Official
Ömer Lütfi Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Istanbul (Dersaadet) in 1859/60 (AH 1276). On record 1880 to 1898, 13 annual entries. Death recorded 1898/99.
Archive reference 45_245; 487
Life#
Born in Istanbul in 1859/60 (AH 1276), Ömer Lütfi Efendi came from the Muslim (Müslüman) community; the father was a telegraph director (telgraf müdürü). Ömer Lütfi had seven years of schooling, at a middle school (Rüşdiye Mektebi), attended the telegraph school as well, and wrote Turkish and spoke French.
Work began in Istanbul in 1878, at about 18, with three unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 380 kuruş. The first annual entry, for 1880/81, places Ömer Lütfi in Sjenica (Seniçe) as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru). The annual lists then follow Ömer Lütfi to Pristina (Priştine) from 1882 to 1890. The last posts were in Thessaloniki (Selanik) from 1892 to 1898.
The salary never rose above the first in the lists, 380 kuruş a month in 1880/81, as Muhabere Memuru in Sjenica, when 21 per cent of paid officials earned less. After 13 years the salary stood below the first, 285 kuruş against 380. The last annual entry is for 1897/98; the list of 1898/99 (AH 1316) gives the status word Vefat (death).
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 1859/60 (AH 1276); First work 1878 (AH 1295)
1882 to 1890 (AH 1300 to 1307)
285 to 380 kuruş a month; entries in 5 years
No annual entry for 1886 to 1889 (AH 1304 to 1306).
1892 to 1898 (AH 1310 to 1315)
No annual entry for 1890 to 1892 (AH 1308 to 1309) before it.
285 kuruş a month; entries in 6 years
Death recorded in the annual list of 1898/99 (AH 1316): the word Vefat, not a date of death.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880/81 | 380 | 500 | 400 | 21% |
| 1881/82 | 380 | 500 | 400 | 20% |
| 1882/83 | 380 | 500 | 400 | 18% |
| 1883/84 | 380 | 500 | 400 | 18% |
| 1884/85 | 380 | 500 | 400 | 18% |
| 1885/86 | 380 | 500 | 400 | 19% |
| 1889/90 | 285 | 500 | 400 | 12% |
| 1892/93 | 285 | 500 | 400 | 15% |
| 1893/94 | 285 | 500 | 400 | 16% |
| 1894/95 | 285 | 500 | 400 | 16% |
| 1895/96 | 285 | 500 | 400 | 16% |
| 1896/97 | 285 | 500 | 400 | 17% |
| 1897/98 | 285 | 500 | 400 | 18% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1878AH 1295 | First work | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 380first-salary field |
| 1880 to 1882AH 1298 to 1299 | Muhabere Memuru | Sjenica (Seniçe) | 380 |
| 1882 to 1886AH 1300 to 1303 | Muhabere Memuru | Pristina (Priştine) | 380 |
| No annual entry: 1886 to 1889 (AH 1304 to 1306) | |||
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Muhabere Memuru | Pristina (Priştine) | 285 |
| No annual entry: 1890 to 1892 (AH 1308 to 1309) | |||
| 1892 to 1898AH 1310 to 1315 | Muhabere Memuru | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 285 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Death recorded | ||
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1859/60 (AH 1276)
- Birthplace
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- Telgraf Muduru
- Death recorded
- 1898/99 (AH 1316)the year of the annual list with the word Vefat, not a date of death
Education
- Rüşdiye
- Rüşdiye Mektebi (7 years)rüşdiye school (middle school)
- Higher or professional
- Telgraf Mektebitelegraph school; recorded as a code
- 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
- French
- Tekellumspeaking
- Turkish
- Kitabetwriting
The glosses are cautious historical readings of the recorded words, not modern levels of proficiency.
First work
- Year
- 1878 (AH 1295)
- Place
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 380
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 108 officials with entries in Thessaloniki (Selanik) in the same years, Ömer Lütfi Efendi had the 98th highest salary.
- Ali Rıza Efendi6 shared years; highest salary 3,000 kuruş
- Esad Efendi6 shared years; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Memduh Bey6 shared years; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Salih Vasfi Bey6 shared years; highest salary 900 kuruş
- Berdos [Bedros] Efendi6 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 1,733 officials with the title Muhabere Memuru in the same years, Ömer Lütfi Efendi had the 1,573rd highest salary.
- Mehmet Arif Efendi13 shared years; highest salary 3,600 kuruş
- Mehmet Hulusi Bey13 shared years; highest salary 2,600 kuruş
- Ömer Nuri Efendi13 shared years; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Nikola Yunani Efendi13 shared years; highest salary 1,350 kuruş
- Mehmet Nazım Efendi13 shared years; highest salary 1,300 kuruş
Same school
Of the 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi among their schools, 3,200 have a recorded salary; Ömer Lütfi Efendi had the 2,060th highest salary of them.
- Ahmed Hamdi Efendiborn 1859/60 (AH 1276); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Ali Rıza Efendiborn 1859/60 (AH 1276); highest salary 800 kuruş
- Ali Rıza Efendiborn 1859/60 (AH 1276); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Ali Rıza Efendiborn 1859/60 (AH 1276); highest salary 440 kuruş
- Ali Saib Beyborn 1859/60 (AH 1276); highest salary 2,000 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 1,999 officials born in Istanbul, 1,997 have a recorded salary; Ömer Lütfi Efendi had the 1,358th highest salary of them.
- Ahmet Nurettin Efendiborn 1859/60 (AH 1276); highest salary 1,300 kuruş
- Ali Rıza Efendiborn 1859/60 (AH 1276); highest salary 900 kuruş
- Ali Rıza Efendiborn 1859/60 (AH 1276); highest salary 440 kuruş
- Emin Efendiborn 1859/60 (AH 1276); highest salary 750 kuruş
- Mahmut Aziz Efendiborn 1859/60 (AH 1276); highest salary 1,500 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 81 officials whose first annual entry is for 1880/81 (AH 1298), 80 have a recorded salary; Ömer Lütfi Efendi had the 71st highest salary of them.
- Recep Nacifirst entry in Skopje (Üsküp); highest salary 650 kuruş
- Ali Rıza Beyfirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 400 kuruş
- Ali Vasfi Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 120 kuruş
- Corci Asaf Efendifirst entry in Gaza (Gazze); highest salary 1,600 kuruş
- Edhem Efendifirst entry in Akçakoca (Akçaşehir); highest salary 475 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (13)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880/81AH 1298 | Muhabere Memuru | Sjenica (Seniçe) | 380 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 45_245; 487 |
| 1881/82AH 1299 | Muhabere Memuru | Sjenica (Seniçe) | 380 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 45_245; 487 |
| 1882/83AH 1300 | Muhabere Memuru | Pristina (Priştine) | 380 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 45_245; 487 |
| 1883/84AH 1301 | Muhabere Memuru | Pristina (Priştine) | 380 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 45_245; 487 |
| 1884/85AH 1302 | Muhabere Memuru | Pristina (Priştine) | 380 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 45_245; 487 |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Muhabere Memuru | Pristina (Priştine) | 380 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 45_245; 487 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Muhabere Memuru | Pristina (Priştine) | 285 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 45_245; 487 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Muhabere Memuru | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 285 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 45_245; 487 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Muhabere Memuru | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 285 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 45_245; 487 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Muhabere Memuru | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 285 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 45_245; 487 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Muhabere Memuru | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 285 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 45_245; 487 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Muhabere Memuru | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 285 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 45_245; 487 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | Muhabere Memuru | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 285 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 45_245; 487 |
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 | Ömer Lütfi Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1276 | 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 | telgraf muduru | 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 |
| Telegraph school (recorded code) | 1 | 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) | 1295 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1878 | 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) | 380 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Status | ||
| Death recorded under the year (AH) | 1316 | Earlier annual personnel extract (original copy); Earlier annual personnel extract (parallel copy) |
What the sources named in this table are
- Earlier annual personnel extract (original copy)
- A copy of the earlier annual personnel file, read for the title wording of each year. A death taken from it is the status word Vefat in the title field of one annual list: the year is the year of that list, not a date of death.
- Earlier annual personnel extract (parallel copy)
- A second copy of the earlier annual personnel file, read in the same way. A death taken from it is the status word Vefat in the title field of one annual list: the year is the year of that list, not a date of death. Two copies that agree are one piece of evidence, 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.
- Origin of the record: Post and Telegraph personnel records.
- 13 annual entries of 13 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
- Ömer Lütfi Efendi
- Communications official (Muhabere Memuru)
- Thessaloniki (Selanik)
- 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)