Official
Mehmet Tahsin Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Istanbul (Dersaadet) in 1873/74 (AH 1290). On record 1888 to 1904, 15 annual entries.
Archive reference 69_185; 367
Life#
Born in Istanbul in 1873/74 (AH 1290) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community, Mehmet Tahsin Efendi was the child of a steward (kethüda). Mehmet Tahsin had seven years of schooling, at a middle school (Rüşdiye Mektebi).
Work began in Biga in 1888/89, at about 16, paid from the start, on 142 kuruş a month. The first annual entry, for 1888/89, places Mehmet Tahsin in Biga as Musillik, where the entries run to 1891/92. The annual lists then follow Mehmet Tahsin to Mecca (Mekke) from 1893 to 1898, with a rise to postal official (Posta Memuru). The last posts were in Acre (Akka) from 1898 to 1904. The farthest post, Mecca, lay about 2,400 km from Istanbul, and fewer than 4 per cent of the 5,162 officials with a known birthplace and place of service served as far from the birthplace.
Pay rose from 142 kuruş a month in 1888/89 to a peak of 350 in 1893/94, as Posta Memuru in Mecca, when 23 per cent of paid officials earned less. The last annual entry is for 1903/04.
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 1873/74 (AH 1290)
1893 to 1898 (AH 1311 to 1315)
No annual entry for 1892/93 (AH 1310) before it.
350 kuruş a month; entries in 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1888/89 | 142 | 500 | 150 | 2% |
| 1889/90 | 142 | 500 | 150 | 4% |
| 1890/91 | 142 | 500 | 150 | 5% |
| 1891/92 | 142 | 500 | 175 | 6% |
| 1893/94 | 350 | 500 | 350 | 23% |
| 1894/95 | 350 | 500 | 380 | 24% |
| 1895/96 | 350 | 500 | 352.5 | 24% |
| 1896/97 | 350 | 500 | 350 | 26% |
| 1897/98 | 350 | 500 | 350 | 27% |
| 1898/99 | 300 | 500 | 387.5 | 19% |
| 1899/1900 | 300 | 500 | 400 | 18% |
| 1900/01 | 300 | 500 | 400 | 18% |
| 1901/02 | 300 | 500 | 400 | 20% |
| 1902/03 | 300 | 500 | 400 | 21% |
| 1903/04 | 300 | 475 | 400 | 23% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1888/89AH 1306 | First work | Biga | 142first-salary field |
| 1888 to 1892AH 1306 to 1309 | Musillik | Biga | 142 |
| No annual entry: 1892/93 (AH 1310) | |||
| 1893 to 1898AH 1311 to 1315 | Posta Memuru | Mecca (Mekke) | 350 |
| 1898 to 1904AH 1316 to 1321 | Posta Memuru | Acre (Akka) | 300 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1873/74 (AH 1290)
- Birthplace
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- Kethuda
Education
- Rüşdiye
- Rüşdiye Mektebi (7 years)rüşdiye school (middle school)
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 0 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
- 1888/89 (AH 1306)
- Place
- Biga
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 142
Legal records
- Legal record note as worded
- Devamsızlık / Mumaileyh istihsal eylediği mezuniyet müddetini bir seneye karib bir zaman tecavüz ettirdiği halde memuriyeti başına gelmediğinden; Devamsızlık
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 12 officials with entries in Acre (Akka) in the same years, Mehmet Tahsin Efendi had the 11th highest salary.
- Mehmet Tevfik Efendi6 shared years; highest salary 1,100 kuruş
- Yosef Efendi6 shared years; highest salary 400 kuruş
- Hasan Tahsin Efendi3 shared years; highest salary 600 kuruş
- Mehmet Efendi3 shared years; highest salary 450 kuruş
- Petri Mahir Efendi3 shared years; highest salary 320 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 274 officials with the title Posta Memuru in the same years, Mehmet Tahsin Efendi had the 216th highest salary.
- Mehmed Zülfikar Efendi11 shared years; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Ruantuvan Efendi11 shared years; highest salary 750 kuruş
- Abdullah Fikri Efendi11 shared years; highest salary 600 kuruş
- Ali Rıza Efendi11 shared years; highest salary 600 kuruş
- Mehmet Eşref Efendi11 shared years; highest salary 540 kuruş
Same school
Of the 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi among their schools, 3,200 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Tahsin Efendi had the 2,129th highest salary of them.
- Abbas Rüştü Efendiborn 1873/74 (AH 1290); highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Abdülaziz Efendiborn 1873/74 (AH 1290); highest salary 750 kuruş
- Abdülbaki Efendiborn 1873/74 (AH 1290); highest salary 400 kuruş
- Abdülkerim Efendiborn 1873/74 (AH 1290); highest salary 675 kuruş
- Abdullah Efendiborn 1873/74 (AH 1290); highest salary 720 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 1,999 officials born in Istanbul, 1,997 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Tahsin Efendi had the 1,378th highest salary of them.
- Abdullah Zühdü Efendiborn 1873/74 (AH 1290); highest salary 400 kuruş
- Abdülvahap Efendiborn 1873/74 (AH 1290); highest salary 750 kuruş
- Abdürrahim Haşim Efendiborn 1873/74 (AH 1290); highest salary 750 kuruş
- Ahmet Efendiborn 1873/74 (AH 1290); highest salary 100 kuruş
- Ahmet Fuat Efendiborn 1873/74 (AH 1290); highest salary 800 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 114 officials whose first annual entry is for 1888/89 (AH 1306), 113 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Tahsin Efendi had the 101st highest salary of them.
- Abdurrahman Halis Efendifirst entry in Sivas; highest salary 900 kuruş
- Ahmet Hamdi Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 1,100 kuruş
- Cemal Efendifirst entry in Karaburun; highest salary 480 kuruş
- Ethem Muzaffer Efendifirst entry in Kıyıköy (Midye); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Mehmet Rıfat Efendifirst entry in Ünye; highest salary 500 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (15)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Musillik | Biga | 142 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 69_185; 367 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Musillik | Biga | 142 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 69_185; 367 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Musillik | Biga | 142 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 69_185; 367 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Musillik | Biga | 142 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 69_185; 367 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Posta Memuru | Mecca (Mekke) | 350 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 69_185; 367 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Posta Memuru | Mecca (Mekke) | 350 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 69_185; 367 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Posta Memuru | Mecca (Mekke) | 350 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 69_185; 367 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Posta Memuru | Mecca (Mekke) | 350 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 69_185; 367 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | Posta Memuru | Mecca (Mekke) | 350 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 69_185; 367 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Posta Memuru | Acre (Akka) | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 69_185; 367 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | Posta Memuru | Acre (Akka) | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 69_185; 367 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | Posta Memuru | Acre (Akka) | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 69_185; 367 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | Posta Memuru | Acre (Akka) | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 69_185; 367 |
| 1902/03AH 1320 | Posta Memuru | Acre (Akka) | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 69_185; 367 |
| 1903/04AH 1321 | Posta Memuru | Acre (Akka) | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 69_185; 367 |
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 (16)
| Field | Recorded value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Name | Mehmet Tahsin Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1290 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birthplace | dersaadet | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Province of birth | dersaadet | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Father's occupation | Kethuda | 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) | 0 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work | ||
| First work: year (AH) | 1306 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1889 | Recovered annual personnel extract |
| First work: place | Biga | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First salary field (kuruş a month) | 142 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Legal records | ||
| Legal record note as worded | Devamsızlık / Mumaileyh istihsal eylediği mezuniyet müddetini bir seneye karib bir zaman tecavüz ettirdiği halde memuriyeti başına gelmediğinden used on this page | Legal notes (earlier workbook copy); Legal notes (later workbook copy) |
| Legal record note as worded | Devamsızlık other value | Legal notes (earlier workbook copy); Legal notes (later workbook copy) |
What the sources named in this table are
- Legal notes (earlier workbook copy)
- A workbook of notes on legal records. The wording is kept as written. It may hold an accusation or an acquittal, it is not the finding of a court, and its year is the year of the record, not the date of an event.
- Legal notes (later workbook copy)
- A later copy of the workbook of notes on legal records. The same wording in both copies is one note, not two.
- 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.
- The sources give more than one value for a marked field. Every value is listed.
- Origin of the record: Post and Telegraph personnel records.
- 15 annual entries of 15 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 Tahsin Efendi
- Postal official (Posta Memuru)
- Acre (Akka)
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- 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)