Official
Mehmet Hilmi Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Istanbul (Dersaadet) in 1874/75 (AH 1291). On record 1893 to 1912, 20 annual entries.
Archive reference 89_106; 209
Life#
Mehmet Hilmi Efendi was born in Istanbul in 1874/75 (AH 1291), into the Muslim (Müslüman) community, and the father's occupation was "Saray Ascibasi". Work began in Istanbul in 1891/92, at about 17, with two unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 50 kuruş. The first annual entry, for 1893/94, places Mehmet Hilmi in Istanbul, the birthplace, in the register office (Sicil Kalemi), where the entries run to 1897/98. Mehmet Hilmi then moved to Hicaz from 1898 to 1907, with a rise to a post in the clerkship of the chief director's office (Başmüdür Kitabeti) and to Basmudur Vekili in 1901/02, then Edirne from 1907 to 1910. The last posts were in Istanbul again from 1910 to 1912. Hicaz, about 2,400 km from Istanbul, was the post farthest from the birthplace; fewer than 4 per cent of the 5,162 officials with a known birthplace and place of service served as far from home.
Pay rose from 50 kuruş a month in 1893/94 to a peak of 1,200 in 1901/02, as Basmudur Vekili in Hicaz, when 91 per cent of paid officials earned less. The peak lasted a single year; the next list gives 800 kuruş. Pay rose to 24 times the first salary; fewer than 4 per cent of the 2,859 officials paid for ten years or more rose as far. The final annual entry is for 1911/12.
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 1874/75 (AH 1291); First work 1891/92 (AH 1309); 1893 to 1898 (AH 1311 to 1315)
50 to 125 kuruş a month; entries in 5 years
1898 to 1907 (AH 1316 to 1324)
Başmüdür Kitabeti 1898 to 1907 (AH 1316 to 1324); Basmudur Vekili 1901/02 (AH 1319)
720 to 1,200 kuruş a month; entries in 9 years
1907 to 1910 (AH 1325 to 1327)
Başmüdür Kitabeti 1907/08 (AH 1325); Basmudur Baskitabeti 1908 to 1910 (AH 1326 to 1327)
700 to 1,000 kuruş a month; entries in 3 years
1910 to 1912 (AH 1328 to 1330)
800 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, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1893/94 | 50 | 500 | 50 | 480 | 0% |
| 1894/95 | 50 | 500 | 50 | 450 | 0% |
| 1895/96 | 50 | 500 | 50 | 440 | 0% |
| 1896/97 | 125 | 500 | 80 | 425 | 5% |
| 1897/98 | 125 | 500 | 80 | 425 | 5% |
| 1898/99 | 720 | 500 | 575 | 675 | 80% |
| 1899/1900 | 720 | 500 | 600 | 675 | 79% |
| 1900/01 | 720 | 500 | 585 | 800 | 77% |
| 1901/02 | 1,200 | 500 | 800 | 91% | |
| 1902/03 | 800 | 500 | 585 | 800 | 81% |
| 1903/04 | 800 | 475 | 610 | 800 | 80% |
| 1904/05 | 800 | 450 | 680 | 800 | 80% |
| 1905/06 | 800 | 475 | 700 | 800 | 78% |
| 1906/07 | 1,000 | 450 | 745 | 800 | 85% |
| 1907/08 | 700 | 300 | 250 | 76% | |
| 1908/09 | 750 | 350 | 250 | 73% | |
| 1909/10 | 1,000 | 462.5 | 300 | 73% | |
| 1910/11 | 800 | 500 | 600 | 64% | |
| 1911 | 800 | 500 | 600 | 68% | |
| 1911/12 | 800 | 900 | 800 | 41% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1891/92AH 1309 | First work | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 50first-salary field |
| 1893 to 1898AH 1311 to 1315 | Sicil Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 50 to 125 |
| 1898 to 1901AH 1316 to 1318 | Başmüdür Kitabeti | Hicaz | 720 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | Basmudur Vekili | Hicaz | 1,200 |
| 1902 to 1907AH 1320 to 1324 | Başmüdür Kitabeti | Hicaz | 800 to 1,000 |
| 1907/08AH 1325 | Başmüdür Kitabeti | Edirne | 700 |
| 1908 to 1910AH 1326 to 1327 | Basmudur Baskitabeti | Edirne | 750 to 1,000 |
| 1910 to 1912AH 1328 to 1330 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 800 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1874/75 (AH 1291)
- Birthplace
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- Saray Ascibasi
Education
- Other named school
- Daruttedris (7 years)
- 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
- Turkish
- Kitabetwriting
The glosses are cautious historical readings of the recorded words, not modern levels of proficiency.
First work
- Year
- 1891/92 (AH 1309)
- Place
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 50
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 9 officials who held Sicil Kalemi in Istanbul in the same years, Mehmet Hilmi Efendi had the highest salary.
- Mehmet Fahrettin Efendi5 shared years; highest salary 600 kuruş
- Mehmet Sami Efendi5 shared years; highest salary 350 kuruş
- Ahmet Selahattin Efendi5 shared years; highest salary 200 kuruş
- Ali Nazmi Efendi3 shared years; highest salary 600 kuruş
- Mehmet Talat Efendi3 shared years; highest salary 600 kuruş
Same place, same years
Of the 18 officials with entries in Hicaz in the same years, Mehmet Hilmi Efendi had the 9th highest salary.
- Hafız Hilmi Efendi5 shared years; highest salary 2,700 kuruş
- ALİ RIZA EFENDİ4 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Ahmet Celalettin Efendi4 shared years; highest salary 700 kuruş
- Mehmed Şefik Efendi3 shared years; highest salary 3,000 kuruş
- İbrahim Naci Bey3 shared years; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 58 officials with the title Başmüdür Kitabeti in the same years, Mehmet Hilmi Efendi had the 6th highest salary.
- Mehmet Ragıb Efendi8 shared years; highest salary 1,060 kuruş
- Ahmet Tevfik Efendi8 shared years; highest salary 950 kuruş
- Hacı Sadık Efendi8 shared years; highest salary 850 kuruş
- Mehmet Hulusi Efendi8 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Unnamed official (0087_0089, sayfa no:175.)8 shared years; highest salary 700 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 1,999 officials born in Istanbul, 1,997 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Hilmi Efendi had the 282nd highest salary of them.
- Abdullah Kemal Beyborn 1874/75 (AH 1291); highest salary 100 kuruş
- Abdullah Kemal Beyborn 1874/75 (AH 1291); highest salary 800 kuruş
- Abdurrahman Tahsin Efendiborn 1874/75 (AH 1291); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Ahmed Gazi Efendiborn 1874/75 (AH 1291); highest salary 150 kuruş
- Ahmet Asım Efendiborn 1874/75 (AH 1291); highest salary 250 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 162 officials whose first annual entry is for 1893/94 (AH 1311), Mehmet Hilmi Efendi had the 7th highest salary.
- Ahmet Asım Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 250 kuruş
- Ahmet Şevki Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 550 kuruş
- Hacı Mehmet Zeynel Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 350 kuruş
- Ahmet Şakir Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 400 kuruş
- Hasan Fehmi Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 500 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (20)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Sicil Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 50 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 89_106; 209 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Sicil Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 50 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 89_106; 209 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Sicil Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 50 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 89_106; 209 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Sicil Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 125 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 89_106; 209 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | Sicil Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 125 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 89_106; 209 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Başmüdür Kitabeti | Hicaz | 720 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 89_106; 209 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | Başmüdür Kitabeti | Hicaz | 720 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 89_106; 209 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | Başmüdür Kitabeti | Hicaz | 720 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 89_106; 209 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | Basmudur Vekili | Hicaz | 1,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 89_106; 209 |
| 1902/03AH 1320 | Başmüdür Kitabeti | Hicaz | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 89_106; 209 |
| 1903/04AH 1321 | Başmüdür Kitabeti | Hicaz | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 89_106; 209 |
| 1904/05AH 1322 | Başmüdür Kitabeti | Hicaz | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 89_106; 209 |
| 1905/06AH 1323 | Başmüdür Kitabeti | Hicaz | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 89_106; 209 |
| 1906/07AH 1324 | Başmüdür Kitabeti | Hicaz | 1,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 89_106; 209 |
| 1907/08AH 1325 | Başmüdür Kitabeti | Edirne | 700 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 89_106; 209 |
| 1908/09AH 1326 | Basmudur Baskitabeti | Edirne | 750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 89_106; 209 |
| 1909/10AH 1327 | Basmudur Baskitabeti | Edirne | 1,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 89_106; 209 |
| 1910/11AH 1328 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 89_106; 209 |
| 1911AH 1329 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 89_106; 209 |
| 1911/12AH 1330 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 89_106; 209 |
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 Hilmi Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1291 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birthplace | dersaadet | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Province of birth | dersaadet | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Father's occupation | Saray Ascibasi | 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 | daruttedris | 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) | 2 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work | ||
| First work: year (AH) | 1309 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1892 | 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) | 50 | 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.
- 13 annual entries of 20 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 Hilmi Efendi
- Clerkship of the chief director's office (Başmüdür Kitabeti)
- Hicaz
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Daruttedris
- 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)