Official
Tahir Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Heraklion (Kandiye) in 1850/51 (AH 1267). On record 1868 to 1907, 40 annual entries.
Archive reference 5_365; 727
Life#
Born in Heraklion (Kandiye) in 1850/51 (AH 1267), Tahir Efendi came from the Muslim (Müslüman) community; the father was a tithe official (aşar memuru). Schooling took seven years, at a middle school (Rüşdiye Mektebi); Tahir also attended the telegraph school.
At about 17, in 1868/69, Tahir began work in Istanbul, with one unpaid year as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 500 kuruş. The annual lists begin in 1868/69, with Tahir as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru) in Kadıköy. From 1869 to 1907 the annual entries place Tahir in Istanbul, first as Muhabere Memuru, from 1897/98 in the office of the corresponding secretary (Mektubi Kalemi). Few careers in the lists are as long; fewer than 4 per cent of the 5,211 officials have entries spanning 40 years or more.
Pay rose from 500 kuruş a month in 1868/69 to a peak of 1,500 in 1897/98, in the Mektubi Kalemi in Istanbul, when 95 per cent of paid officials earned less. In all, 40 years of salary come to 370,080 kuruş, 1.5 times what an official on the median salary earned in those years. The last 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 1850/51 (AH 1267)
First work 1868/69 (AH 1285)
1869 to 1907 (AH 1286 to 1324)
Muhabere Memuru 1869 to 1897 (AH 1286 to 1314); Mektubi Kalemi 1897 to 1907 (AH 1315 to 1324)
190 to 1,500 kuruş a month; entries in 39 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, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1868/69 | 500 | 600 | 480 | 500 | 40% |
| 1869/70 | 190 | 600 | 400 | 520 | 6% |
| 1870/71 | 250 | 600 | 400 | 500 | 8% |
| 1871/72 | 275 | 550 | 400 | 500 | 10% |
| 1872/73 | 300 | 550 | 400 | 550 | 11% |
| 1873/74 | 325 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 15% |
| 1874/75 | 350 | 535 | 450 | 522.5 | 16% |
| 1875/76 | 400 | 530 | 400 | 550 | 23% |
| 1876/77 | 425 | 582.5 | 410 | 587.5 | 34% |
| 1877/78 | 475 | 560 | 410 | 600 | 35% |
| 1878 | 550 | 600 | 500 | 600 | 45% |
| 1878/79 | 600 | 600 | 420 | 600 | 47% |
| 1879/80 | 500 | 500 | 380 | 500 | 47% |
| 1880/81 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 47% |
| 1881/82 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 46% |
| 1882/83 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 43% |
| 1883/84 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 43% |
| 1884/85 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 42% |
| 1885/86 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 42% |
| 1886/87 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 42% |
| 1887/88 | 550 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 56% |
| 1888/89 | 550 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 55% |
| 1889/90 | 550 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 55% |
| 1890/91 | 550 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 56% |
| 1891/92 | 550 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 57% |
| 1892/93 | 550 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 57% |
| 1893/94 | 1,000 | 500 | 400 | 480 | 87% |
| 1894/95 | 1,000 | 500 | 400 | 450 | 87% |
| 1895/96 | 1,000 | 500 | 400 | 440 | 87% |
| 1896/97 | 900 | 500 | 400 | 425 | 88% |
| 1897/98 | 1,500 | 500 | 450 | 425 | 95% |
| 1898/99 | 1,500 | 500 | 472.5 | 440 | 95% |
| 1899/1900 | 1,500 | 500 | 500 | 450 | 94% |
| 1900/01 | 1,500 | 500 | 475 | 450 | 94% |
| 1901/02 | 1,500 | 500 | 500 | 440 | 94% |
| 1902/03 | 1,500 | 500 | 400 | 450 | 93% |
| 1903/04 | 1,500 | 475 | 400 | 450 | 94% |
| 1904/05 | 1,500 | 450 | 400 | 450 | 94% |
| 1905/06 | 1,500 | 475 | 287.5 | 425 | 93% |
| 1906/07 | 1,500 | 450 | 477.5 | 470 | 92% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1868/69AH 1285 | First work | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 500first-salary field |
| 1868/69AH 1285 | Muhabere Memuru | Kadıköy | 500 |
| 1869 to 1897AH 1286 to 1314 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 190 to 900 |
| 1897 to 1907AH 1315 to 1324 | Mektubi Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,500 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1850/51 (AH 1267)
- Birthplace
- Heraklion (Kandiye)
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- Asar memuru
Education
- Rüşdiye
- Rüşdiye Mektebi (7 years)rüşdiye school (middle school)
- Higher or professional
- Telgraf Mektebitelegraph school; recorded as a code
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 1 year
- 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
- Turkish
- Kitabetwriting
The glosses are cautious historical readings of the recorded words, not modern levels of proficiency.
First work
- Year
- 1868/69 (AH 1285)
- Place
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 500
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 258 officials who held Muhabere Memuru in Istanbul in the same years, Tahir Efendi had the 23rd highest salary.
- İsmail Hakkı Efendi29 shared years; highest salary 600 kuruş
- Mehmet Nazım Efendi26 shared years; highest salary 1,300 kuruş
- Mehmet Mahcub Bey25 shared years; highest salary 1,100 kuruş
- Mustafa Cemal Efendi23 shared years; highest salary 900 kuruş
- Edvar Galyar Efendi23 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
Same place, same years
Of the 1,536 officials with entries in Istanbul in the same years, Tahir Efendi had the 240th highest salary.
- Suleyman Resat Bey39 shared years; highest salary 7,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Hayri Bey39 shared years; highest salary 5,500 kuruş
- Melkok Efendi39 shared years; highest salary 5,000 kuruş
- Unnamed official (0007_0144; 285)39 shared years; highest salary 2,750 kuruş
- Osman Nuri Efendi39 shared years; highest salary 2,500 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 1,950 officials with the title Muhabere Memuru in the same years, Tahir Efendi had the 89th highest salary.
- Nikola Yunani Efendi30 shared years; highest salary 1,350 kuruş
- Şarl Laze Efendi30 shared years; highest salary 1,250 kuruş
- Unnamed official (23_38; 73)30 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Hacı Mehmet Emin Efendi30 shared years; highest salary 720 kuruş
- Ahmet Safvet Efendi30 shared years; highest salary 700 kuruş
Same school
Of the 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi among their schools, 3,200 have a recorded salary; Tahir Efendi had the 133rd highest salary of them.
- Abdülhalil Efendiborn 1850/51 (AH 1267); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Abdülhamit Efendiborn 1850/51 (AH 1267); highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Abdullah Tevfik Efendiborn 1850/51 (AH 1267); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Abdurrahman Nuri Efendiborn 1850/51 (AH 1267); highest salary 1,400 kuruş
- Ahmet Şemsettin Efendiborn 1850/51 (AH 1267); highest salary 600 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 7 officials born in Heraklion (Kandiye), Tahir Efendi had the highest salary.
- Hafız Bahaeddin Efendiborn 1849/50 (AH 1266); highest salary 750 kuruş
- Ali Şefik Efendiborn 1844/45 (AH 1260); highest salary 750 kuruş
- Ethem Bazaki(?) Efendiborn 1868/69 (AH 1285); highest salary 550 kuruş
- Hüseyin Kemal Efendiborn 1872/73 (AH 1289); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Ahmet Bahaeddin Efendiborn 1888/89 (AH 1306); highest salary 250 kuruş
The page of Heraklion (Kandiye), with the 7 officials born there
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 89 officials whose first annual entry is for 1868/69 (AH 1285), Tahir Efendi had the 19th highest salary.
- Ahmet Nail Efendifirst entry in Üsküdar; highest salary 400 kuruş
- Andon Tomasyan Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Dikran Yüzbaşıyan Efendifirst entry in Gelibolu; highest salary 750 kuruş
- Hafız Nazif Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 4,000 kuruş
- Mehmed Cemal Efendifirst entry in Edirne; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
All 89 officials whose first annual entry is for 1868/69 (AH 1285)
Full record
Annual entries (40)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1868/69AH 1285 | Muhabere Memuru | Kadıköy | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_365; 727 |
| 1869/70AH 1286 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 190 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_365; 727 |
| 1870/71AH 1287 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 250 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_365; 727 |
| 1871/72AH 1288 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 275 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_365; 727 |
| 1872/73AH 1289 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_365; 727 |
| 1873/74AH 1290 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 325 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_365; 727 |
| 1874/75AH 1291 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 350 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_365; 727 |
| 1875/76AH 1292 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_365; 727 |
| 1876/77AH 1293 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 425 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_365; 727 |
| 1877/78AH 1294 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 475 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_365; 727 |
| 1878AH 1295 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 550 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_365; 727 |
| 1878/79AH 1296 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_365; 727 |
| 1879/80AH 1297 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_365; 727 |
| 1880/81AH 1298 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_365; 727 |
| 1881/82AH 1299 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_365; 727 |
| 1882/83AH 1300 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_365; 727 |
| 1883/84AH 1301 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_365; 727 |
| 1884/85AH 1302 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_365; 727 |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_365; 727 |
| 1886/87AH 1304 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_365; 727 |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 550 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_365; 727 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 550 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_365; 727 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 550 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_365; 727 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 550 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_365; 727 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 550 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_365; 727 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 550 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_365; 727 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_365; 727 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_365; 727 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_365; 727 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 900 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_365; 727 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | Mektubi Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_365; 727 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Mektubi Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_365; 727 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | Mektubi Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_365; 727 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | Mektubi Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_365; 727 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | Mektubi Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_365; 727 |
| 1902/03AH 1320 | Mektubi Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_365; 727 |
| 1903/04AH 1321 | Mektubi Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_365; 727 |
| 1904/05AH 1322 | Mektubi Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_365; 727 |
| 1905/06AH 1323 | Mektubi Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_365; 727 |
| 1906/07AH 1324 | Mektubi Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_365; 727 |
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 | Tahir Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1267 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birthplace | kandiye | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Province of birth | girit | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Father's occupation | Asar 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 | 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) | 1 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work | ||
| First work: year (AH) | 1285 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1868 | 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) | 500 | 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.
- 37 annual entries of 40 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
- Tahir Efendi
- Communications official (Muhabere Memuru)
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Heraklion (Kandiye)
- 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)