Official
Mehmet Tevfik Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Beirut (Beyrut) in 1863/64 (AH 1280). On record 1885 to 1907, 22 annual entries.
Archive reference 0098_0027; 51
Life#
Mehmet Tevfik Efendi was born in Beirut (Beyrut) in 1863/64 (AH 1280), into the Muslim (Müslüman) community. Schooling took seven years, at a middle school (Rüşdiye Mektebi); Mehmet Tevfik also wrote Turkish and spoke Arabic and French.
Mehmet Tevfik began work in Jaffa (Yafa) in 1879/80, at about 16, with six unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 300 kuruş. The first annual entry, for 1885/86, places Mehmet Tevfik in Beirut, the birthplace, as a postal official (Posta Memuru), where the entries run to 1894/95, with a rise to communications official (Muhabere Memuru) in 1889/90. Next came Sidon (Sayda) from 1895 to 1906. The last post was in Bitlis in 1906/07, with a rise to director of the second grade (2. Müdür).
Pay rose from 300 kuruş a month in 1885/86 to a peak of 800 in 1906/07, as 2. Müdür in Bitlis, when 78 per cent of paid officials earned less. In all, 22 years of salary come to 130,140 kuruş, about what an official on the median salary earned in those years. 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.
Born 1863/64 (AH 1280)
First work 1879/80 (AH 1297)
1885 to 1895 (AH 1303 to 1312)
Posta Memuru 1885 to 1889 (AH 1303 to 1306); Muhabere Memuru 1889 to 1895 (AH 1307 to 1312)
300 to 550 kuruş a month; entries in 10 years
1895 to 1906 (AH 1313 to 1323)
495 to 595 kuruş a month; entries in 11 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1885/86 | 300 | 500 | 325 | 12% |
| 1886/87 | 300 | 500 | 325 | 11% |
| 1887/88 | 300 | 500 | 400 | 11% |
| 1888/89 | 300 | 500 | 380 | 12% |
| 1889/90 | 450 | 500 | 400 | 38% |
| 1890/91 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 43% |
| 1891/92 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 43% |
| 1892/93 | 550 | 500 | 400 | 57% |
| 1893/94 | 550 | 500 | 400 | 58% |
| 1894/95 | 550 | 500 | 400 | 58% |
| 1895/96 | 495 | 500 | 400 | 46% |
| 1896/97 | 495 | 500 | 400 | 48% |
| 1897/98 | 495 | 500 | 400 | 48% |
| 1898/99 | 495 | 500 | 400 | 48% |
| 1899/1900 | 495 | 500 | 400 | 47% |
| 1900/01 | 495 | 500 | 400 | 47% |
| 1901/02 | 495 | 500 | 400 | 49% |
| 1902/03 | 495 | 500 | 380 | 49% |
| 1903/04 | 595 | 475 | 350 | 67% |
| 1904/05 | 595 | 450 | 350 | 67% |
| 1905/06 | 595 | 475 | 330 | 67% |
| 1906/07 | 800 | 450 | 800 | 78% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1879/80AH 1297 | First work | Jaffa (Yafa) | 300first-salary field |
| 1885 to 1889AH 1303 to 1306 | Posta Memuru | Beirut (Beyrut) | 300 |
| 1889 to 1895AH 1307 to 1312 | Muhabere Memuru | Beirut (Beyrut) | 450 to 550 |
| 1895 to 1906AH 1313 to 1323 | Muhabere Memuru | Sidon (Sayda) | 495 to 595 |
| 1906/07AH 1324 | 2. Müdür | Bitlis | 800 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1863/64 (AH 1280)
- Birthplace
- Beirut (Beyrut)
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
Education
- Rüşdiye
- Rüşdiye Mektebi (7 years)rüşdiye school (middle school)
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 6 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
- Arabic
- Tekellumspeaking
- French
- Tekellumspeaking
- Turkish
- Kitabetwriting
The glosses are cautious historical readings of the recorded words, not modern levels of proficiency.
First work
- Year
- 1879/80 (AH 1297)
- Place
- Jaffa (Yafa)
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 300
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 83 officials with entries in Beirut (Beyrut) in the same years, Mehmet Tevfik Efendi had the 24th highest salary.
- Mehmet İzzet Efendi10 shared years; highest salary 980 kuruş
- Kayser Minir Efendi10 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Yusuf Efendi10 shared years; highest salary 640 kuruş
- Ahmet Efendi10 shared years; highest salary 350 kuruş
- Mahmut Fazlı Efendi9 shared years; highest salary 2,500 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 2,232 officials with the title Muhabere Memuru in the same years, Mehmet Tevfik Efendi had the 280th highest salary.
- Mehmet Hulusi Bey17 shared years; highest salary 2,600 kuruş
- Mehmet Sadullah Efendi17 shared years; highest salary 1,650 kuruş
- Ali Şevket Efendi17 shared years; highest salary 1,450 kuruş
- Nikola Yunani Efendi17 shared years; highest salary 1,350 kuruş
- Mustafa Efendi17 shared years; highest salary 1,200 kuruş
Same school
Of the 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi among their schools, 3,200 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Tevfik Efendi had the 477th highest salary of them.
- Ahmet Faiz Efendborn 1863/64 (AH 1280); highest salary 5,400 kuruş
- Ahmet Hamdi Efendiborn 1863/64 (AH 1280); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Ahmet Refik Efendiborn 1863/64 (AH 1280); highest salary 800 kuruş
- Ahmet Zihni Efendiborn 1863/64 (AH 1280); highest salary 600 kuruş
- ALİ RIZA EFENDİborn 1863/64 (AH 1280); highest salary 800 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 51 officials born in Beirut (Beyrut), Mehmet Tevfik Efendi had the 14th highest salary.
- Münip Efendiborn 1864/65 (AH 1281); highest salary 400 kuruş
- İbrahim Selim Susa Efendiborn 1860/61 (AH 1277); highest salary 15,000 kuruş
- İskender Efendiborn 1860/61 (AH 1277); highest salary 450 kuruş
- Kostantin Eminyan Efendiborn 1860/61 (AH 1277); highest salary 650 kuruş
- İbrahim Hilmi Efendiborn 1858/59 (AH 1275); highest salary 500 kuruş
The page of Beirut (Beyrut), with the 51 officials born there
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 93 officials whose first annual entry is for 1885/86 (AH 1303), Mehmet Tevfik Efendi had the 21st highest salary.
- Yusuf Efendifirst entry in Beirut (Beyrut); highest salary 640 kuruş
- Ali Rıza Efendifirst entry in Cizre; highest salary 475 kuruş
- Ali Rıza Efendifirst entry in Cizre; highest salary 500 kuruş
- Hafız Sadık Efendifirst entry in Petrich (Petriç); highest salary 500 kuruş
- İsmail Hakkı Efendifirst entry in Ioannina (Yanya); highest salary 1,000 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (22)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Posta Memuru | Beirut (Beyrut) | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0098_0027; 51 |
| 1886/87AH 1304 | Posta Memuru | Beirut (Beyrut) | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0098_0027; 51 |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Posta Memuru | Beirut (Beyrut) | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0098_0027; 51 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Posta Memuru | Beirut (Beyrut) | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0098_0027; 51 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Muhabere Memuru | Beirut (Beyrut) | 450 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0098_0027; 51 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Muhabere Memuru | Beirut (Beyrut) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0098_0027; 51 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Muhabere Memuru | Beirut (Beyrut) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0098_0027; 51 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Muhabere Memuru | Beirut (Beyrut) | 550 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0098_0027; 51 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Muhabere Memuru | Beirut (Beyrut) | 550 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0098_0027; 51 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Muhabere Memuru | Beirut (Beyrut) | 550 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0098_0027; 51 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Muhabere Memuru | Sidon (Sayda) | 495 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0098_0027; 51 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Muhabere Memuru | Sidon (Sayda) | 495 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0098_0027; 51 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | Muhabere Memuru | Sidon (Sayda) | 495 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0098_0027; 51 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Muhabere Memuru | Sidon (Sayda) | 495 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0098_0027; 51 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | Muhabere Memuru | Sidon (Sayda) | 495 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0098_0027; 51 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | Muhabere Memuru | Sidon (Sayda) | 495 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0098_0027; 51 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | Muhabere Memuru | Sidon (Sayda) | 495 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0098_0027; 51 |
| 1902/03AH 1320 | Muhabere Memuru | Sidon (Sayda) | 495 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0098_0027; 51 |
| 1903/04AH 1321 | Muhabere Memuru | Sidon (Sayda) | 595 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0098_0027; 51 |
| 1904/05AH 1322 | Muhabere Memuru | Sidon (Sayda) | 595 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0098_0027; 51 |
| 1905/06AH 1323 | Muhabere Memuru | Sidon (Sayda) | 595 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0098_0027; 51 |
| 1906/07AH 1324 | 2. Müdür | Bitlis | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0098_0027; 51 |
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 | Mehmet Tevfik Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1280 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birthplace | beyrut | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Province of birth | beyrut | 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) | 6 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work | ||
| First work: year (AH) | 1297 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1880 | Recovered annual personnel extract |
| First work: place | Yafa | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First salary field (kuruş a month) | 300 | 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.
- 21 annual entries of 22 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 Tevfik Efendi
- Communications official (Muhabere Memuru)
- Sidon (Sayda)
- Beirut (Beyrut)
- 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)