Official
Ahmet Bican Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Constanța (Köstence) in 1856/57 (AH 1273). On record 1877 to 1897, 21 annual entries.
Archive reference 0034_0125; 247
Life#
Ahmet Bican Efendi was born in Constanța (Köstence) in 1856/57 (AH 1273) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community; the father was a tradesman (esnaf). Schooling took seven years, at a middle school (Rüşdiye Mektebi); Ahmet Bican also held a qualification (a diploma, certificate, training or decoration).
Work began in Constanța in 1874/75, at about 17, with three unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 500 kuruş. The first annual entry, for 1877/78, places Ahmet Bican in Vidin as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru), where the entries run to 1878/79. The annual lists then follow Ahmet Bican to Thessaloniki in 1879/80. From 1880 to 1897 the annual entries place Ahmet Bican in İzmit. Of the 1,586 officials whose entries span 20 years or more, fewer than 10 per cent kept one title throughout.
The salary went from 500 kuruş a month in 1877/78 to 600 in 1890/91, the peak, as Muhabere Memuru in İzmit, when 59 per cent of paid officials earned less. The last annual entry is for 1896/97.
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 1856/57 (AH 1273); First work 1874/75 (AH 1291)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1877/78 | 500 | 560 | 410 | 500 | 36% |
| 1878 | 500 | 600 | 500 | 750 | 33% |
| 1878/79 | 500 | 600 | 420 | 600 | 34% |
| 1879/80 | 380 | 500 | 380 | 390 | 22% |
| 1880/81 | 380 | 500 | 400 | 480 | 21% |
| 1881/82 | 380 | 500 | 400 | 480 | 20% |
| 1882/83 | 475 | 500 | 400 | 490 | 39% |
| 1883/84 | 475 | 500 | 400 | 480 | 40% |
| 1884/85 | 570 | 500 | 400 | 477.5 | 57% |
| 1885/86 | 570 | 500 | 400 | 475 | 57% |
| 1886/87 | 570 | 500 | 400 | 475 | 57% |
| 1887/88 | 570 | 500 | 400 | 475 | 57% |
| 1888/89 | 570 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 57% |
| 1889/90 | 570 | 500 | 400 | 520 | 57% |
| 1890/91 | 600 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 59% |
| 1891/92 | 600 | 500 | 400 | 540 | 59% |
| 1892/93 | 600 | 500 | 400 | 475 | 59% |
| 1893/94 | 600 | 500 | 400 | 475 | 60% |
| 1894/95 | 600 | 500 | 400 | 400 | 60% |
| 1895/96 | 600 | 500 | 400 | 400 | 59% |
| 1896/97 | 510 | 500 | 400 | 400 | 60% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1874/75AH 1291 | First work | Constanța (Köstence) | 500first-salary field |
| 1877 to 1879AH 1294 to 1296 | Muhabere Memuru | Vidin | 500 |
| 1879/80AH 1297 | Muhabere Memuru | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 380 |
| 1880 to 1897AH 1298 to 1314 | Muhabere Memuru | İzmit | 380 to 510 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1856/57 (AH 1273)
- Birthplace
- Constanța (Köstence)
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- Esnaf
Education
- Rüşdiye
- Rüşdiye Mektebi (7 years)rüşdiye school (middle school)
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 3 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
- 1874/75 (AH 1291)
- Place
- Constanța (Köstence)
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 500
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 12 officials who held Muhabere Memuru in İzmit in the same years, Ahmet Bican Efendi had the 6th highest salary.
- İbrahim Razıyyüttin Efendi9 shared years; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Fahri Efendi4 shared years; highest salary 600 kuruş
- Antas Remzi Efendi4 shared years; highest salary 500 kuruş
- Ahmet Sabri Efendi2 shared years; highest salary 720 kuruş
- Hüseyin Tıynet Efendi2 shared years; highest salary 600 kuruş
Same place, same years
Of the 26 officials with entries in İzmit in the same years, Ahmet Bican Efendi had the 15th highest salary.
- Halil Veliyuddîn Efendi16 shared years; highest salary 770 kuruş
- İbrahim Razıyyüttin Efendi15 shared years; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Nuri Efendi9 shared years; highest salary 675 kuruş
- Mehmet Nurettin Efendi5 shared years; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Antas Remzi Efendi5 shared years; highest salary 500 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 1,834 officials with the title Muhabere Memuru in the same years, Ahmet Bican Efendi had the 730th 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
- Şarl Laze Efendi21 shared years; highest salary 1,250 kuruş
- Hüseyin Efendi21 shared years; highest salary 1,200 kuruş
Same school
Of the 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi among their schools, 3,200 have a recorded salary; Ahmet Bican Efendi had the 852nd highest salary of them.
- Abdurrahman Rüştü Efendiborn 1856/57 (AH 1273); highest salary 760 kuruş
- Ahmet Efendiborn 1856/57 (AH 1273); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Ahmet Efendiborn 1856/57 (AH 1273); highest salary 200 kuruş
- Ahmet Hilmi Efendiborn 1856/57 (AH 1273); highest salary 400 kuruş
- Ahmet Rifat Efendiborn 1856/57 (AH 1273); highest salary 517 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 7 officials born in Constanța (Köstence), Ahmet Bican Efendi had the 5th highest salary.
- Unnamed official (0049_0039; 75)born 1852/53 (AH 1269); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Unnamed official (0067_0242; sayfa no:481)born 1862/63 (AH 1279); highest salary 720 kuruş
- Mehmet Salim Efendiborn 1847/48 (AH 1264); highest salary 800 kuruş
- İsmail Sabri Efendiborn 1845 (AH 1261); highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Mazlum Efendiborn 1871/72 (AH 1288); highest salary 600 kuruş
The page of Constanța (Köstence), with the 7 officials born there
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 118 officials whose first annual entry is for 1877/78 (AH 1294), Ahmet Bican Efendi had the 60th highest salary.
- Ahmet Fazıl Efendifirst entry in Acara-i sufla; highest salary 900 kuruş
- Alfo Efendifirst entry in Beyoğlu; highest salary 600 kuruş
- Hasan Nazmi Efendifirst entry in Domokos (Dömeke); highest salary 700 kuruş
- Hasan Ziver Efendifirst entry in Niš (Niş); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Hasib Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 750 kuruş
All 118 officials whose first annual entry is for 1877/78 (AH 1294)
Full record
Annual entries (21)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1877/78AH 1294 | Muhabere Memuru | Vidin | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0125; 247 |
| 1878AH 1295 | Muhabere Memuru | Vidin | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0125; 247 |
| 1878/79AH 1296 | Muhabere Memuru | Vidin | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0125; 247 |
| 1879/80AH 1297 | Muhabere Memuru | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 380 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0125; 247 |
| 1880/81AH 1298 | Muhabere Memuru | İzmit | 380 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0125; 247 |
| 1881/82AH 1299 | Muhabere Memuru | İzmit | 380 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0125; 247 |
| 1882/83AH 1300 | Muhabere Memuru | İzmit | 475 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0125; 247 |
| 1883/84AH 1301 | Muhabere Memuru | İzmit | 475 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0125; 247 |
| 1884/85AH 1302 | Muhabere Memuru | İzmit | 570 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0125; 247 |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Muhabere Memuru | İzmit | 570 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0125; 247 |
| 1886/87AH 1304 | Muhabere Memuru | İzmit | 570 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0125; 247 |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Muhabere Memuru | İzmit | 570 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0125; 247 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Muhabere Memuru | İzmit | 570 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0125; 247 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Muhabere Memuru | İzmit | 570 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0125; 247 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Muhabere Memuru | İzmit | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0125; 247 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Muhabere Memuru | İzmit | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0125; 247 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Muhabere Memuru | İzmit | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0125; 247 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Muhabere Memuru | İzmit | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0125; 247 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Muhabere Memuru | İzmit | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0125; 247 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Muhabere Memuru | İzmit | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0125; 247 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Muhabere Memuru | İzmit | 510 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0034_0125; 247 |
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 | Ahmet Bican Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1273 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birthplace | kostence | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Province of birth | tuna | 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) | 3 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work | ||
| First work: year (AH) | 1291 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1874 | Recovered annual personnel extract |
| First work: place | Kostence | 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 |
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.
- 21 annual entries of 21 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
- Ahmet Bican Efendi
- Communications official (Muhabere Memuru)
- İzmit
- Constanța (Köstence)
- 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)