Official
Mehmet Sait Efend
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Varna in 1832/33 (AH 1248). On record 1864 to 1905, 40 annual entries.
Archive reference 114_192; 379
Life#
Mehmet Sait Efend was born in Varna in 1832/33 (AH 1248) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community; the father was a tradesman (esnaf). Schooling took four years, at a school for young children (Sıbyan Mektebi).
Work began in Istanbul in 1864/65, at about 32, paid from the start, on 240 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 32 or older. The annual lists begin in 1864/65, with Mehmet Sait as an official for written correspondence (Muharrerat Memuru) in Beyoğlu, where the entries run to 1870/71. Next came a return to Varna, the birthplace, from 1871 to 1878, with a rise to Bascavus, then Hadımköy in 1878/79. The annual lists then follow Mehmet Sait to Trabzon from 1880 to 1888, then Enez (İnoz) and Şarköy from 1888 to 1897. The last posts were in Istanbul from 1897 to 1905. Entries spanning 42 years are rare, reached by fewer than 3 per cent of the 5,211 officials.
Pay rose from 240 kuruş a month in 1864/65 to a peak of 620 in 1871/72, as Bascavus in Varna, when 59 per cent of paid officials earned less. Over 40 years the salaries add up to 171,324 kuruş, 67 per cent of what an official on the median salary earned. The last 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.
Born 1832/33 (AH 1248)
First work 1864/65 (AH 1281)
1897 to 1905 (AH 1315 to 1322)
400 to 550 kuruş a month; entries in 8 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.
The numbers of the chart
| Year | Salary | Median, all officials | Median, same title | Paid less |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1864/65 | 240 | 625 | 7% | |
| 1865/66 | 240 | 650 | 7% | |
| 1866/67 | 240 | 600 | 5% | |
| 1867/68 | 240 | 600 | 4% | |
| 1868/69 | 240 | 600 | 6% | |
| 1869/70 | 240 | 600 | 9% | |
| 1870/71 | 240 | 600 | 8% | |
| 1871/72 | 620 | 550 | 59% | |
| 1872/73 | 620 | 550 | 58% | |
| 1873/74 | 620 | 500 | 59% | |
| 1874/75 | 620 | 535 | 59% | |
| 1875/76 | 620 | 530 | 59% | |
| 1876/77 | 500 | 582.5 | 36% | |
| 1877/78 | 500 | 560 | 36% | |
| 1878/79 | 400 | 600 | 250 | 18% |
| 1880/81 | 380 | 500 | 350 | 21% |
| 1881/82 | 380 | 500 | 325 | 20% |
| 1882/83 | 237 | 500 | 300 | 6% |
| 1883/84 | 237 | 500 | 300 | 6% |
| 1884/85 | 237 | 500 | 350 | 5% |
| 1885/86 | 237 | 500 | 300 | 6% |
| 1886/87 | 237 | 500 | 300 | 6% |
| 1887/88 | 237 | 500 | 300 | 6% |
| 1888/89 | 285 | 500 | 300 | 10% |
| 1889/90 | 285 | 500 | 292.5 | 12% |
| 1890/91 | 285 | 500 | 300 | 13% |
| 1891/92 | 285 | 500 | 292.5 | 15% |
| 1892/93 | 285 | 500 | 292.5 | 15% |
| 1893/94 | 285 | 500 | 300 | 16% |
| 1894/95 | 285 | 500 | 300 | 16% |
| 1895/96 | 285 | 500 | 292.5 | 16% |
| 1896/97 | 285 | 500 | 300 | 17% |
| 1897/98 | 400 | 500 | 430 | 32% |
| 1898/99 | 400 | 500 | 440 | 31% |
| 1899/1900 | 400 | 500 | 440 | 31% |
| 1900/01 | 400 | 500 | 452.5 | 31% |
| 1901/02 | 400 | 500 | 445 | 32% |
| 1902/03 | 400 | 500 | 470 | 33% |
| 1903/04 | 400 | 475 | 490 | 36% |
| 1904/05 | 550 | 450 | 500 | 65% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1864/65AH 1281 | First work | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 240first-salary field |
| 1864 to 1871AH 1281 to 1287 | Muharrerat Memuru | Beyoğlu | 240 |
| 1871 to 1878AH 1288 to 1294 | Bascavus | Varna | 620 to 500 |
| No annual entry: 1878 (AH 1295) | |||
| 1878/79AH 1296 | Çavuş | Hadımköy | 400 |
| No annual entry: 1879/80 (AH 1297) | |||
| 1880 to 1888AH 1298 to 1305 | Çavuş | Trabzon | 380 to 237 |
| 1888 to 1891AH 1306 to 1308 | Çavuş | Enez (İnoz) | 285 |
| 1891 to 1897AH 1309 to 1314 | Çavuş | Şarköy | 285 |
| 1897 to 1905AH 1315 to 1322 | Sevk Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 400 to 550 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1832/33 (AH 1248)
- Birthplace
- Varna
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- Esnaf
Education
- Primary
- Sıbyan Mektebi (4 years)school for young children (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
- Turkish
- Kitabetwriting
The glosses are cautious historical readings of the recorded words, not modern levels of proficiency.
First work
- Year
- 1864/65 (AH 1281)
- Place
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 240
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 41 officials with entries in Trabzon in the same years, Mehmet Sait Efend had the 30th highest salary.
- Bekir Feyzi Efendi8 shared years; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Haci Lutfullah Efendi8 shared years; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Salih Efendi8 shared years; highest salary 425 kuruş
- İbrahim Agah Efendi7 shared years; highest salary 2,500 kuruş
- Armas Efendi7 shared years; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 45 officials with the title Çavuş in the same years, Mehmet Sait Efend had the 15th highest salary.
- Haci İsmail Hakki Efendi14 shared years; highest salary 500 kuruş
- Sadettin Efendi11 shared years; highest salary 600 kuruş
- Kamil Hakki Efendi10 shared years; highest salary 750 kuruş
- Abdullah Süreyya Efendi10 shared years; highest salary 540 kuruş
- Tevfik Efendi9 shared years; highest salary 300 kuruş
Same school
Of the 746 officials with Sıbyan Mektebi among their schools, 745 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Sait Efend had the 398th highest salary of them.
- Ahmet Tevfik Beyborn 1832/33 (AH 1248); highest salary 3,000 kuruş
- Es-Seyyid Ali Riza Efendiborn 1832/33 (AH 1248); highest salary 800 kuruş
- Hacı Mahmut Rifat Efendiborn 1832/33 (AH 1248); highest salary 3,000 kuruş
- İbrahim Kâmil Efendiborn 1832/33 (AH 1248); highest salary 4,500 kuruş
- Mehmet Emin Efendiborn 1832/33 (AH 1248); highest salary 1,875 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 15 officials born in Varna, Mehmet Sait Efend had the 6th highest salary.
- Ahmet Rıfat Efendiborn 1838/39 (AH 1254); highest salary 3,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Emin Efendiborn 1838/39 (AH 1254); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Şemsettin Efendiborn 1844/45 (AH 1260); highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Seyyit Ahmet Naci Efendiborn 1849/50 (AH 1266); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Salih Rıfat Efendiborn 1853/54 (AH 1270); highest salary 150 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 40 officials whose first annual entry is for 1864/65 (AH 1281), Mehmet Sait Efend had the 38th highest salary.
- Mihr Tavikyan Efendifirst entry in Beyoğlu; highest salary 1,250 kuruş
- Unnamed official (0007_0149; 295)first entry in Beyoğlu; highest salary 1,250 kuruş
- Hacı Mahmut Rifat Efendifirst annual entry 1864/65 (AH 1281); highest salary 3,000 kuruş
- Kadri Paşafirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 5,000 kuruş
- Karabet Efendifirst entry in Beirut (Beyrut); highest salary 720 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (40)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1864/65AH 1281 | Muharrerat Memuru | Beyoğlu | 240 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_192; 379 |
| 1865/66AH 1282 | Muharrerat Memuru | Beyoğlu | 240 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_192; 379 |
| 1866/67AH 1283 | Muharrerat Memuru | Beyoğlu | 240 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_192; 379 |
| 1867/68AH 1284 | Muharrerat Memuru | Beyoğlu | 240 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_192; 379 |
| 1868/69AH 1285 | Muharrerat Memuru | Beyoğlu | 240 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_192; 379 |
| 1869/70AH 1286 | Muharrerat Memuru | Beyoğlu | 240 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_192; 379 |
| 1870/71AH 1287 | Muharrerat Memuru | Beyoğlu | 240 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_192; 379 |
| 1871/72AH 1288 | Bascavus | Varna | 620 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_192; 379 |
| 1872/73AH 1289 | Bascavus | Varna | 620 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_192; 379 |
| 1873/74AH 1290 | Bascavus | Varna | 620 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_192; 379 |
| 1874/75AH 1291 | Bascavus | Varna | 620 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_192; 379 |
| 1875/76AH 1292 | Bascavus | Varna | 620 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_192; 379 |
| 1876/77AH 1293 | Bascavus | Varna | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_192; 379 |
| 1877/78AH 1294 | Bascavus | Varna | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_192; 379 |
| 1878/79AH 1296 | Çavuş | Hadımköy | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_192; 379 |
| 1880/81AH 1298 | Çavuş | Trabzon | 380 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_192; 379 |
| 1881/82AH 1299 | Çavuş | Trabzon | 380 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_192; 379 |
| 1882/83AH 1300 | Çavuş | Trabzon | 237 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_192; 379 |
| 1883/84AH 1301 | Çavuş | Trabzon | 237 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_192; 379 |
| 1884/85AH 1302 | Çavuş | Trabzon | 237 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_192; 379 |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Çavuş | Trabzon | 237 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_192; 379 |
| 1886/87AH 1304 | Çavuş | Trabzon | 237 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_192; 379 |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Çavuş | Trabzon | 237 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_192; 379 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Çavuş | Enez (İnoz) | 285 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_192; 379 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Çavuş | Enez (İnoz) | 285 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_192; 379 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Çavuş | Enez (İnoz) | 285 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_192; 379 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Çavuş | Şarköy | 285 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_192; 379 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Çavuş | Şarköy | 285 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_192; 379 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Çavuş | Şarköy | 285 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_192; 379 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Çavuş | Şarköy | 285 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_192; 379 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Çavuş | Şarköy | 285 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_192; 379 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Çavuş | Şarköy | 285 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_192; 379 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | Sevk Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_192; 379 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Sevk Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_192; 379 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | Sevk Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_192; 379 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | Sevk Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_192; 379 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | Sevk Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_192; 379 |
| 1902/03AH 1320 | Sevk Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_192; 379 |
| 1903/04AH 1321 | Sevk Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_192; 379 |
| 1904/05AH 1322 | Sevk Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 550 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 114_192; 379 |
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 | Mehmet Sait Efend | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1248 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birthplace | varna | 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 | Sibyan 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) | 0 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work | ||
| First work: year (AH) | 1281 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1864 | Recovered annual personnel extract |
| First work: place | istanbul | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First salary field (kuruş a month) | 240 | 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.
- 34 annual entries of 40 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
- Mehmet Sait Efend
- Sergeant (Çavuş)
- Trabzon
- Varna
- School for young children (Sıbyan 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)