Official
Karakin Efendi
Armenian Christian (Ermeni). Born in Istanbul (Dersaadet) in 1851/52 (AH 1268). On record 1871 to 1907, 37 annual entries.
Archive reference 22_202; 391
Life#
Born in Istanbul in 1851/52 (AH 1268) into the Armenian Christian (Ermeni) community, Karakin Efendi was the child of a merchant (tüccar). Schooling took 14 years, at the Mekteb-i Hukuk-i Sahane; Karakin also held a qualification (a diploma, certificate, training or decoration). In all Karakin knew four languages, Armenian, French and Turkish in writing and Greek (Rum) in speech; fewer than 5 per cent of the 5,211 officials knew as many. Of the 5,146 officials with a school, no other studied at Mekteb-i Hukuk-i Sahane.
Work began in the postal service (Posta) in Istanbul in 1868/69, at about 16, with three unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 380 kuruş. The first annual entry, for 1871/72, places Karakin in Üsküdar as Sehir Posta Memuru. The annual lists then follow Karakin to Galata from 1872 to 1876. From 1876 to 1907 the annual entries place Karakin in Istanbul, the birthplace, first in the stamp clerkship (Pul Kitabeti), from 1880/81 as Dava Kalemi Muavini, from 1892/93 as Dava Kalemi Muduru and from 1901/02 as Tahsilat Kalemleri Muduru.
Pay rose from 380 kuruş a month in 1871/72 to a peak of 2,000 in 1897/98, as Dava Kalemi Muduru in Istanbul, when 97 per cent of paid officials earned less. The last annual entry is for 1906/07. Karakin received a rank (rütbe).
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.
1876 to 1907 (AH 1293 to 1324)
Pul Kitabeti 1876 to 1880 (AH 1293 to 1297); Dava Kalemi Muavini 1880 to 1892 (AH 1298 to 1309); Dava Kalemi Muduru 1892 to 1901 (AH 1310 to 1318); Tahsilat Kalemleri Muduru 1901 to 1907 (AH 1319 to 1324)
800 to 2,000 kuruş a month; entries in 32 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1871/72 | 380 | 550 | 500 | 20% | |
| 1872/73 | 450 | 550 | 390 | 550 | 35% |
| 1873/74 | 450 | 500 | 425 | 500 | 35% |
| 1874/75 | 450 | 535 | 400 | 522.5 | 32% |
| 1875/76 | 450 | 530 | 450 | 550 | 34% |
| 1876/77 | 1,000 | 582.5 | 800 | 587.5 | 77% |
| 1877/78 | 1,000 | 560 | 800 | 600 | 79% |
| 1878 | 1,000 | 600 | 800 | 600 | 76% |
| 1878/79 | 1,000 | 600 | 600 | 77% | |
| 1879/80 | 800 | 500 | 500 | 77% | |
| 1880/81 | 1,200 | 500 | 500 | 87% | |
| 1881/82 | 1,200 | 500 | 500 | 86% | |
| 1882/83 | 1,200 | 500 | 500 | 86% | |
| 1883/84 | 1,200 | 500 | 500 | 86% | |
| 1884/85 | 1,200 | 500 | 500 | 86% | |
| 1885/86 | 1,200 | 500 | 500 | 87% | |
| 1886/87 | 1,200 | 500 | 500 | 87% | |
| 1887/88 | 1,500 | 500 | 500 | 92% | |
| 1888/89 | 1,500 | 500 | 500 | 92% | |
| 1889/90 | 1,500 | 500 | 500 | 93% | |
| 1890/91 | 1,500 | 500 | 500 | 93% | |
| 1891/92 | 1,500 | 500 | 500 | 94% | |
| 1892/93 | 1,500 | 500 | 500 | 94% | |
| 1893/94 | 1,500 | 500 | 480 | 94% | |
| 1894/95 | 1,500 | 500 | 450 | 94% | |
| 1895/96 | 1,750 | 500 | 440 | 95% | |
| 1896/97 | 1,575 | 500 | 425 | 96% | |
| 1897/98 | 2,000 | 500 | 425 | 97% | |
| 1898/99 | 2,000 | 500 | 440 | 97% | |
| 1899/1900 | 2,000 | 500 | 450 | 97% | |
| 1900/01 | 2,000 | 500 | 450 | 96% | |
| 1901/02 | 2,000 | 500 | 440 | 96% | |
| 1902/03 | 2,000 | 500 | 450 | 96% | |
| 1903/04 | 2,000 | 475 | 450 | 96% | |
| 1904/05 | 2,000 | 450 | 450 | 96% | |
| 1905/06 | 2,000 | 475 | 425 | 95% | |
| 1906/07 | 2,000 | 450 | 470 | 95% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1868/69AH 1285 | Postafirst work | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 380first-salary field |
| 1871/72AH 1288 | Sehir Posta Memuru | Üsküdar | 380 |
| 1872 to 1876AH 1289 to 1292 | Posta Memuru | Galata | 450 |
| 1876 to 1880AH 1293 to 1297 | Pul Kitabeti | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,000 to 800 |
| 1880 to 1892AH 1298 to 1309 | Dava Kalemi Muavini | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,200 to 1,500 |
| 1892 to 1901AH 1310 to 1318 | Dava Kalemi Muduru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,500 to 2,000 |
| 1901 to 1907AH 1319 to 1324 | Tahsilat Kalemleri Muduru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 2,000 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1851/52 (AH 1268)
- Birthplace
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Community
- Armenian Christian (Ermeni)
- Nationality as recorded
- Ermeni
- Father's occupation
- Tuccar
Education
- Higher or professional
- Mekteb-i Hukuk-i Sahane (14 years)place of the school as worded: uskudar
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 3 years
- Preparation route (classification of the paper)
- Other High
- Qualification (diploma, certificate, training or nişan)
- Yes
The years count all schooling up to that school, as the record gives them.
Languages
- Armenian
- Kitabetwriting
- French
- Kitabetwriting
- Greek (Rum)
- Tekellumspeaking. Rum is the word of the records for Greek as spoken by the Orthodox Christians of the empire. It is kept apart from the column Greek, which the records also have
- Turkish
- Kitabetwriting
The glosses are cautious historical readings of the recorded words, not modern levels of proficiency.
First work
- Year
- 1868/69 (AH 1285)
- Place
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- First job as worded
- Posta
- Age at first work (workbook field)
- 17
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 380
- First-job salary of the original workbook (kuruş a month)
- 380
Honours and ranks
- Rank (recorded code)
- 3; 2
Notes from the record
- Merit and competence grade (recorded code)
- 1
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 8 officials who held Pul Kitabeti in Istanbul in the same years, Karakin Efendi had the highest salary.
- Mıgırdıç Şinavder Efendi5 shared years; highest salary 500 kuruş
- Hüseyin Besim Efendi4 shared years; highest salary 1,350 kuruş
- Bekir Sami Efend3 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Bekir Sami Efendi3 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Hacı İsmail Efendi2 shared years; highest salary 1,560 kuruş
Same place, same years
Of the 1,489 officials with entries in Istanbul in the same years, Karakin Efendi had the 163rd highest salary.
- Suleyman Resat Bey32 shared years; highest salary 7,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Hayri Bey32 shared years; highest salary 5,500 kuruş
- Melkok Efendi32 shared years; highest salary 5,000 kuruş
- Unnamed official (0007_0144; 285)32 shared years; highest salary 2,750 kuruş
- Salih Tevfik Efendi32 shared years; highest salary 2,600 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 9 officials with the title Pul Kitabeti in the same years, Karakin Efendi had the highest salary.
- Mikail Makakyan Efendi5 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Mıgırdıç Şinavder Efendi5 shared years; highest salary 500 kuruş
- Hüseyin Besim Efendi4 shared years; highest salary 1,350 kuruş
- Bekir Sami Efend3 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Bekir Sami Efendi3 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 1,999 officials born in Istanbul, 1,997 have a recorded salary; Karakin Efendi had the 139th highest salary of them.
- Ahmet Hilmi Efendiborn 1851/52 (AH 1268); highest salary 800 kuruş
- Ahmet Rıfat Efendiborn 1851/52 (AH 1268); highest salary 650 kuruş
- Ahmet Safvet Efendiborn 1851/52 (AH 1268); highest salary 700 kuruş
- Ali Beyborn 1851/52 (AH 1268); highest salary 2,000 kuruş
- Bahcivan Oglu Kalparki Efendiborn 1851/52 (AH 1268); highest salary 2,500 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 62 officials whose first annual entry is for 1871/72 (AH 1288), Karakin Efendi had the 7th highest salary.
- Mustafa Asım Efendifirst entry in Üsküdar; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Hüseyin Hilmi Beyfirst entry in Üsküdar; highest salary 2,200 kuruş
- Mustafa Kâmil Beyfirst entry in Üsküdar; highest salary 750 kuruş
- Ahmet Hilmi Efendifirst entry in Marmaris; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Ahmet Kâşif Efendifirst entry in Veliko Tarnovo (Tırnova); highest salary 600 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (37)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1871/72AH 1288 | Sehir Posta Memuru | Üsküdar | 380 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 22_202; 391 |
| 1872/73AH 1289 | Posta Memuru | Galata | 450 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 22_202; 391 |
| 1873/74AH 1290 | Posta Memuru | Galata | 450 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 22_202; 391 |
| 1874/75AH 1291 | Posta Memuru | Galata | 450 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 22_202; 391 |
| 1875/76AH 1292 | Posta Memuru | Galata | 450 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 22_202; 391 |
| 1876/77AH 1293 | Pul Kitabeti | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 22_202; 391 |
| 1877/78AH 1294 | Pul Kitabeti | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 22_202; 391 |
| 1878AH 1295 | Pul Kitabeti | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 22_202; 391 |
| 1878/79AH 1296 | Pul Kitabeti | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 22_202; 391 |
| 1879/80AH 1297 | Pul Kitabeti | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 22_202; 391 |
| 1880/81AH 1298 | Dava Kalemi Muavini | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,200 | Justice (Adliye) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 22_202; 391 |
| 1881/82AH 1299 | Dava Kalemi Muavini | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,200 | Justice (Adliye) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 22_202; 391 |
| 1882/83AH 1300 | Dava Kalemi Muavini | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,200 | Justice (Adliye) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 22_202; 391 |
| 1883/84AH 1301 | Dava Kalemi Muavini | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,200 | Justice (Adliye) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 22_202; 391 |
| 1884/85AH 1302 | Dava Kalemi Muavini | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,200 | Justice (Adliye) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 22_202; 391 |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Dava Kalemi Muavini | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,200 | Justice (Adliye) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 22_202; 391 |
| 1886/87AH 1304 | Dava Kalemi Muavini | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,200 | Justice (Adliye) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 22_202; 391 |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Dava Kalemi Muavini | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,500 | Justice (Adliye) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 22_202; 391 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Dava Kalemi Muavini | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,500 | Justice (Adliye) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 22_202; 391 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Dava Kalemi Muavini | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,500 | Justice (Adliye) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 22_202; 391 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Dava Kalemi Muavini | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,500 | Justice (Adliye) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 22_202; 391 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Dava Kalemi Muavini | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,500 | Justice (Adliye) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 22_202; 391 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Dava Kalemi Muduru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,500 | Justice (Adliye) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 22_202; 391 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Dava Kalemi Muduru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,500 | Justice (Adliye) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 22_202; 391 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Dava Kalemi Muduru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,500 | Justice (Adliye) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 22_202; 391 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Dava Kalemi Muduru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,750 | Justice (Adliye) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 22_202; 391 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Dava Kalemi Muduru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,575 | Justice (Adliye) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 22_202; 391 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | Dava Kalemi Muduru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 2,000 | Justice (Adliye) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 22_202; 391 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Dava Kalemi Muduru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 2,000 | Justice (Adliye) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 22_202; 391 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | Dava Kalemi Muduru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 2,000 | Justice (Adliye) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 22_202; 391 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | Dava Kalemi Muduru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 2,000 | Justice (Adliye) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 22_202; 391 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | Tahsilat Kalemleri Muduru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 2,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 22_202; 391 |
| 1902/03AH 1320 | Tahsilat Kalemleri Muduru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 2,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 22_202; 391 |
| 1903/04AH 1321 | Tahsilat Kalemleri Muduru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 2,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 22_202; 391 |
| 1904/05AH 1322 | Tahsilat Kalemleri Muduru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 2,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 22_202; 391 |
| 1905/06AH 1323 | Tahsilat Kalemleri Muduru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 2,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 22_202; 391 |
| 1906/07AH 1324 | Tahsilat Kalemleri Muduru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 2,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 22_202; 391 |
What the sources named in this table are
- Cross-ministry personnel workbook
- A personnel workbook with the annual entries in institutions other than the Post and Telegraph (justice, land registry, customs, police and others), with the same annual fields as the personnel workbook.
- 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 (28)
| Field | Recorded value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Name | Karakin Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Linked personnel workbook |
| Birth year (AH) | 1268 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace | dersaadet used on this page | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birthplace | istanbul other value | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace: district (kaza) | istanbul | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace: sancak | istanbul | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace: province (vilayet) | istanbul | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Province of birth | dersaadet | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Father's occupation | Tuccar | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Religion | Hristiyan | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Nationality or community | Ermeni | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Schooling | ||
| School | Mekteb-i Hukuk-i sahane | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Place of the school | uskudar | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Years of schooling | 14 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Years of apprenticeship (mülazemet) | 3 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work | ||
| First work: year (AH) | 1285 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Linked personnel workbook |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1868 | Recovered annual personnel extract |
| First work: place | istanbul | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work: district (kaza) | istanbul | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work: sancak | istanbul | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work: province (vilayet) | istanbul | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First job as worded | Posta | Linked personnel workbook; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Age at first work (workbook field) | 17 | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First salary field (kuruş a month) | 380 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First-job salary of the original workbook (kuruş a month) | 380 | Linked personnel workbook; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Honours | ||
| Rank (recorded code) | 3 used on this page | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Rank (recorded code) | 2 other value | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Other recorded values | ||
| Merit and competence grade (recorded code) | 1 | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
What the sources named in this table are
- Cross-ministry personnel workbook
- A personnel workbook with the annual entries in institutions other than the Post and Telegraph (justice, land registry, customs, police and others), with the same annual fields as the personnel workbook.
- 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.
- Linked personnel workbook
- The original personnel workbook, from which selected fields on background and first work are taken.
- The sources give more than one value for a marked field. Every value is listed.
- Origin of the record: Post and Telegraph personnel records.
- 15 annual entries of 37 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
- Karakin Efendi
- Dava Kalemi Muavini
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Mekteb-i Hukuk-i Sahane
- Justice (Adliye)
- Armenian Christian (Ermeni)
- Dava Kalemi Muduru
- 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)