Official
Ahmet Refik Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Istanbul (Dersaadet) in 1871/72 (AH 1288). On record 1889 to 1907, 18 annual entries.
Archive reference 0062_0170; 335
Life#
Ahmet Refik Efendi was born in Istanbul in 1871/72 (AH 1288) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community; the father was a tradesman (esnaf). Schooling took seven years, at a middle school (Rüşdiye Mektebi); Ahmet Refik also wrote French as well as Turkish.
At about 18, in 1889/90, Ahmet Refik began work in Istanbul, paid from the start, on 100 kuruş a month. The annual lists begin in 1889/90, with Ahmet Refik as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru) in Beyoğlu, where the entries run to 1895/96, with a rise to official for foreign communications (Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti) in 1893/94. Next came Çanakkale in 1896/97, then a return to Beyoğlu from 1897 to 1905. The last posts were in Constanța (Köstence) from 1905 to 1907.
The salary went from 100 kuruş a month in 1889/90 to 550 in 1902/03, the peak, as Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti in Beyoğlu, when 65 per cent of paid officials earned less. In all, 18 years of salary come to 78,480 kuruş, 73 per cent of what an official on the median salary earned in those years. The last annual entry is for 1906/07.
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 1871/72 (AH 1288); First work 1889/90 (AH 1307)
1889 to 1896 (AH 1307 to 1313)
Muhabere Memuru 1889 to 1893 (AH 1307 to 1310); Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti 1893 to 1896 (AH 1311 to 1313)
100 to 250 kuruş a month; entries in 7 years
1897 to 1905 (AH 1315 to 1322)
Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti
250 to 550 kuruş a month; entries in 8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1889/90 | 100 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 2% |
| 1890/91 | 140 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 4% |
| 1891/92 | 150 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 6% |
| 1892/93 | 175 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 9% |
| 1893/94 | 200 | 500 | 500 | 480 | 9% |
| 1894/95 | 225 | 500 | 500 | 450 | 13% |
| 1895/96 | 250 | 500 | 500 | 440 | 13% |
| 1896/97 | 500 | 500 | 495 | 453.5 | 49% |
| 1897/98 | 250 | 500 | 480 | 425 | 14% |
| 1898/99 | 400 | 500 | 495 | 440 | 31% |
| 1899/1900 | 400 | 500 | 500 | 450 | 31% |
| 1900/01 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 450 | 47% |
| 1901/02 | 500 | 500 | 480 | 440 | 49% |
| 1902/03 | 550 | 500 | 400 | 450 | 65% |
| 1903/04 | 550 | 475 | 450 | 450 | 65% |
| 1904/05 | 550 | 450 | 455 | 450 | 65% |
| 1905/06 | 550 | 475 | 445 | 65% | |
| 1906/07 | 550 | 450 | 350 | 64% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1889/90AH 1307 | First work | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 100first-salary field |
| 1889 to 1893AH 1307 to 1310 | Muhabere Memuru | Beyoğlu | 100 to 175 |
| 1893 to 1896AH 1311 to 1313 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Beyoğlu | 200 to 250 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Çanakkale | 500 |
| 1897 to 1905AH 1315 to 1322 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Beyoğlu | 250 to 550 |
| 1905 to 1907AH 1323 to 1324 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Constanța (Köstence) | 550 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1871/72 (AH 1288)
- Birthplace
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- Esnaf
Education
- Rüşdiye
- Rüşdiye Mektebi (7 years)rüşdiye school (middle school)
- 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
- French
- Kitabetwriting
- Turkish
- Kitabetwriting
The glosses are cautious historical readings of the recorded words, not modern levels of proficiency.
First work
- Year
- 1889/90 (AH 1307)
- Place
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 100
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 126 officials who held Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti in Beyoğlu in the same years, Ahmet Refik Efendi had the 60th highest salary.
- Garon Efendi11 shared years; highest salary 1,300 kuruş
- Taşçıyan Markar Efendi11 shared years; highest salary 1,300 kuruş
- Hoca Sar Efendi11 shared years; highest salary 1,200 kuruş
- Acemyan Dikran Efendi11 shared years; highest salary 1,100 kuruş
- Andon İzekiyan Efendi11 shared years; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
Same place, same years
Of the 290 officials with entries in Beyoğlu in the same years, Ahmet Refik Efendi had the 154th highest salary.
- Emrullah Efendi15 shared years; highest salary 10,000 kuruş
- Paskal Mıgırdıç Kazancıyan Efendi15 shared years; highest salary 2,905 kuruş
- Nikola Yunani Efendi15 shared years; highest salary 1,350 kuruş
- Garon Efendi15 shared years; highest salary 1,300 kuruş
- Taşçıyan Markar Efendi15 shared years; highest salary 1,300 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 460 officials with the title Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti in the same years, Ahmet Refik Efendi had the 227th highest salary.
- Garon Efendi14 shared years; highest salary 1,300 kuruş
- Taşçıyan Markar Efendi14 shared years; highest salary 1,300 kuruş
- Acemyan Dikran Efendi14 shared years; highest salary 1,100 kuruş
- Andon İzekiyan Efendi14 shared years; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Zenop Tangaryan Efendi14 shared years; highest salary 665 kuruş
All 605 officials with the title Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti
Same school
Of the 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi among their schools, 3,200 have a recorded salary; Ahmet Refik Efendi had the 1,120th highest salary of them.
- Abdi Zühtü Efendiborn 1871/72 (AH 1288); highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Abdullah Avni Efendiborn 1871/72 (AH 1288); highest salary 380 kuruş
- Ahmet Cevdet Efendiborn 1871/72 (AH 1288); highest salary 900 kuruş
- Ahmet Hamdi Efendiborn 1871/72 (AH 1288); highest salary 210 kuruş
- Ahmet Hamdi Efendiborn 1871/72 (AH 1288); highest salary 300 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 1,999 officials born in Istanbul, 1,997 have a recorded salary; Ahmet Refik Efendi had the 927th highest salary of them.
- Ahmet Bahaattin Efendiborn 1871/72 (AH 1288); highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Ahmet Cevdet Efendiborn 1871/72 (AH 1288); highest salary 900 kuruş
- Ahmet Hamdi Efendiborn 1871/72 (AH 1288); highest salary 210 kuruş
- Ahmet Hamdi Efendiborn 1871/72 (AH 1288); highest salary 300 kuruş
- Ahmet Hulusi Efendiborn 1871/72 (AH 1288); highest salary 700 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 116 officials whose first annual entry is for 1889/90 (AH 1307), Ahmet Refik Efendi had the 42nd highest salary.
- Agop Efendifirst entry in Beyoğlu; highest salary 150 kuruş
- Mehmet Esat Efendifirst entry in Beyoğlu; highest salary 320 kuruş
- Mehmet Hamdi Efendifirst entry in Beyoğlu; highest salary 150 kuruş
- Nişan Efendifirst entry in Beyoğlu; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Abdi Zühtü Efendifirst entry in Bitlis; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
All 116 officials whose first annual entry is for 1889/90 (AH 1307)
Full record
Annual entries (18)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Muhabere Memuru | Beyoğlu | 100 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0170; 335 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Muhabere Memuru | Beyoğlu | 140 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0170; 335 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Muhabere Memuru | Beyoğlu | 150 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0170; 335 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Muhabere Memuru | Beyoğlu | 175 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0170; 335 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Beyoğlu | 200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0170; 335 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Beyoğlu | 225 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0170; 335 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Beyoğlu | 250 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0170; 335 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Çanakkale | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0170; 335 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Beyoğlu | 250 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0170; 335 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Beyoğlu | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0170; 335 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Beyoğlu | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0170; 335 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Beyoğlu | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0170; 335 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Beyoğlu | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0170; 335 |
| 1902/03AH 1320 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Beyoğlu | 550 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0170; 335 |
| 1903/04AH 1321 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Beyoğlu | 550 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0170; 335 |
| 1904/05AH 1322 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Beyoğlu | 550 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0170; 335 |
| 1905/06AH 1323 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Constanța (Köstence) | 550 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0170; 335 |
| 1906/07AH 1324 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Constanța (Köstence) | 550 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0170; 335 |
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 | Ahmet Refik Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1288 | 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 | Esnaf | 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 |
| Years of apprenticeship (mülazemet) | 0 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work | ||
| First work: year (AH) | 1307 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1890 | 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) | 100 | 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.
- 17 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
- Ahmet Refik Efendi
- Post of official for foreign communications (Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti)
- Beyoğlu
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- 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)