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Official

Mehmet Raif Efendi

Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Istanbul (Dersaadet) in 1874/75 (AH 1291). On record 1890 to 1907, 17 annual entries.

Archive reference 0085_0127: 249

Compare Mehmet Raif Efendi with other officials

Life

Born in Istanbul in 1874/75 (AH 1291) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community, Mehmet Raif Efendi was the child of a teacher (muallim). Mehmet Raif had 12 years of schooling, at the Imperial School (Mekteb-i Sultani), and wrote French as well as Turkish.

Work began in Istanbul in 1888/89, at about 15, with two unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 100 kuruş. The first annual entry, for 1890/91, places Mehmet Raif in Istanbul, the birthplace, as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru). The annual lists then follow Mehmet Raif to Heybeliada from 1891 to 1896, then Suakin in 1896/97, as an official for foreign communications (Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti). Next came Sheikh Said (Şeyh Said) from 1897 to 1906, with a rise to director (Müdür) in 1899/1900. The last post was in Van in 1906/07. The farthest post, Sheikh Said, lay about 3,450 km from Istanbul, and 26 of the 5,162 officials with a known birthplace and place of service served as far from the birthplace. Few officials served on three continents (Africa, Asia and Europe); fewer than 2 per cent of the 5,200 officials with a place of service did.

Pay rose from 100 kuruş a month in 1890/91 to a peak of 2,000 in 1899/1900, as Müdür in Sheikh Said, when 97 per cent of paid officials earned less. The final annual entry is for 1906/07.

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 5 stops
birthplaceplace of annual entriesmove, with the year of the first entry there
1891/921896/971897/981906/0712345Istanbul, HeybeliadaSuakinSheikh SaidVan

  1. Istanbul (Dersaadet)

    Born 1874/75 (AH 1291); First work 1888/89 (AH 1306); 1890/91 (AH 1308)

    Muhabere Memuru

    100 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year

  2. Heybeliada

    1891 to 1896 (AH 1309 to 1313)

    Muhabere Memuru

    350 to 400 kuruş a month; entries in 5 years

  3. Suakin (Sevakin)

    1896/97 (AH 1314)

    Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti

    1,350 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year

  4. Sheikh Said (Şeyh Said)

    1897 to 1906 (AH 1315 to 1323)

    2. Müdür 1897 to 1899 (AH 1315 to 1316); Müdür 1899 to 1906 (AH 1317 to 1323)

    1,350 to 2,000 kuruş a month; entries in 9 years

  5. Van

    1906/07 (AH 1324)

    Müfettiş

    1,200 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year

Career and salary

Monthly salary by year, kuruşsalary of the yearyears with one job titleno annual entry
05001,0001,5002,0001890/91AH 13081891/92AH 13091892/93AH 13101893/94AH 13111894/95AH 13121895/96AH 13131896/97AH 13141897/98AH 13151898/99AH 13161899/1900AH 13171900/01AH 13181901/02AH 13191902/03AH 13201903/04AH 13211904/05AH 13221905/06AH 13231906/07AH 13242,000 kuruşMuhabere Memuru2. MüdürMüdürMüfettiş
Salary against the medians of the same year
1002005001,0002,0005,0001890/91AH 13081891/92AH 13091892/93AH 13101893/94AH 13111894/95AH 13121895/96AH 13131896/97AH 13141897/98AH 13151898/99AH 13161899/1900AH 13171900/01AH 13181901/02AH 13191902/03AH 13201903/04AH 13211904/05AH 13221905/06AH 13231906/07AH 1324This 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 Mehmet Raif Efendi against the medians of the same year, kuruş a month
YearSalaryMedian, all officialsMedian, same titlePaid less
1890/911005004002%
1891/9235050040022%
1892/9340050040029%
1893/9440050040030%
1894/9540050040030%
1895/9640050040030%
1896/971,35050049594%
1897/981,350500778.594%
1898/991,35050080094%
1899/19002,0005001,90097%
1900/012,0005002,00096%
1901/022,0005002,00096%
1902/032,0005002,00096%
1903/042,0004751,75096%
1904/052,0004502,00096%
1905/062,0004752,20095%
1906/071,2004501,80090%

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 Mehmet Raif Efendi, one row per stage
YearsTitlePlaceSalary (kuruş a month)
1888/89AH 1306First workIstanbul (Dersaadet)100first-salary field
1890/91AH 1308Muhabere MemuruIstanbul (Dersaadet)100
1891 to 1896AH 1309 to 1313Muhabere Memuru
5 entries
YearSalary
1891/92350
1892/93400
1893/94400
1894/95400
1895/96400
Heybeliada350 to 400
1896/97AH 1314Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye MemuriyetiSuakin (Sevakin)1,350
1897 to 1899AH 1315 to 13162. Müdür
2 entries
YearSalary
1897/981,350
1898/991,350
Sheikh Said (Şeyh Said)1,350
1899 to 1906AH 1317 to 1323Müdür
7 entries
YearSalary
1899/19002,000
1900/012,000
1901/022,000
1902/032,000
1903/042,000
1904/052,000
1905/062,000
Sheikh Said (Şeyh Said)2,000
1906/07AH 1324MüfettişVan1,200

Record

Personal

Born
1874/75 (AH 1291)
Community
Muslim (Müslüman)
Nationality as recorded
Turkish
Father's occupation
Muallim

Education

Higher or professional
Mekteb-i Sultani (12 years)Imperial School (Galatasaray)
Unpaid years (mülazemet)
2 years
Preparation route (classification of the paper)
Other High
Qualification (diploma, certificate, training or nişan)
No

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

Languages

French
Kitabetwriting
Turkish
Kitabetwriting

The glosses are cautious historical readings of the recorded words, not modern levels of proficiency.

First work

Year
1888/89 (AH 1306)
First salary field (kuruş a month)
100

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 Sheikh Said (Şeyh Said) in the same years, Mehmet Raif Efendi had the highest salary.

All 5 officials with entries in Sheikh Said (Şeyh Said)

Same job title, same years

Of the 26 officials with the title Müdür in the same years, Mehmet Raif Efendi had the 13th highest salary.

All 82 officials with the title Müdür

Same school

Of the 53 officials with Mekteb-i Sultani among their schools, Mehmet Raif Efendi had the 5th highest salary.

All 53 officials with Mekteb-i Sultani

Same birthplace

Of the 1,999 officials born in Istanbul, 1,997 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Raif Efendi had the 139th highest salary of them.

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

First annual entry in the same year

Of the 102 officials whose first annual entry is for 1890/91 (AH 1308), Mehmet Raif Efendi had the 3rd highest salary.

Full record

Annual entries (17)

Annual entries of Mehmet Raif Efendi
YearTitlePlaceKuruş a monthInstitutionSourceArchive reference
1890/91AH 1308Muhabere MemuruIstanbul (Dersaadet)100Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract0085_0127: 249
1891/92AH 1309Muhabere MemuruHeybeliada350Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract0085_0127: 249
1892/93AH 1310Muhabere MemuruHeybeliada400Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract0085_0127: 249
1893/94AH 1311Muhabere MemuruHeybeliada400Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract0085_0127: 249
1894/95AH 1312Muhabere MemuruHeybeliada400Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract0085_0127: 249
1895/96AH 1313Muhabere MemuruHeybeliada400Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract0085_0127: 249
1896/97AH 1314Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye MemuriyetiSuakin (Sevakin)1,350Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract0085_0127: 249
1897/98AH 13152. MüdürSheikh Said (Şeyh Said)1,350Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract0085_0127: 249
1898/99AH 13162. MüdürSheikh Said (Şeyh Said)1,350Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract0085_0127: 249
1899/1900AH 1317MüdürSheikh Said (Şeyh Said)2,000Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract0085_0127: 249
1900/01AH 1318MüdürSheikh Said (Şeyh Said)2,000Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract0085_0127: 249
1901/02AH 1319MüdürSheikh Said (Şeyh Said)2,000Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract0085_0127: 249
1902/03AH 1320MüdürSheikh Said (Şeyh Said)2,000Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract0085_0127: 249
1903/04AH 1321MüdürSheikh Said (Şeyh Said)2,000Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract0085_0127: 249
1904/05AH 1322MüdürSheikh Said (Şeyh Said)2,000Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract0085_0127: 249
1905/06AH 1323MüdürSheikh Said (Şeyh Said)2,000Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract0085_0127: 249
1906/07AH 1324MüfettişVan1,200Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract0085_0127: 249
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 Mehmet Raif Efendi with their sources
FieldRecorded valueSource
Identity
NameMehmet Raif EfendiPersonnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Birth year (AH)1291Recovered 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 occupationmuallimRecovered 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
SchoolMektebi SultaniRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Years of schooling12Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Years of apprenticeship (mülazemet)2Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
First work
First work: year (AH)1306Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
First work: Gregorian year as stored1889Recovered annual personnel extract
First work: placeistanbulRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
First salary field (kuruş a month)100Recovered 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.
  • 16 annual entries of 17 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