Official
İlyas Cercis Efendi
Syriac Christian (Süryani). Born in Mosul (Musul) in 1876/77 (AH 1293). On record 1899 to 1906, 7 annual entries.
Archive reference 102_235_465
Life#
İlyas Cercis Efendi was born in Mosul (Musul) in 1876/77 (AH 1293), into the Syriac Christian (Süryani) community. Schooling took four years, at a community school (Millet Mektebi). In all İlyas Cercis knew four languages, Arabic, English, French and Turkish, all in writing; fewer than 5 per cent of the 5,211 officials knew as many.
İlyas Cercis began work in Baghdad (Bağdat) in 1896/97, at about 20, with three unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 500 kuruş. From the first annual entry, for 1899/1900, to 1905/06, every annual entry places İlyas Cercis in the same post, official for foreign communications (Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti), in Basra.
The salary went from 500 kuruş a month in 1899/1900 to 750 in 1905/06, the peak, as Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti in Basra, when 77 per cent of paid officials earned less. The last annual entry is for 1905/06.
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 1876/77 (AH 1293)
First work 1896/97 (AH 1314)
1899 to 1906 (AH 1317 to 1323)
Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti
500 to 750 kuruş a month; entries in 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1899/1900 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 630 | 47% |
| 1900/01 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 657 | 47% |
| 1901/02 | 500 | 500 | 480 | 513 | 49% |
| 1902/03 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 630 | 49% |
| 1903/04 | 500 | 475 | 450 | 630 | 51% |
| 1904/05 | 500 | 450 | 455 | 506.5 | 52% |
| 1905/06 | 750 | 475 | 445 | 700 | 77% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1896/97AH 1314 | First work | Baghdad (Bağdat) | 500first-salary field |
| 1899 to 1906AH 1317 to 1323 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Basra | 500 to 750 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1876/77 (AH 1293)
- Birthplace
- Mosul (Musul)
- Community
- Syriac Christian (Süryani)
- Nationality as recorded
- Suryani
Education
- Community school
- Millet Mektebi (4 years)community school (school of a non-Muslim community)
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 3 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
- Arabic
- Kitabetwriting
- English
- Kitabetwriting
- French
- Kitabetwriting
- Turkish
- Kitabetwriting
The glosses are cautious historical readings of the recorded words, not modern levels of proficiency.
First work
- Year
- 1896/97 (AH 1314)
- Place
- Baghdad (Bağdat)
- 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 5 officials who held Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti in Basra in the same years, İlyas Cercis Efendi had the 3rd highest salary.
- Remzi Efendi5 shared years; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- YORGİ JORJ ESBİYADİ EFENDİ1 shared year; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Yusuf Sabanlı Efendi1 shared year; highest salary 750 kuruş
- Tevfik Efendi1 shared year; highest salary 500 kuruş
Same place, same years
Of the 17 officials with entries in Basra in the same years, İlyas Cercis Efendi had the 8th highest salary.
- Naum Salaho Efendi6 shared years; highest salary 1,300 kuruş
- Ali Saib Bey5 shared years; highest salary 2,000 kuruş
- Remzi Efendi5 shared years; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Artanis Hurşit Efendi5 shared years; highest salary 350 kuruş
- Mehmet Nuri Efendi4 shared years; highest salary 500 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 314 officials with the title Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti in the same years, İlyas Cercis Efendi had the 102nd highest salary.
- Garon Efendi7 shared years; highest salary 1,300 kuruş
- Taşçıyan Markar Efendi7 shared years; highest salary 1,300 kuruş
- Dikran Efendi7 shared years; highest salary 1,200 kuruş
- Acemyan Dikran Efendi7 shared years; highest salary 1,100 kuruş
- Ahmet Ragıp Efendi7 shared years; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
All 605 officials with the title Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti
Same school
Of the 263 officials with Millet Mektebi among their schools, İlyas Cercis Efendi had the 62nd highest salary.
- Baruh Velensi Efendiborn 1876/77 (AH 1293); highest salary 760 kuruş
- Behor İsak Efendiborn 1876/77 (AH 1293); highest salary 800 kuruş
- Behor Mois Efendiborn 1876/77 (AH 1293); highest salary 330 kuruş
- Devay Efendiborn 1876/77 (AH 1293); highest salary 760 kuruş
- Karabet Asadoryan Efendiborn 1876/77 (AH 1293); highest salary 700 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 22 officials born in Mosul (Musul), İlyas Cercis Efendi had the 9th highest salary.
- Yusuf Sabanlı Efendiborn 1876/77 (AH 1293); highest salary 750 kuruş
- Hamit Efendiborn 1878 (AH 1295); highest salary 200 kuruş
- Davud Fehmi Efendiborn 1880/81 (AH 1298); highest salary 200 kuruş
- Habib Efendiborn 1882/83 (AH 1300); highest salary 400 kuruş
- Futuhi Efendiborn 1867/68 (AH 1284); highest salary 300 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 87 officials whose first annual entry is for 1899/1900 (AH 1317), İlyas Cercis Efendi had the 13th highest salary.
- Ahmet Ziya Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 170 kuruş
- Ali Mihri Efendifirst entry in Jeddah (Cidde); highest salary 720 kuruş
- Beşir Fuat Efendifirst entry in Sirkeci; highest salary 400 kuruş
- ESAT EFENDİfirst entry in Diyarbakır; highest salary 300 kuruş
- Mahmut Nedim Efendifirst entry in Yemen; highest salary 1,200 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (7)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Basra | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 102_235_465 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Basra | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 102_235_465 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Basra | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 102_235_465 |
| 1902/03AH 1320 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Basra | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 102_235_465 |
| 1903/04AH 1321 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Basra | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 102_235_465 |
| 1904/05AH 1322 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Basra | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 102_235_465 |
| 1905/06AH 1323 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Basra | 750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 102_235_465 |
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 | İlyas Cercis Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1293 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birthplace | musul | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Province of birth | musul | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Religion | Suryani | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Nationality or community | Suryani | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Schooling | ||
| School | Millet Mektebi | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Years of schooling | 4 | 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) | 1314 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1896 | Recovered annual personnel extract |
| First work: place | Bagdat | 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.
- 7 annual entries of 7 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
- İlyas Cercis Efendi
- Post of official for foreign communications (Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti)
- Basra
- Mosul (Musul)
- Community school (Millet Mektebi)
- Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)
- Syriac Christian (Süryani)
- 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)