Official
Refail Mosi Efendi
Jewish (Musevi). Born in Aleppo (Halep) in 1873/74 (AH 1290). On record 1885 to 1905, 18 annual entries.
Archive reference 69_146; 289
Life#
Born in Aleppo (Halep) in 1873/74 (AH 1290) into the Jewish (Musevi) community, Refail Mosi Efendi was the child of a merchant (tüccar). Refail Mosi had four years of schooling, at a community school (Millet Mektebi). In all Refail Mosi knew four languages, Arabic, French, Italian and Turkish, all in writing; fewer than 5 per cent of the 5,211 officials knew as many.
Work began in Aleppo in 1885/86, at about 13, paid from the start, on 380 kuruş a month. Of the 5,128 officials whose age at first work is known, fewer than 6 per cent started at 13 or younger. The first annual entry, for 1885/86, places Refail Mosi in Aleppo, the birthplace, as an official for foreign communications (Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti), where the entries run to 1891/92. Next came Mersin, Diyarbakır, Aleppo, Volos (Golos) and Chios (Sakız), five places in seven years, then Izmir (İzmir) from 1899 to 1904. The last post was in Chios again in 1904/05, with a rise to postal official (Posta Memuru).
The salary went from 380 kuruş a month in 1885/86 to 600 in 1897/98, the peak, as Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti in Volos, when 73 per cent of paid officials earned less. That salary was paid for a single year, and the next list gives 500 kuruş. The final annual entry is for 1904/05.
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 1873/74 (AH 1290); First work 1885/86 (AH 1303); 1885 to 1892 (AH 1303 to 1309)
Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti
380 to 500 kuruş a month; entries in 7 years
1894/95 (AH 1312)
No annual entry for 1893/94 (AH 1311) before it.
Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti
400 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year
1897/98 (AH 1315)
No annual entry for 1896/97 (AH 1314) before it.
Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti
600 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year
1899 to 1904 (AH 1317 to 1321)
Mersule Memuru 1899/1900 (AH 1317); Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti 1900 to 1904 (AH 1318 to 1321)
500 kuruş a month; entries in 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1885/86 | 380 | 500 | 500 | 19% |
| 1886/87 | 380 | 500 | 500 | 19% |
| 1887/88 | 400 | 500 | 500 | 27% |
| 1888/89 | 400 | 500 | 500 | 27% |
| 1889/90 | 400 | 500 | 500 | 27% |
| 1890/91 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 43% |
| 1891/92 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 43% |
| 1892/93 | 500 | 500 | 750 | 44% |
| 1894/95 | 400 | 500 | 500 | 30% |
| 1895/96 | 400 | 500 | 500 | 30% |
| 1897/98 | 600 | 500 | 480 | 73% |
| 1898/99 | 500 | 500 | 387.5 | 48% |
| 1899/1900 | 500 | 500 | 200 | 47% |
| 1900/01 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 47% |
| 1901/02 | 500 | 500 | 480 | 49% |
| 1902/03 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 49% |
| 1903/04 | 500 | 475 | 450 | 51% |
| 1904/05 | 540 | 450 | 400 | 61% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1885/86AH 1303 | First work | Aleppo (Halep) | 380first-salary field |
| 1885 to 1892AH 1303 to 1309 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Aleppo (Halep) | 380 to 500 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Başmemuru | Mersin | 500 |
| No annual entry: 1893/94 (AH 1311) | |||
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Diyarbakır | 400 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Aleppo (Halep) | 400 |
| No annual entry: 1896/97 (AH 1314) | |||
| 1897/98AH 1315 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Volos (Golos) | 600 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Posta Memuru | Chios (Sakız) | 500 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | Mersule Memuru | Izmir (İzmir) | 500 |
| 1900 to 1904AH 1318 to 1321 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Izmir (İzmir) | 500 |
| 1904/05AH 1322 | Posta Memuru | Chios (Sakız) | 540 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1873/74 (AH 1290)
- Birthplace
- Aleppo (Halep)
- Community
- Jewish (Musevi)
- Nationality as recorded
- Yahudi
- Father's occupation
- Tuccar
Education
- Community school
- Millet Mektebi (4 years)community school (school of a non-Muslim community)
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 0 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
- French
- Kitabetwriting
- Italian
- Kitabetwriting
- Turkish
- Kitabetwriting
The glosses are cautious historical readings of the recorded words, not modern levels of proficiency.
First work
- Year
- 1885/86 (AH 1303)
- Place
- Aleppo (Halep)
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 380
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 66 officials with entries in Aleppo (Halep) in the same years, Refail Mosi Efendi had the 43rd highest salary.
- Ohannes Efendi8 shared years; highest salary 750 kuruş
- Mihran Efendi8 shared years; highest salary 700 kuruş
- İskender Efendi7 shared years; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Ali Riza Efendi7 shared years; highest salary 1,400 kuruş
- İsmail Nuri Efendi7 shared years; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 405 officials with the title Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti in the same years, Refail Mosi Efendi had the 193rd highest salary.
- Israti Efendi14 shared years; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Melkon Berhadar Efendi14 shared years; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Mehmet Rıfat Efendi14 shared years; highest salary 1,250 kuruş
- Acemyan Dikran Efendi14 shared years; highest salary 1,100 kuruş
- Andon İzekiyan Efendi14 shared years; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
All 605 officials with the title Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti
Same school
Of the 263 officials with Millet Mektebi among their schools, Refail Mosi Efendi had the 89th highest salary.
- Dikran Papazyan Efendiborn 1873/74 (AH 1290); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Dikran Vartanyan Efendiborn 1873/74 (AH 1290); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Dimtoni Vasilyadis Efendiborn 1873/74 (AH 1290); highest salary 250 kuruş
- Hanna Afif Efendiborn 1873/74 (AH 1290); highest salary 500 kuruş
- İsak Behor Efendiborn 1873/74 (AH 1290); highest salary 500 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 67 officials born in Aleppo (Halep), Refail Mosi Efendi had the 21st highest salary.
- Ahmet Hilmi Efendiborn 1873/74 (AH 1290); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Hacı Mehmet Murat Efendiborn 1873/74 (AH 1290); highest salary 200 kuruş
- Mehmet Şemsettin Efendiborn 1873/74 (AH 1290); highest salary 175 kuruş
- Rafael Musaborn 1873/74 (AH 1290); highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Cemil Efendiborn 1874/75 (AH 1291); highest salary 400 kuruş
The page of Aleppo (Halep), with the 67 officials born there
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 93 officials whose first annual entry is for 1885/86 (AH 1303), Refail Mosi Efendi had the 38th highest salary.
- Rafael Musafirst entry in Aleppo (Halep); highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Hüseyin Kadri Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 500 kuruş
- Mehmet Rauf Efendifirst entry in Beyoğlu; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Mehmet Refik Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 540 kuruş
- Ahmet Hulusi Efendifirst entry in Beyoğlu; highest salary 700 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (18)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Aleppo (Halep) | 380 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 69_146; 289 |
| 1886/87AH 1304 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Aleppo (Halep) | 380 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 69_146; 289 |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Aleppo (Halep) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 69_146; 289 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Aleppo (Halep) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 69_146; 289 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Aleppo (Halep) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 69_146; 289 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Aleppo (Halep) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 69_146; 289 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Aleppo (Halep) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 69_146; 289 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Başmemuru | Mersin | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 69_146; 289 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Diyarbakır | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 69_146; 289 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Aleppo (Halep) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 69_146; 289 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Volos (Golos) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 69_146; 289 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Posta Memuru | Chios (Sakız) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 69_146; 289 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | Mersule Memuru | Izmir (İzmir) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 69_146; 289 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Izmir (İzmir) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 69_146; 289 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Izmir (İzmir) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 69_146; 289 |
| 1902/03AH 1320 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Izmir (İzmir) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 69_146; 289 |
| 1903/04AH 1321 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Izmir (İzmir) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 69_146; 289 |
| 1904/05AH 1322 | Posta Memuru | Chios (Sakız) | 540 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 69_146; 289 |
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 | Refail Mosi Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1290 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birthplace | halep | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Province of birth | halep | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Father's occupation | Tuccar | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Religion | Musevi | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Nationality or community | Yahudi | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Schooling | ||
| School | Millet 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) | 0 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work | ||
| First work: year (AH) | 1303 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1886 | Recovered annual personnel extract |
| First work: place | Halep | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First salary field (kuruş a month) | 380 | 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.
- 18 annual entries of 18 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
- Refail Mosi Efendi
- Post of official for foreign communications (Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti)
- Aleppo (Halep)
- Community school (Millet Mektebi)
- Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)
- Jewish (Musevi)
- Postal official (Posta Memuru)
- 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)