Official
Mehmet Cavit Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Bursa in 1869/70 (AH 1286). On record 1885 to 1899, 13 annual entries. Death recorded 1899/1900.
Archive reference 37_181; 359
Life#
Mehmet Cavit Efendi was born in Bursa in 1869/70 (AH 1286) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community; the father's occupation was "Posta Muduru". Schooling took seven years, at a middle school (Rüşdiye Mektebi); Mehmet Cavit also wrote Arabic as well as Turkish.
At about 14, in 1882/83, Mehmet Cavit began work in Bursa, with three unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 300 kuruş. The first annual entry, for 1885/86, places Mehmet Cavit in Deir al-Qamar (Deyrülkamer) as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru), where the entries run to 1887/88. Next came six places in eight years, from Latakia (Lazkiye) to Izmir (İzmir), with a rise to chief communications official (Başmuhabere Memuru) in 1892/93 and to director of the third grade (3. Müdür) in 1893/94. The last posts were in Ioannina again from 1896 to 1899.
Pay rose from 300 kuruş a month in 1885/86 to a peak of 600 in 1898/99, as Muhabere Memuru in Ioannina, when 72 per cent of paid officials earned less. After the last annual entry, for 1898/99, the list of 1899/1900 (AH 1317) gives the status word Vefat (death). An entry in "Sicill-i Ahval defterlerine göre Bursalı memurlar" by DERVİŞ ŞAFAK TOPRAK (2019) probably refers to Mehmet Cavit, since the name, the birthplace and the archive register and second number agree.
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 1869/70 (AH 1286); First work 1882/83 (AH 1300)
1885 to 1888 (AH 1303 to 1305)
300 kuruş a month; entries in 3 years
1890 to 1892 (AH 1308 to 1309)
No annual entry for 1889/90 (AH 1307) before it.
400 kuruş a month; entries in 2 years
1896 to 1899 (AH 1314 to 1316)
500 to 600 kuruş a month; entries in 3 years
Death recorded in the annual list of 1899/1900 (AH 1317): 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, and the median of the same province for the years in which at least 5 officials were paid in the province of the official's salary that year.
The numbers of the chart
| Year | Salary | Median, all officials | Median, same title | Median, same province | Paid less |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1885/86 | 300 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 12% |
| 1886/87 | 300 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 11% |
| 1887/88 | 300 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 11% |
| 1888/89 | 320 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 18% |
| 1890/91 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 600 | 28% |
| 1891/92 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 600 | 29% |
| 1892/93 | 475 | 500 | 600 | 500 | 43% |
| 1893/94 | 500 | 500 | 600 | 600 | 46% |
| 1894/95 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 550 | 30% |
| 1895/96 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 47% |
| 1896/97 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 49% |
| 1897/98 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 49% |
| 1898/99 | 600 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 72% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1882/83AH 1300 | First work | Bursa | 300first-salary field |
| 1885 to 1888AH 1303 to 1305 | Muhabere Memuru | Deir al-Qamar (Deyrülkamer) | 300 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Muhabere Memuru | Latakia (Lazkiye) | 320 |
| No annual entry: 1889/90 (AH 1307) | |||
| 1890 to 1892AH 1308 to 1309 | Muhabere Memuru | Preveza (Preveze) | 400 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Ioannina (Yanya) | 475 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | 3. Müdür | Salahora | 500 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Muhabere Memuru | Rhodes (Rodos) | 400 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Muhabere Memuru | Izmir (İzmir) | 500 |
| 1896 to 1899AH 1314 to 1316 | Muhabere Memuru | Ioannina (Yanya) | 500 to 600 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | Death recorded | ||
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1869/70 (AH 1286)
- Birthplace
- Bursa
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- Posta Muduru
- Death recorded
- 1899/1900 (AH 1317)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)
- 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
- Arabic
- Kitabetwriting
- Turkish
- Kitabetwriting
The glosses are cautious historical readings of the recorded words, not modern levels of proficiency.
First work
- Year
- 1882/83 (AH 1300)
- Place
- Bursa
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 300
Named in scholarly works#
No link between a work and an official has been accepted. Each entry was found by fixed rules on the name and the recorded fields, and says what it rests on.
Sicill-i Ahval defterlerine göre Bursalı memurlar (DERVİŞ ŞAFAK TOPRAK, 2019). Name as printed: Mehmed Cavid Efendi. PDF pages 217 and 218.
Probable link: same name, birthplace and register and second number of the archive reference
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 post (job title and place), same years
Of the 34 officials who held Muhabere Memuru in Ioannina (Yanya) in the same years, Mehmet Cavit Efendi had the 6th highest salary.
- Mehmet Ruhi Efendi3 shared years; highest salary 600 kuruş
- Hüseyin Efendi3 shared years; highest salary 540 kuruş
- Mehmet Pertev Efendi3 shared years; highest salary 540 kuruş
- Hasan Hüsnü Efendi3 shared years; highest salary 500 kuruş
- Seyit Memduh Efendi3 shared years; highest salary 500 kuruş
Same place, same years
Of the 64 officials with entries in Ioannina (Yanya) in the same years, Mehmet Cavit Efendi had the 23rd highest salary.
- Ali Rıza Efendi4 shared years; highest salary 910 kuruş
- Oseb Eğerciyan Efendi4 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Anastaş Efendi4 shared years; highest salary 630 kuruş
- Mehmet Recep Efendi4 shared years; highest salary 600 kuruş
- Ahmet Rifat Efendi4 shared years; highest salary 540 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 1,669 officials with the title Muhabere Memuru in the same years, Mehmet Cavit Efendi had the 579th highest salary.
- Mehmet Arif Efendi11 shared years; highest salary 3,600 kuruş
- Mehmet Hulusi Bey11 shared years; highest salary 2,600 kuruş
- Mehmet Tevfik Efendi11 shared years; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Mustafa Naili Efendi11 shared years; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Ömer Nuri Efendi11 shared years; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
Same school
Of the 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi among their schools, 3,200 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Cavit Efendi had the 852nd highest salary of them.
- Abbas Zihni Efendiborn 1869/70 (AH 1286); highest salary 540 kuruş
- Abdülkerim Efendiborn 1869/70 (AH 1286); highest salary 800 kuruş
- Ahmet Akif Efendiborn 1869/70 (AH 1286); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Ahmet Efendiborn 1869/70 (AH 1286); highest salary 750 kuruş
- Ahmet Efendiborn 1869/70 (AH 1286); highest salary 260 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 38 officials born in Bursa, Mehmet Cavit Efendi had the 10th highest salary.
- MAZHAR EFENDİborn 1869/70 (AH 1286); highest salary 200 kuruş
- Pol Şişmanyanborn 1869/70 (AH 1286); highest salary 400 kuruş
- Hüseyin Sabri Efendiborn 1868/69 (AH 1285); highest salary 450 kuruş
- Ahmet Nuri Efendiborn 1870/71 (AH 1287); highest salary 400 kuruş
- İbrahim Aski Efendiborn 1867/68 (AH 1284); highest salary 400 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 93 officials whose first annual entry is for 1885/86 (AH 1303), Mehmet Cavit Efendi had the 38th highest salary.
- Abdülkerim Efendifirst entry in Bitola (Manastır); highest salary 800 kuruş
- Ahmet Raşit Efendifirst entry in Aydın; highest salary 500 kuruş
- HASAN TAHSİN EFENDİfirst entry in Thessaloniki (Selanik); highest salary 700 kuruş
- İshak Nisyon Amon Efendifirst entry in Beyoğlu; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Hayri Efendifirst entry in Galata; highest salary 700 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (13)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Muhabere Memuru | Deir al-Qamar (Deyrülkamer) | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_181; 359 |
| 1886/87AH 1304 | Muhabere Memuru | Deir al-Qamar (Deyrülkamer) | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_181; 359 |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Muhabere Memuru | Deir al-Qamar (Deyrülkamer) | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_181; 359 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Muhabere Memuru | Latakia (Lazkiye) | 320 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_181; 359 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Muhabere Memuru | Preveza (Preveze) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_181; 359 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Muhabere Memuru | Preveza (Preveze) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_181; 359 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Başmuhabere Memuru | Ioannina (Yanya) | 475 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_181; 359 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | 3. Müdür | Salahora | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_181; 359 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Muhabere Memuru | Rhodes (Rodos) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_181; 359 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Muhabere Memuru | Izmir (İzmir) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_181; 359 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Muhabere Memuru | Ioannina (Yanya) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_181; 359 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | Muhabere Memuru | Ioannina (Yanya) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_181; 359 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Muhabere Memuru | Ioannina (Yanya) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 37_181; 359 |
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 (15)
| Field | Recorded value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Name | Mehmet Cavit Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1286 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birthplace | bursa | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Province of birth | hudavendigar | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Father's occupation | posta 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 |
| Years of apprenticeship (mülazemet) | 3 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work | ||
| First work: year (AH) | 1300 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1883 | Recovered annual personnel extract |
| First work: place | Bursa | 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 |
| Status | ||
| Death recorded under the year (AH) | 1317 | 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
- Mehmet Cavit Efendi
- Communications official (Muhabere Memuru)
- Ioannina (Yanya)
- Bursa
- 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)