 | Merkez Memuru | Aleppo (Halep) | 1,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58- 132;257 |
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 (13)
| Field | Recorded value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Name | Hoca Sar Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1270 | 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 |
| Religion | Hristiyan | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Nationality or community | Ermeni | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Schooling | ||
| School | Mektebi Sultani | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Years of schooling | 12 | 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) | 1289 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1872 | 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) | 300 | 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.
- 34 annual entries of 35 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
- Hoca Sar Efendi
- Communications official (Muhabere Memuru)
- Beyoğlu
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Imperial School (Mekteb-i Sultani)
- Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)
- Armenian Christian (Ermeni)
- 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)