Official
Ahmet Hamdi Bey
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Istanbul (Dersaadet) in 1877/78 (AH 1294). On record 1894 to 1910, 16 annual entries.
Archive reference 90_76; 149
Life#
Born in Istanbul in 1877/78 (AH 1294) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community, Ahmet Hamdi Bey was the child of a telegraph official (telgraf memuru). Ahmet Hamdi had 14 years of schooling, at a middle school (Rüşdiye Mektebi) and then the School of Law (Hukuk Mektebi), and held a qualification (a diploma, certificate, training or decoration).
Work began in Istanbul in 1894/95, at about 17, paid from the start, on 50 kuruş a month. From 1894/95 to 1909/10 every annual entry places Ahmet Hamdi in Istanbul, the birthplace, first in the council clerkship (Meclis Kitabeti), from 1896/97 as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru), from 1901/02 in the office of the corresponding secretary (Mektubi Kalemi) and from 1909/10 as Tahrirat Kalemi Muduru.
The salary went from 50 kuruş a month in 1894/95 to 2,500 in 1909/10, the peak, as Tahrirat Kalemi Muduru in Istanbul, when nine in ten paid officials earned less. Pay rose to 50 times the first salary; only 31 of the 2,859 officials paid for ten years or more rose as far. The final annual entry is for 1909/10.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1894/95 | 50 | 500 | 135 | 0% |
| 1895/96 | 100 | 500 | 3% | |
| 1896/97 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 32% |
| 1897/98 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 32% |
| 1898/99 | 472 | 500 | 400 | 46% |
| 1899/1900 | 472 | 500 | 400 | 45% |
| 1900/01 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 47% |
| 1901/02 | 575 | 500 | 500 | 66% |
| 1902/03 | 575 | 500 | 400 | 66% |
| 1903/04 | 575 | 475 | 400 | 66% |
| 1904/05 | 575 | 450 | 400 | 66% |
| 1905/06 | 700 | 475 | 287.5 | 73% |
| 1906/07 | 700 | 450 | 477.5 | 72% |
| 1907/08 | 1,000 | 300 | 170 | 84% |
| 1908/09 | 1,000 | 350 | 78% | |
| 1909/10 | 2,500 | 462.5 | 89% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1894/95AH 1312 | First work | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 50first-salary field |
| 1894 to 1896AH 1312 to 1313 | Meclis Kitabeti | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 50 to 100 |
| 1896 to 1901AH 1314 to 1318 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 400 to 500 |
| 1901 to 1909AH 1319 to 1326 | Mektubi Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 575 to 1,000 |
| 1909/10AH 1327 | Tahrirat Kalemi Muduru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 2,500 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1877/78 (AH 1294)
- Birthplace
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- Telgraf Memuru
Education
- Rüşdiye
- Rüşdiye Mektebi (7 years)rüşdiye school (middle school)
- Higher or professional
- Hukuk Mektebi (14 years)School of Law
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 0 years
- Preparation route (classification of the paper)
- Other High
- Qualification (diploma, certificate, training or nişan)
- Yes
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
- 1894/95 (AH 1312)
- 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 place, same years
Of the 1,267 officials with entries in Istanbul in the same years, Ahmet Hamdi Bey had the 59th highest salary.
- Melkok Efendi16 shared years; highest salary 5,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Emin Efendi16 shared years; highest salary 3,500 kuruş
- Tevfik Bey16 shared years; highest salary 3,500 kuruş
- Salih Tevfik Efendi16 shared years; highest salary 2,600 kuruş
- Bahcivan Oglu Kalparki Efendi16 shared years; highest salary 2,500 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 27 officials with the title Mektubi Kalemi in the same years, Ahmet Hamdi Bey had the highest salary.
- Mehmet Celalettin Efendi8 shared years; highest salary 400 kuruş
- Tahir Efendi6 shared years; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Salih Hulusi Efendi6 shared years; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Mahmut Aziz Efendi5 shared years; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Mehmet Raşit Efendi 12775 shared years; highest salary 725 kuruş
Same school
Of the 21 officials with Hukuk Mektebi among their schools, Ahmet Hamdi Bey had the 8th highest salary.
- Mustafa Behçet Beyborn 1876/77 (AH 1293); highest salary 1,260 kuruş
- Unnamed official (76_60; 117)born 1878 (AH 1295); highest salary 50 kuruş
- Mehmet Memduh Beyborn 1874/75 (AH 1291); highest salary 5,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Edip Beyborn 1881/82 (AH 1299); highest salary 800 kuruş
- Ananyas Efendiborn 1866/67 (AH 1283); highest salary 1,400 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 1,999 officials born in Istanbul, 1,997 have a recorded salary; Ahmet Hamdi Bey had the 104th highest salary of them.
- Ahmet Hayri Efendiborn 1877/78 (AH 1294); highest salary 350 kuruş
- Ahmet Lütfi Efendiborn 1877/78 (AH 1294); highest salary 100 kuruş
- Ahmet Münim Efendiborn 1877/78 (AH 1294); highest salary 400 kuruş
- Ahmet Necati Efendiborn 1877/78 (AH 1294); highest salary 400 kuruş
- Ahmet Recep Efendiborn 1877/78 (AH 1294); highest salary 600 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 173 officials whose first annual entry is for 1894/95 (AH 1312), Ahmet Hamdi Bey had the 3rd highest salary.
- Mehmet Kazım Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 400 kuruş
- Hasan Rıza Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 50 kuruş
- İbrahim Ethem Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 400 kuruş
- İbrahim Fethi Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 100 kuruş
- Mehmet Fahri Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 2,500 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (16)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Meclis Kitabeti | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 50 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 90_76; 149 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Meclis Kitabeti | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 100 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 90_76; 149 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 90_76; 149 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 90_76; 149 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 472 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 90_76; 149 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 472 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 90_76; 149 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 90_76; 149 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | Mektubi Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 575 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 90_76; 149 |
| 1902/03AH 1320 | Mektubi Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 575 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 90_76; 149 |
| 1903/04AH 1321 | Mektubi Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 575 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 90_76; 149 |
| 1904/05AH 1322 | Mektubi Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 575 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 90_76; 149 |
| 1905/06AH 1323 | Mektubi Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 700 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 90_76; 149 |
| 1906/07AH 1324 | Mektubi Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 700 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 90_76; 149 |
| 1907/08AH 1325 | Mektubi Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 90_76; 149 |
| 1908/09AH 1326 | Mektubi Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 1,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 90_76; 149 |
| 1909/10AH 1327 | Tahrirat Kalemi Muduru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 2,500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 90_76; 149 |
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 (16)
| Field | Recorded value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Name | Ahmet Hamdi Bey | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1294 | 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 | telgraf 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 | Hukuk Mektebi used on this page | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| School | Rusdiye Mektebi other value | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Years of schooling | 14 used on this page | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Years of schooling | 7 other value | 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) | 1312 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1894 | 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.
- 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 16 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
- Ahmet Hamdi Bey
- Office of the corresponding secretary (Mektubi Kalemi)
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- School of Law (Hukuk Mektebi)
- Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Communications official (Muhabere 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)