Official
Mehmet Tevfik Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Gjirokastër (Ergiri) in 1846/47 (AH 1263). On record 1872 to 1893, 22 annual entries.
Archive reference 54_148; 293
Life#
Mehmet Tevfik Efendi was born in Gjirokastër (Ergiri) in 1846/47 (AH 1263) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community. Schooling took seven years, at a middle school (Rüşdiye Mektebi); Mehmet Tevfik also attended the telegraph school, and wrote Turkish and had some knowledge of Bulgarian and Greek (Rum).
Mehmet Tevfik began work in Istanbul in 1870/71, at about 23, with two unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 450 kuruş. The annual lists begin in 1872/73, with Mehmet Tevfik as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru) in Gacko. Next came Edirne, Plovdiv (Filibe), Çatalca, Istanbul and Skopje (Üsküp), five places in eight years, with a rise to travelling postal official (Seyyar Memur) in 1873/74, then Štip (İştip) from 1880 to 1887. The last posts were in Tavas and Vize from 1887 to 1891 and Mithymna (Molova) from 1891 to 1893. Ten places on two continents in all, a number reached by fewer than 4 per cent of the 5,200 officials with a place of service.
Pay rose from 450 kuruş a month in 1872/73 to a peak of 600 in 1873/74, as Seyyar Memur in Edirne, when 55 per cent of paid officials earned less. Over 22 years the salaries add up to 149,940 kuruş, about what an official on the median salary earned. The final annual entry is for 1892/93.
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 1846/47 (AH 1263)
First work 1870/71 (AH 1287)
1877 to 1879 (AH 1294 to 1296)
600 kuruş a month; entries in 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1872/73 | 450 | 550 | 400 | 35% |
| 1873/74 | 600 | 500 | 500 | 55% |
| 1874/75 | 520 | 535 | 450 | 48% |
| 1875/76 | 600 | 530 | 400 | 54% |
| 1876/77 | 600 | 582.5 | 410 | 50% |
| 1877/78 | 600 | 560 | 410 | 50% |
| 1878 | 600 | 600 | 500 | 46% |
| 1878/79 | 600 | 600 | 420 | 47% |
| 1879/80 | 500 | 500 | 380 | 47% |
| 1880/81 | 600 | 500 | 400 | 60% |
| 1881/82 | 600 | 500 | 400 | 60% |
| 1882/83 | 600 | 500 | 400 | 59% |
| 1883/84 | 600 | 500 | 400 | 59% |
| 1884/85 | 600 | 500 | 400 | 59% |
| 1885/86 | 600 | 500 | 400 | 58% |
| 1886/87 | 600 | 500 | 400 | 59% |
| 1887/88 | 600 | 500 | 400 | 58% |
| 1888/89 | 600 | 500 | 400 | 58% |
| 1889/90 | 600 | 500 | 400 | 58% |
| 1890/91 | 475 | 500 | 400 | 41% |
| 1891/92 | 475 | 500 | 400 | 42% |
| 1892/93 | 475 | 500 | 400 | 43% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1870/71AH 1287 | First work | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 450first-salary field |
| 1872/73AH 1289 | Muhabere Memuru | Gacko | 450 |
| 1873/74AH 1290 | Seyyar Memur | Edirne | 600 |
| 1874/75AH 1291 | Muhabere Memuru | Plovdiv (Filibe) | 520 |
| 1875 to 1877AH 1292 to 1293 | Muhabere Memuru | Çatalca | 600 |
| 1877 to 1879AH 1294 to 1296 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 600 |
| 1879/80AH 1297 | Muhabere Memuru | Skopje (Üsküp) | 500 |
| 1880 to 1887AH 1298 to 1304 | Muhabere Memuru | Štip (İştip) | 600 |
| 1887 to 1890AH 1305 to 1307 | Muhabere Memuru | Tavas | 600 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Muhabere Memuru | Vize | 475 |
| 1891 to 1893AH 1309 to 1310 | Muhabere Memuru | Mithymna (Molova) | 475 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1846/47 (AH 1263)
- Birthplace
- Gjirokastër (Ergiri)
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
Education
- Rüşdiye
- Rüşdiye Mektebi (7 years)rüşdiye school (middle school)
- Higher or professional
- Telgraf Mektebitelegraph school; recorded as a code
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 2 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
- Bulgarian
- Asinafamiliarity
- Greek (Rum)
- Asinafamiliarity. Rum is the word of the records for Greek as spoken by the Orthodox Christians of the empire. It is kept apart from the column Greek, which the records also have
- Turkish
- Kitabetwriting
The glosses are cautious historical readings of the recorded words, not modern levels of proficiency.
First work
- Year
- 1870/71 (AH 1287)
- Place
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 450
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 361 officials with entries in Istanbul in the same years, Mehmet Tevfik Efendi had the 290th highest salary.
- Emrullah Efendi3 shared years; highest salary 10,000 kuruş
- Emil Efendi3 shared years; highest salary 9,000 kuruş
- Salahattin Bey3 shared years; highest salary 7,800 kuruş
- İsmail Hakki Bey3 shared years; highest salary 7,500 kuruş
- İbrahim Hakki Bey3 shared years; highest salary 7,000 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 1,440 officials with the title Muhabere Memuru in the same years, Mehmet Tevfik Efendi had the 686th highest salary.
- Tahir Efendi21 shared years; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Nikola Yunani Efendi21 shared years; highest salary 1,350 kuruş
- Mehmet Nazım Efendi21 shared years; highest salary 1,300 kuruş
- Taşçıyan Markar Efendi21 shared years; highest salary 1,300 kuruş
- Şarl Laze Efendi21 shared years; highest salary 1,250 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 852nd highest salary of them.
- Abdullah Hilmi Efendiborn 1846/47 (AH 1263); highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Abdullah Hilmi Efendiborn 1846/47 (AH 1263); highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Ahmet Besim Efendiborn 1846/47 (AH 1263); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Ahmet Hamdi Efendiborn 1846/47 (AH 1263); highest salary 800 kuruş
- Ahmet Reşid Beyborn 1846/47 (AH 1263); highest salary 1,200 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 16 officials born in Gjirokastër (Ergiri), Mehmet Tevfik Efendi had the 3rd highest salary.
- İbrahim Hakkı Efendiborn 1856/57 (AH 1273); highest salary 800 kuruş
- Sadullah Efendiborn 1865/66 (AH 1282); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Hacı Bayram Efendiborn 1870/71 (AH 1287); highest salary 300 kuruş
- İskender Sabri Efendiborn 1874/75 (AH 1291); highest salary 250 kuruş
- Zeynelabidin Efendiborn 1874/75 (AH 1291); highest salary 1,500 kuruş
The page of Gjirokastër (Ergiri), with the 16 officials born there
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 84 officials whose first annual entry is for 1872/73 (AH 1289), Mehmet Tevfik Efendi had the 66th highest salary.
- Ahmet Tevfik Efendifirst entry in Karadeniz Ereğli; highest salary 500 kuruş
- Kostantin Efendifirst entry in Izmir (İzmir); highest salary 750 kuruş
- Mehmet İzzet Efendifirst entry in Tablis; highest salary 980 kuruş
- Mehmet Nuri Efendifirst entry in Lüleburgaz; highest salary 900 kuruş
- Mehmet Vahit Efendifirst entry in Jisr al-Shughur (Cisr-i Şugur); highest salary 810 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (22)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1872/73AH 1289 | Muhabere Memuru | Gacko | 450 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_148; 293 |
| 1873/74AH 1290 | Seyyar Memur | Edirne | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_148; 293 |
| 1874/75AH 1291 | Muhabere Memuru | Plovdiv (Filibe) | 520 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_148; 293 |
| 1875/76AH 1292 | Muhabere Memuru | Çatalca | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_148; 293 |
| 1876/77AH 1293 | Muhabere Memuru | Çatalca | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_148; 293 |
| 1877/78AH 1294 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_148; 293 |
| 1878AH 1295 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_148; 293 |
| 1878/79AH 1296 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_148; 293 |
| 1879/80AH 1297 | Muhabere Memuru | Skopje (Üsküp) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_148; 293 |
| 1880/81AH 1298 | Muhabere Memuru | Štip (İştip) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_148; 293 |
| 1881/82AH 1299 | Muhabere Memuru | Štip (İştip) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_148; 293 |
| 1882/83AH 1300 | Muhabere Memuru | Štip (İştip) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_148; 293 |
| 1883/84AH 1301 | Muhabere Memuru | Štip (İştip) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_148; 293 |
| 1884/85AH 1302 | Muhabere Memuru | Štip (İştip) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_148; 293 |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Muhabere Memuru | Štip (İştip) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_148; 293 |
| 1886/87AH 1304 | Muhabere Memuru | Štip (İştip) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_148; 293 |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Muhabere Memuru | Tavas | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_148; 293 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Muhabere Memuru | Tavas | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_148; 293 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Muhabere Memuru | Tavas | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_148; 293 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Muhabere Memuru | Vize | 475 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_148; 293 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Muhabere Memuru | Mithymna (Molova) | 475 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_148; 293 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Muhabere Memuru | Mithymna (Molova) | 475 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 54_148; 293 |
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 | Mehmet Tevfik Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1263 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birthplace | ergiri | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Province of birth | yanya | 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) | 2 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work | ||
| First work: year (AH) | 1287 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1870 | 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) | 450 | 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.
- 22 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)
- Štip (İştip)
- Gjirokastër (Ergiri)
- 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)