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Ottoman BureaucracyPeople, places and careers in Ottoman public service

Official

Hamza Elvan Bey

Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Servia (Serfiçe) in 1827/28 (AH 1243). On record 1858 to 1862, 3 annual entries.

Archive reference 4_458; 910

Compare Hamza Elvan Bey with other officials

Life

Hamza Elvan Bey was born in Servia (Serfiçe) in 1827/28 (AH 1243) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community. Schooling took four years, at a primary school (İbtidai Mektebi); Hamza Elvan also wrote Turkish and had some knowledge of Greek (Rum).

At about 31, in 1858/59, Hamza Elvan began work in the postal service (Posta) in Yenisehir, paid from the start, on 400 kuruş a month. Few began so late; fewer than 3 per cent of the 5,128 officials whose age at first work is known started at 31 or older. The annual lists begin in 1858/59, with Hamza Elvan as an official (Memur) in Larissa (Yenişehir-i Fener), where the entries run to 1860/61. The last post was in Kastoria (Kesriye) in 1861/62.

The salary never rose above the first in the lists, 400 kuruş a month in 1858/59, as Memur in Larissa, when 41 per cent of paid officials earned less. Over three years the salaries add up to 13,800 kuruş, 71 per cent of what an official on the median salary earned. The last annual entry is for 1861/62.

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.

All 4 stops
birthplacefirst workplace of annual entriesmove, with the year of the first entry there
1858/591861/62134ServiaLarissaKastoria

Not on the map, as no position is recorded: stop 2 (Yenisehir).

  1. Servia (Serfiçe)

    Born 1827/28 (AH 1243)

  2. Yenisehir not on the map

    First work 1858/59 (AH 1275)

    First work as Posta

  3. Larissa (Yenişehir-i Fener)

    1858 to 1861 (AH 1275 to 1277)

    Memur

    400 kuruş a month; entries in 2 years

    No annual entry for 1859/60 (AH 1276).

  4. Kastoria (Kesriye)

    1861/62 (AH 1278)

    Nahiye Memuru

    350 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year

Career and salary

Monthly salary by year, kuruşsalary of the yearentry of another institutionyears with one job titleno annual entry
no entry01002003004001858/59AH 12751859/60AH 12761860/61AH 12771861/62AH 1278400 kuruşMemurNahiye Memuru
Salary against the medians of the same year
2005001,0001858/59AH 12751859/60AH 12761860/61AH 12771861/62AH 1278This officialMedian, all officialsMedian, same title

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
Salary of Hamza Elvan Bey against the medians of the same year, kuruş a month
YearSalaryMedian, all officialsMedian, same titlePaid less
1858/5940050032541%
1860/6140050047530%
1861/6235060024%

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.

Career of Hamza Elvan Bey, one row per stage
YearsTitlePlaceSalary (kuruş a month)
1858/59AH 1275Postafirst workYenisehir400first-salary field
1858/59AH 1275MemurLarissa (Yenişehir-i Fener)400
No annual entry: 1859/60 (AH 1276)
1860/61AH 1277MemurLarissa (Yenişehir-i Fener)400
1861/62AH 1278Nahiye Memuru
Other institution
Kastoria (Kesriye)350

Record

Personal

Born
1827/28 (AH 1243)
Community
Muslim (Müslüman)
Nationality as recorded
turkish

Education

Primary
İbtidai Mektebi (4 years)primary school
Unpaid years (mülazemet)
0 years
Preparation route (classification of the paper)
Low
Qualification (diploma, certificate, training or nişan)
NoShown as in the flag of the paper. The qualification column of the recovered extract gives yes.

The years count all schooling up to that school, as the record gives them.

Languages

Greek (Rum)
asinafamiliarity. 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
1858/59 (AH 1275)
First job as worded
Posta
Age at first work (workbook field)
30
First salary field (kuruş a month)
400
First-job salary of the original workbook (kuruş a month)
400

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 2 officials with entries in Larissa (Yenişehir-i Fener) in the same years, Hamza Elvan Bey had the lowest salary.

All 37 officials with entries in Larissa (Yenişehir-i Fener)

Same job title, same years

Of the 14 officials with the title Memur in the same years, Hamza Elvan Bey had the lowest salary.

All 338 officials with the title Memur

Same school

Of the 33 officials with İbtidai Mektebi among their schools, Hamza Elvan Bey had the 30th highest salary.

All 33 officials with İbtidai Mektebi

Same birthplace

Of the 3 officials born in Servia (Serfiçe), Hamza Elvan Bey had the 2nd highest salary.

The page of Servia (Serfiçe), with the 3 officials born there

First annual entry in the same year

Of the 24 officials whose first annual entry is for 1858/59 (AH 1275), Hamza Elvan Bey had the lowest salary.

Full record

Annual entries (3)

Annual entries of Hamza Elvan Bey
YearTitlePlaceKuruş a monthInstitutionSourceArchive reference
1858/59AH 1275MemurLarissa (Yenişehir-i Fener)400Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract4_458; 910
1860/61AH 1277MemurLarissa (Yenişehir-i Fener)400Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract4_458; 910
1861/62AH 1278Nahiye MemuruKastoria (Kesriye)350OtherCross-ministry personnel workbook4_458; 910
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 (22)

Recorded values of Hamza Elvan Bey with their sources
FieldRecorded valueSource
Identity
NameHamza Elvan BeyPersonnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Linked personnel workbook
Birth year (AH)1243Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook
BirthplaceserficeRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook
Birthplace: district (kaza)SerficeCross-ministry personnel workbook
Birthplace: sancakSerficeCross-ministry personnel workbook
Birthplace: province (vilayet)ManastirCross-ministry personnel workbook
Province of birthmanastirRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
ReligionMuslumanRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook
Nationality or communityTurkishRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook
Schooling
Schoolibtidai MektebiRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook
Years of schooling4Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook
Years of apprenticeship (mülazemet)0Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook
First work
First work: year (AH)1275Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Linked personnel workbook
First work: Gregorian year as stored1859Recovered annual personnel extract
First work: placeyenisehirRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook
First work: district (kaza)YenisehirCross-ministry personnel workbook
First work: sancakSelanikCross-ministry personnel workbook
First work: province (vilayet)SelanikCross-ministry personnel workbook
First job as wordedPostaLinked personnel workbook; Cross-ministry personnel workbook
Age at first work (workbook field)30Cross-ministry personnel workbook
First salary field (kuruş a month)400Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
First-job salary of the original workbook (kuruş a month)400Linked personnel workbook; 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.
  • Origin of the record: Post and Telegraph personnel records.

How to read this record: calendar years, years without an annual entry, salaries and sources.

Subjects