Official
Mehmet Ali Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Istanbul (Dersaadet) in 1857/58 (AH 1274). On record 1872 to 1906, 27 annual entries.
Archive reference 105_209_415
Life#
Born in Istanbul in 1857/58 (AH 1274) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community, Mehmet Ali Efendi was the child of a tradesman (esnaf). Schooling took seven years, at a middle school (Rüşdiye Mektebi).
Mehmet Ali began work in the telegraph service (Telgraf) in Drama in 1872/73, at about 15, paid from the start, on 400 kuruş a month. The annual lists begin in 1872/73, with Mehmet Ali as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru) in Drama. Next came six places in 18 years, then a return to Drama from 1890 to 1893, with a rise to Reji Baskitabeti. Mehmet Ali then moved to Blagoevgrad (Yukarı Cuma) from 1893 to 1895, then back to Serres from 1895 to 1900. The annual lists then follow Mehmet Ali to five places in five years, with a rise to Reji Muduru in 1901/02. The last post was in Ropcoz in 1905/06. In all, 13 places on two continents, a number reached by only 38 of the 5,200 officials with a place of service.
Pay rose from 400 kuruş a month in 1872/73 to a peak of 1,000 in 1901/02, as Reji Muduru in Beypazarı, when 87 per cent of paid officials earned less. In all, 27 years of salary come to 223,680 kuruş, 1.3 times what an official on the median salary earned in those years. The last 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 1857/58 (AH 1274)
First work 1872/73 (AH 1289); 1872/73 (AH 1289)
First work as Telgraf
400 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year
1885/86 (AH 1303)
No annual entry for 1879 to 1885 (AH 1297 to 1302) before it.
500 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year
1888 to 1890 (AH 1306 to 1307)
No annual entry for 1886 to 1888 (AH 1304 to 1305) before it.
500 kuruş a month; entries in 2 years
1893 to 1895 (AH 1311 to 1312)
900 kuruş a month; entries in 2 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 | 400 | 550 | 400 | 26% |
| 1873/74 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 44% |
| 1874/75 | 500 | 535 | 450 | 41% |
| 1875/76 | 600 | 530 | 600 | 54% |
| 1876/77 | 600 | 582.5 | 600 | 50% |
| 1877/78 | 600 | 560 | 600 | 50% |
| 1878 | 500 | 600 | 500 | 33% |
| 1878/79 | 500 | 600 | 420 | 34% |
| 1885/86 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 42% |
| 1888/89 | 500 | 500 | 41% | |
| 1889/90 | 500 | 500 | 42% | |
| 1890/91 | 600 | 500 | 59% | |
| 1891/92 | 600 | 500 | 59% | |
| 1892/93 | 600 | 500 | 59% | |
| 1893/94 | 900 | 500 | 86% | |
| 1894/95 | 900 | 500 | 86% | |
| 1895/96 | 900 | 500 | 85% | |
| 1896/97 | 900 | 500 | 88% | |
| 1897/98 | 900 | 500 | 88% | |
| 1898/99 | 900 | 500 | 87% | |
| 1899/1900 | 900 | 500 | 85% | |
| 1900/01 | 900 | 500 | 85% | |
| 1901/02 | 1,000 | 500 | 87% | |
| 1902/03 | 1,000 | 500 | 87% | |
| 1903/04 | 800 | 475 | 350 | 80% |
| 1904/05 | 600 | 450 | 540 | 67% |
| 1905/06 | 540 | 475 | 540 | 62% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1872/73AH 1289 | Telgraffirst work | Drama | 400first-salary field |
| 1872/73AH 1289 | Muhabere Memuru | Drama | 400 |
| 1873 to 1875AH 1290 to 1291 | Mukayyit | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 500 |
| 1875 to 1878AH 1292 to 1294 | 3. Müdür | Gotse Delchev (Nevrekop) | 600 |
| 1878AH 1295 | Muhabere Memuru | Bandırma | 500 |
| 1878/79AH 1296 | Muhabere Memuru | Balıkesir | 500 |
| No annual entry: 1879 to 1885 (AH 1297 to 1302) | |||
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Muhabere Memuru | Serres (Siroz) | 500 |
| No annual entry: 1886 to 1888 (AH 1304 to 1305) | |||
| 1888 to 1890AH 1306 to 1307 | Reji Memuru | Nea Zichni (Zihne) | 500 |
| 1890 to 1893AH 1308 to 1310 | Reji Baskitabeti | Drama | 600 |
| 1893 to 1895AH 1311 to 1312 | Reji Muduru | Blagoevgrad (Yukarı Cuma) | 900 |
| 1895 to 1900AH 1313 to 1317 | Reji Baskitabeti | Serres (Siroz) | 900 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | Reji Baskitabeti | Drama | 900 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | Reji Muduru | Beypazarı | 1,000 |
| 1902/03AH 1320 | Reji Muduru | Akşehir | 1,000 |
| 1903/04AH 1321 | Muhabere Memuru | Akabetus sam | 800 |
| 1904/05AH 1322 | 3. Müdür | Ahide | 600 |
| 1905/06AH 1323 | 3. Müdür | Ropcoz | 540 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1857/58 (AH 1274)
- Birthplace
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- Esnaf
Education
- Rüşdiye
- Rüşdiye Mektebi (7 years)rüşdiye school (middle school); place of the school as worded: sehzadebasi
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 0 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
- 1872/73 (AH 1289)
- Place
- Drama
- First job as worded
- Telgraf
- Age at first work (workbook field)
- 15
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 400
- First-job salary of the original workbook (kuruş a month)
- 400
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 28 officials with entries in Serres (Siroz) in the same years, Mehmet Ali Efendi had the 6th highest salary.
- Abdurrahman Nuri Efendi6 shared years; highest salary 1,400 kuruş
- Hüsnü Efendi6 shared years; highest salary 1,080 kuruş
- Ahmed Tevfik Efendi6 shared years; highest salary 594 kuruş
- Ali Rıza Efendi5 shared years; highest salary 500 kuruş
- Hüseyin Vehbi Efendi5 shared years; highest salary 500 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 1,648 officials with the title Muhabere Memuru in the same years, Mehmet Ali Efendi had the 174th highest salary.
- Nikola Yunani Efendi5 shared years; highest salary 1,350 kuruş
- Şarl Laze Efendi5 shared years; highest salary 1,250 kuruş
- Hasan Ruhi Efendi5 shared years; highest salary 1,200 kuruş
- Cemal Efendi5 shared years; highest salary 840 kuruş
- Unnamed official (23_38; 73)5 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
Same school
Of the 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi among their schools, 3,200 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Ali Efendi had the 289th highest salary of them.
- Ahmet İzzet Efendiborn 1857/58 (AH 1274); highest salary 400 kuruş
- Ahmet İzzet Efendiborn 1857/58 (AH 1274); highest salary 1,200 kuruş
- Ahmet Rıfat Efendiborn 1857/58 (AH 1274); highest salary 400 kuruş
- Ahmet Tayyip Efendiborn 1857/58 (AH 1274); highest salary 540 kuruş
- Ahmet Vasfi Efendiborn 1857/58 (AH 1274); highest salary 1,500 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 1,999 officials born in Istanbul, 1,997 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Ali Efendi had the 354th highest salary of them.
- Ahmet Emin Efendiborn 1857/58 (AH 1274); highest salary 2,000 kuruş
- Ahmet İzzet Efendiborn 1857/58 (AH 1274); highest salary 1,200 kuruş
- Ahmet Nihalettin Efendiborn 1857/58 (AH 1274); highest salary 800 kuruş
- Ahmet Şefik Efendiborn 1857/58 (AH 1274); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Ali Ferit Efendiborn 1857/58 (AH 1274); highest salary 500 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 84 officials whose first annual entry is for 1872/73 (AH 1289), Mehmet Ali Efendi had the 27th highest salary.
- Mehmet Fehmi Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 1,100 kuruş
- Suleyman Zeki Efendifirst entry in Skopje (Üsküp); highest salary 684 kuruş
- Ahmet Rifat Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 400 kuruş
- İbrahim Edhem Efendifirst entry in Tuzla; highest salary 1,200 kuruş
- Kigork Efendifirst entry in Baghdad (Bağdat); highest salary 760 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (27)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1872/73AH 1289 | Muhabere Memuru | Drama | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 105_209_415 |
| 1873/74AH 1290 | Mukayyit | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 105_209_415 |
| 1874/75AH 1291 | Mukayyit | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 105_209_415 |
| 1875/76AH 1292 | 3. Müdür | Gotse Delchev (Nevrekop) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 105_209_415 |
| 1876/77AH 1293 | 3. Müdür | Gotse Delchev (Nevrekop) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 105_209_415 |
| 1877/78AH 1294 | 3. Müdür | Gotse Delchev (Nevrekop) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 105_209_415 |
| 1878AH 1295 | Muhabere Memuru | Bandırma | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 105_209_415 |
| 1878/79AH 1296 | Muhabere Memuru | Balıkesir | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 105_209_415 |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Muhabere Memuru | Serres (Siroz) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 105_209_415 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Reji Memuru | Nea Zichni (Zihne) | 500 | Other | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 105_209_415 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Reji Memuru | Nea Zichni (Zihne) | 500 | Other | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 105_209_415 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Reji Baskitabeti | Drama | 600 | Other | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 105_209_415 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Reji Baskitabeti | Drama | 600 | Other | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 105_209_415 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Reji Baskitabeti | Drama | 600 | Other | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 105_209_415 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Reji Muduru | Blagoevgrad (Yukarı Cuma) | 900 | Other | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 105_209_415 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Reji Muduru | Blagoevgrad (Yukarı Cuma) | 900 | Other | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 105_209_415 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Reji Baskitabeti | Serres (Siroz) | 900 | Other | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 105_209_415 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Reji Baskitabeti | Serres (Siroz) | 900 | Other | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 105_209_415 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | Reji Baskitabeti | Serres (Siroz) | 900 | Other | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 105_209_415 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Reji Baskitabeti | Serres (Siroz) | 900 | Other | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 105_209_415 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | Reji Baskitabeti | Serres (Siroz) | 900 | Other | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 105_209_415 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | Reji Baskitabeti | Drama | 900 | Other | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 105_209_415 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | Reji Muduru | Beypazarı | 1,000 | Other | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 105_209_415 |
| 1902/03AH 1320 | Reji Muduru | Akşehir | 1,000 | Other | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 105_209_415 |
| 1903/04AH 1321 | Muhabere Memuru | Akabetus sam | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 105_209_415 |
| 1904/05AH 1322 | 3. Müdür | Ahide | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 105_209_415 |
| 1905/06AH 1323 | 3. Müdür | Ropcoz | 540 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 105_209_415 |
What the sources named in this table are
- Cross-ministry personnel workbook
- A personnel workbook with the annual entries in institutions other than the Post and Telegraph (justice, land registry, customs, police and others), with the same annual fields as the personnel workbook.
- 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 (25)
| Field | Recorded value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Name | Mehmet Ali Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Linked personnel workbook |
| Birth year (AH) | 1274 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace | dersaadet used on this page | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birthplace | istanbul other value | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace: district (kaza) | istanbul | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace: sancak | istanbul | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace: province (vilayet) | istanbul | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Province of birth | dersaadet | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Father's occupation | esnaf | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Religion | Musluman | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Nationality or community | Turkish | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Schooling | ||
| School | Rusdiye Mektebi | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Place of the school | sehzadebasi | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Years of schooling | 7 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Years of apprenticeship (mülazemet) | 0 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work | ||
| First work: year (AH) | 1289 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Linked personnel workbook |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1872 | Recovered annual personnel extract |
| First work: place | Drama | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work: district (kaza) | Drama | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work: sancak | Drama | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work: province (vilayet) | selanik | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First job as worded | Telgraf | Linked personnel workbook; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Age at first work (workbook field) | 15 | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First salary field (kuruş a month) | 400 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First-job salary of the original workbook (kuruş a month) | 400 | Linked personnel workbook; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
What the sources named in this table are
- Cross-ministry personnel workbook
- A personnel workbook with the annual entries in institutions other than the Post and Telegraph (justice, land registry, customs, police and others), with the same annual fields as the personnel workbook.
- 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.
- Linked personnel workbook
- The original personnel workbook, from which selected fields on background and first work are taken.
- The sources give more than one value for a marked field. Every value is listed.
- Origin of the record: Post and Telegraph personnel records.
- 12 annual entries of 27 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 Ali Efendi
- Reji Baskitabeti
- Serres (Siroz)
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Rüşdiye school (Rüşdiye Mektebi)
- Other
- 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)