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Ottoman BureaucracyPeople, places and careers in Ottoman public service

Official

Ahmet Cemal Efendi

Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Istanbul (Dersaadet) in 1880/81 (AH 1298). On record 1900 to 1905, 5 annual entries.

Life

Ahmet Cemal Efendi was born in Istanbul in 1880/81 (AH 1298) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community; the father's occupation was "Baskomiser". Schooling took seven years, at a middle school (Rüşdiye Mektebi).

Ahmet Cemal began work in Istanbul in 1897/98, at about 16, with three unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 50 kuruş. The first annual entry, for 1900/01, places Ahmet Cemal in Istanbul, the birthplace, as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru), where the entries run to 1903/04. The last post was in Edirne in 1904/05.

The salary went from 80 kuruş a month in 1900/01 to 500 in 1904/05, the peak, as Muhabere Memuru in Edirne, when 52 per cent of paid officials earned less. In all, five years of salary come to 11,520 kuruş, 39 per cent of what an official on the median salary earned in those years. The final annual entry is for 1904/05.

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 2 stops
birthplaceplace of annual entriesmove, with the year of the first entry there
1904/0512IstanbulEdirne
  1. Istanbul (Dersaadet)

    Born 1880/81 (AH 1298); First work 1897/98 (AH 1315); 1900 to 1904 (AH 1318 to 1321)

    Muhabere Memuru

    80 to 200 kuruş a month; entries in 4 years

  2. Edirne

    1904/05 (AH 1322)

    Muhabere Memuru

    500 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year

Career and salary

Monthly salary by year, kuruşsalary of the yearyears with one job titleno annual entry
02004006001900/01AH 13181901/02AH 13191902/03AH 13201903/04AH 13211904/05AH 1322500 kuruşMuhabere Memuru
Salary against the medians of the same year
501002005001900/01AH 13181901/02AH 13191902/03AH 13201903/04AH 13211904/05AH 1322This 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 Ahmet Cemal Efendi against the medians of the same year, kuruş a month
YearSalaryMedian, all officialsMedian, same titlePaid less
1900/01805004000%
1901/02805004001%
1902/031005003801%
1903/042004753508%
1904/0550045035052%

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 Ahmet Cemal Efendi, one row per stage
YearsTitlePlaceSalary (kuruş a month)
1897/98AH 1315First workIstanbul (Dersaadet)50first-salary field
1900 to 1904AH 1318 to 1321Muhabere Memuru
4 entries
YearSalary
1900/0180
1901/0280
1902/03100
1903/04200
Istanbul (Dersaadet)80 to 200
1904/05AH 1322Muhabere MemuruEdirne500

Record

Personal

Born
1880/81 (AH 1298)
Community
Muslim (Müslüman)
Nationality as recorded
Turkish
Father's occupation
Baskomiser

Education

Rüşdiye
Rüşdiye Mektebi (7 years)rüşdiye school (middle school)
Unpaid years (mülazemet)
3 years
Preparation route (classification of the paper)
Low
Qualification (diploma, certificate, training or nişan)
No

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
1897/98 (AH 1315)
First salary field (kuruş a month)
50

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 783 officials with entries in Istanbul in the same years, Ahmet Cemal Efendi had the 403rd highest salary.

All 1,750 officials with entries in Istanbul

Same job title, same years

Of the 1,318 officials with the title Muhabere Memuru in the same years, Ahmet Cemal Efendi had the 442nd highest salary.

All 3,162 officials with the title Muhabere Memuru

Same school

Of the 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi among their schools, 3,200 have a recorded salary; Ahmet Cemal Efendi had the 1,253rd highest salary of them.

All 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi

Same birthplace

Of the 1,999 officials born in Istanbul, 1,997 have a recorded salary; Ahmet Cemal Efendi had the 986th highest salary of them.

The page of Istanbul, with the 1,999 officials born there

First annual entry in the same year

Of the 140 officials whose first annual entry is for 1900/01 (AH 1318), 139 have a recorded salary; Ahmet Cemal Efendi had the 33rd highest salary of them.

Full record

Annual entries (5)

Annual entries of Ahmet Cemal Efendi
YearTitlePlaceKuruş a monthInstitutionSourceArchive reference
1900/01AH 1318Muhabere MemuruIstanbul (Dersaadet)80Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract119-55-105
1901/02AH 1319Muhabere MemuruIstanbul (Dersaadet)80Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract119-55-105
1902/03AH 1320Muhabere MemuruIstanbul (Dersaadet)100Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract119-55-105
1903/04AH 1321Muhabere MemuruIstanbul (Dersaadet)200Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract119-55-105
1904/05AH 1322Muhabere MemuruEdirne500Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract119-55-105
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)

Recorded values of Ahmet Cemal Efendi with their sources
FieldRecorded valueSource
Identity
NameAhmet Cemal EfendiPersonnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Birth year (AH)1298Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
BirthplacedersaadetRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Province of birthdersaadetRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Father's occupationbaskomiserRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
ReligionMuslumanRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Nationality or communityTurkishRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Schooling
SchoolRusdiye MektebiRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Years of schooling7Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Years of apprenticeship (mülazemet)3Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
First work
First work: year (AH)1315Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
First work: Gregorian year as stored1897Recovered annual personnel extract
First work: placeistanbulRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
First salary field (kuruş a month)50Recovered 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.
  • 5 annual entries of 5 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