Official
Mehdi Fevzi Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Baghdad (Bağdat) in 1861/62 (AH 1278). On record 1881 to 1906, 25 annual entries.
Archive reference 58_0226; 449
Life#
Born in Baghdad (Bağdat) in 1861/62 (AH 1278), Mehdi Fevzi Efendi came from the Muslim (Müslüman) community; the father was a telegraph official (telgraf memuru). Mehdi Fevzi had four years of schooling, at a school for young children (Sıbyan Mektebi), and wrote Arabic as well as Turkish.
At about 15, in 1876/77, Mehdi Fevzi began work in Hillah (Hille), with six unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 475 kuruş. The annual lists begin in 1881/82, with Mehdi Fevzi as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru) in Basra. Mehdi Fevzi then moved to Deraci in 1882/83, then back to Baghdad, the birthplace, from 1883 to 1892. Next came Karbala in 1892/93, then Al-Shatrah (Şatra) from 1893 to 1899, with a rise to director of the second grade (2. Müdür) in 1896/97. The annual lists then follow Mehdi Fevzi to Al-Qurnah (Kurna) from 1899 to 1903. The last posts were in Samawah (Semave) from 1903 to 1906.
Pay rose from 475 kuruş a month in 1881/82 to a peak of 684 in 1896/97, as 2. Müdür in Al-Shatrah, when four in five paid officials earned less. In all, 25 years of salary come to 168,180 kuruş, 1.1 times what an official on the median salary earned in those years. The final annual entry is for 1905/06.
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 1861/62 (AH 1278)
First work 1876/77 (AH 1293)
1893 to 1899 (AH 1311 to 1316)
Muhabere Memuru 1893 to 1896 (AH 1311 to 1313); 2. Müdür 1896 to 1899 (AH 1314 to 1316)
400 to 684 kuruş a month; entries in 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1881/82 | 475 | 500 | 400 | 42% |
| 1882/83 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 43% |
| 1883/84 | 500 | 500 | 600 | 43% |
| 1884/85 | 500 | 500 | 550 | 42% |
| 1885/86 | 500 | 500 | 550 | 42% |
| 1886/87 | 500 | 500 | 600 | 42% |
| 1887/88 | 500 | 500 | 600 | 41% |
| 1888/89 | 500 | 500 | 600 | 41% |
| 1889/90 | 500 | 500 | 600 | 42% |
| 1890/91 | 500 | 500 | 600 | 43% |
| 1891/92 | 500 | 500 | 600 | 43% |
| 1892/93 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 44% |
| 1893/94 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 30% |
| 1894/95 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 30% |
| 1895/96 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 30% |
| 1896/97 | 684 | 500 | 765 | 79% |
| 1897/98 | 684 | 500 | 778.5 | 79% |
| 1898/99 | 684 | 500 | 800 | 79% |
| 1899/1900 | 684 | 500 | 783 | 77% |
| 1900/01 | 684 | 500 | 800 | 75% |
| 1901/02 | 684 | 500 | 800 | 75% |
| 1902/03 | 684 | 500 | 800 | 75% |
| 1903/04 | 684 | 475 | 800 | 75% |
| 1904/05 | 684 | 450 | 800 | 75% |
| 1905/06 | 684 | 475 | 805 | 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1876/77AH 1293 | First work | Hillah (Hille) | 475first-salary field |
| 1881/82AH 1299 | Muhabere Memuru | Basra | 475 |
| 1882/83AH 1300 | Muhabere Memuru | Deraci | 500 |
| 1883 to 1892AH 1301 to 1309 | Seyyar Memur | Baghdad (Bağdat) | 500 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Karbala (Kerbela) | 500 |
| 1893 to 1896AH 1311 to 1313 | Muhabere Memuru | Al-Shatrah (Şatra) | 400 |
| 1896 to 1899AH 1314 to 1316 | 2. Müdür | Al-Shatrah (Şatra) | 684 |
| 1899 to 1903AH 1317 to 1320 | 2. Müdür | Al-Qurnah (Kurna) | 684 |
| 1903 to 1906AH 1321 to 1323 | 2. Müdür | Samawah (Semave) | 684 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1861/62 (AH 1278)
- Birthplace
- Baghdad (Bağdat)
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- Telgraf Memuru
Education
- Primary
- Sıbyan Mektebi (4 years)school for young children (primary school)
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 6 years
- Preparation route (classification of the paper)
- Low
- Qualification (diploma, certificate, training or nişan)
- NoShown as in the flag of the paper. The qualification column of the recovered extract gives yes.
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
- 1876/77 (AH 1293)
- Place
- Hillah (Hille)
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 475
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 42 officials with entries in Baghdad (Bağdat) in the same years, Mehdi Fevzi Efendi had the 27th highest salary.
- Nikola Colini Efendi9 shared years; highest salary 2,700 kuruş
- Mahmut Raşit Efendi9 shared years; highest salary 2,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Sait Efendi9 shared years; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Ahmet Tevfik Efendi9 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Mehmet Lebip Efendi9 shared years; highest salary 760 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 320 officials with the title 2. Müdür in the same years, Mehdi Fevzi Efendi had the 313th highest salary.
- Neşet Efendi10 shared years; highest salary 2,500 kuruş
- Hamdi Efendi10 shared years; highest salary 1,200 kuruş
- İbrahim Ethem Efendi10 shared years; highest salary 1,200 kuruş
- Mustafa Ferid Efendi10 shared years; highest salary 1,200 kuruş
- Ömer Lütfü Efendi10 shared years; highest salary 1,200 kuruş
Same school
Of the 746 officials with Sıbyan Mektebi among their schools, 745 have a recorded salary; Mehdi Fevzi Efendi had the 372nd highest salary of them.
- Ahmet Hamdi Efendiborn 1861/62 (AH 1278); highest salary 400 kuruş
- Ahmet Mümtaz Efendiborn 1861/62 (AH 1278); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Ali Rıza Rahim Efendiborn 1861/62 (AH 1278); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Cemil Efendiborn 1861/62 (AH 1278); highest salary 570 kuruş
- Firdevs Efendiborn 1861/62 (AH 1278); highest salary 350 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 73 officials born in Baghdad (Bağdat), Mehdi Fevzi Efendi had the 28th highest salary.
- Salih Naci Efendiborn 1861/62 (AH 1278); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Yosef Efendiborn 1861/62 (AH 1278); highest salary 600 kuruş
- İbrahim Efendiborn 1862/63 (AH 1279); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Mardek(?) Efendiborn 1862/63 (AH 1279); highest salary 400 kuruş
- İbrahim Efendiborn 1863/64 (AH 1280); highest salary 1,700 kuruş
The page of Baghdad (Bağdat), with the 73 officials born there
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 86 officials whose first annual entry is for 1881/82 (AH 1299), Mehdi Fevzi Efendi had the 41st highest salary.
- Ahmed Hulusi Efendifirst entry in Aleppo (Halep); highest salary 800 kuruş
- Ahmet Hamdi Efendifirst entry in Erzurum; highest salary 500 kuruş
- Ahmet Hamdi Efendifirst entry in Bitola (Manastır); highest salary 285 kuruş
- Ahmet Tevfik Beyfirst entry in Antalya; highest salary 800 kuruş
- İbrahim İlhami Efendifirst entry in Diyarbakır; highest salary 860 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (25)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1881/82AH 1299 | Muhabere Memuru | Basra | 475 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58_0226; 449 |
| 1882/83AH 1300 | Muhabere Memuru | Deraci | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58_0226; 449 |
| 1883/84AH 1301 | Seyyar Memur | Baghdad (Bağdat) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58_0226; 449 |
| 1884/85AH 1302 | Seyyar Memur | Baghdad (Bağdat) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58_0226; 449 |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Seyyar Memur | Baghdad (Bağdat) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58_0226; 449 |
| 1886/87AH 1304 | Seyyar Memur | Baghdad (Bağdat) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58_0226; 449 |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Seyyar Memur | Baghdad (Bağdat) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58_0226; 449 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Seyyar Memur | Baghdad (Bağdat) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58_0226; 449 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Seyyar Memur | Baghdad (Bağdat) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58_0226; 449 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Seyyar Memur | Baghdad (Bağdat) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58_0226; 449 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Seyyar Memur | Baghdad (Bağdat) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58_0226; 449 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Karbala (Kerbela) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58_0226; 449 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Muhabere Memuru | Al-Shatrah (Şatra) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58_0226; 449 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Muhabere Memuru | Al-Shatrah (Şatra) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58_0226; 449 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Muhabere Memuru | Al-Shatrah (Şatra) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58_0226; 449 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | 2. Müdür | Al-Shatrah (Şatra) | 684 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58_0226; 449 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | 2. Müdür | Al-Shatrah (Şatra) | 684 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58_0226; 449 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | 2. Müdür | Al-Shatrah (Şatra) | 684 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58_0226; 449 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | 2. Müdür | Al-Qurnah (Kurna) | 684 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58_0226; 449 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | 2. Müdür | Al-Qurnah (Kurna) | 684 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58_0226; 449 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | 2. Müdür | Al-Qurnah (Kurna) | 684 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58_0226; 449 |
| 1902/03AH 1320 | 2. Müdür | Al-Qurnah (Kurna) | 684 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58_0226; 449 |
| 1903/04AH 1321 | 2. Müdür | Samawah (Semave) | 684 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58_0226; 449 |
| 1904/05AH 1322 | 2. Müdür | Samawah (Semave) | 684 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58_0226; 449 |
| 1905/06AH 1323 | 2. Müdür | Samawah (Semave) | 684 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 58_0226; 449 |
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)
| Field | Recorded value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Name | Mehdi Fevzi Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1278 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birthplace | bagdat | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Province of birth | bagdat | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Father's occupation | telgraf memuru | 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 | Sibyan Mektebi | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Years of schooling | 4 | 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) | 1293 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1876 | Recovered annual personnel extract |
| First work: place | Hille | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First salary field (kuruş a month) | 475 | 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.
- 25 annual entries of 25 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
- Mehdi Fevzi Efendi
- Director of the second grade (2. Müdür)
- Baghdad (Bağdat)
- School for young children (Sıbyan Mektebi)
- Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Travelling postal official (Seyyar Memur)
- 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)