Official
Hüsnü Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Shumen (Şumnu) in 1856/57 (AH 1273). On record 1875 to 1894, 18 annual entries.
Archive reference 110_92; 181
Life#
Hüsnü Efendi was born in Shumen (Şumnu) in 1856/57 (AH 1273) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community; the father was a head of a sub-district (nahiye müdürü). Schooling took seven years, at a middle school (Rüşdiye Mektebi).
Work began in the telegraph service (Telgraf) in Istanbul in 1871/72, at about 15, with four unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 400 kuruş. The first annual entry, for 1875/76, places Hüsnü in Veliko Tarnovo (Tırnova) as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru). Hüsnü then moved to Ruse in 1876/77 and Bakırköy in 1877/78, then Istanbul from 1878 to 1884, with a rise to a post in the Tarhrirat Kitabeti. The annual lists then follow Hüsnü to Rhodes (Rodos) from 1884 to 1889, with a rise to a post in the Duyunu Umumiye Kitabeti, then Ioannina in 1889/90. The last posts were in Aleppo (Halep) from 1891 to 1894.
The salary went from 400 kuruş a month in 1875/76 to 1,000 in 1889/90, the peak, in the Duyunu Umumiye Kitabeti in Ioannina, when 85 per cent of paid officials earned less. That salary was paid for a single year, and the next list gives 900 kuruş. The last annual entry is for 1893/94.
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 1856/57 (AH 1273)
1878 to 1884 (AH 1296 to 1301)
No annual entry for 1878 (AH 1295) before it.
600 to 650 kuruş a month; entries in 6 years
1884 to 1889 (AH 1302 to 1306)
800 kuruş a month; entries in 5 years
1891 to 1894 (AH 1309 to 1311)
No annual entry for 1890/91 (AH 1308) before it.
900 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.
The numbers of the chart
| Year | Salary | Median, all officials | Median, same title | Paid less |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1875/76 | 400 | 530 | 400 | 23% |
| 1876/77 | 400 | 582.5 | 410 | 17% |
| 1877/78 | 600 | 560 | 500 | 50% |
| 1878/79 | 650 | 600 | 61% | |
| 1879/80 | 650 | 500 | 71% | |
| 1880/81 | 650 | 500 | 70% | |
| 1881/82 | 600 | 500 | 60% | |
| 1882/83 | 600 | 500 | 59% | |
| 1883/84 | 600 | 500 | 59% | |
| 1884/85 | 800 | 500 | 76% | |
| 1885/86 | 800 | 500 | 77% | |
| 1886/87 | 800 | 500 | 77% | |
| 1887/88 | 800 | 500 | 76% | |
| 1888/89 | 800 | 500 | 77% | |
| 1889/90 | 1,000 | 500 | 85% | |
| 1891/92 | 900 | 500 | 85% | |
| 1892/93 | 900 | 500 | 85% | |
| 1893/94 | 900 | 500 | 86% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1871/72AH 1288 | Telgraffirst work | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 400first-salary field |
| 1875/76AH 1292 | Muhabere Memuru | Veliko Tarnovo (Tırnova) | 400 |
| 1876/77AH 1293 | Muhabere Memuru | Ruse (Rusçuk) | 400 |
| 1877/78AH 1294 | Seyyar Memur | Bakırköy | 600 |
| No annual entry: 1878 (AH 1295) | |||
| 1878 to 1884AH 1296 to 1301 | Tarhrirat Kitabeti | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 650 to 600 |
| 1884 to 1889AH 1302 to 1306 | Duyunu Umumiye Kitabeti | Rhodes (Rodos) | 800 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Duyunu Umumiye Kitabeti | Ioannina (Yanya) | 1,000 |
| No annual entry: 1890/91 (AH 1308) | |||
| 1891 to 1894AH 1309 to 1311 | Duyunu Umumiye Kitabeti | Aleppo (Halep) | 900 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1856/57 (AH 1273)
- Birthplace
- Shumen (Şumnu)
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- Nahiye Muduru
Education
- Rüşdiye
- Rüşdiye Mektebi (7 years)rüşdiye school (middle school)
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 4 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
- 1871/72 (AH 1288)
- Place
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- 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 471 officials with entries in Istanbul in the same years, Hüsnü Efendi had the 226th highest salary.
- İbrahim Selim Susa Efendi6 shared years; highest salary 15,000 kuruş
- Emil Efendi6 shared years; highest salary 9,000 kuruş
- Salahattin Bey6 shared years; highest salary 7,800 kuruş
- Mehmet Mazhar Bey6 shared years; highest salary 7,125 kuruş
- Suleyman Resat Bey6 shared years; highest salary 7,000 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 2 officials with the title Duyunu Umumiye Kitabeti in the same years, Hüsnü Efendi had the highest salary.
- Zeynelabidin Efendi3 shared years; highest salary 280 kuruş
Same school
Of the 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi among their schools, 3,200 have a recorded salary; Hüsnü Efendi had the 289th highest salary of them.
- Abdurrahman Rüştü Efendiborn 1856/57 (AH 1273); highest salary 760 kuruş
- Ahmet Bican Efendiborn 1856/57 (AH 1273); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Ahmet Efendiborn 1856/57 (AH 1273); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Ahmet Efendiborn 1856/57 (AH 1273); highest salary 200 kuruş
- Ahmet Hilmi Efendiborn 1856/57 (AH 1273); highest salary 400 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 13 officials born in Shumen (Şumnu), Hüsnü Efendi had the 3rd highest salary.
- Mehmet Agah Efendiborn 1856/57 (AH 1273); highest salary 750 kuruş
- Petraki Yavorski Efendiborn 1859/60 (AH 1276); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Mustafa Raif Efendiborn 1849/50 (AH 1266); highest salary 700 kuruş
- Abdüssabur Sabri Efendiborn 1864/65 (AH 1281); highest salary 700 kuruş
- İbrahim Razıyyüttin Efendiborn 1865/66 (AH 1282); highest salary 1,000 kuruş
The page of Shumen (Şumnu), with the 13 officials born there
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 87 officials whose first annual entry is for 1875/76 (AH 1292), Hüsnü Efendi had the 16th highest salary.
- İbrahim Sırrı Efendifirst entry in Gotse Delchev (Nevrekop); highest salary 750 kuruş
- Mahir Efendifirst entry in Sofia (Sofya); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Mehmet Agah Efendifirst entry in Vidin; highest salary 750 kuruş
- Mustafa Hulusi Efendifirst entry in Izmir (İzmir); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Mustafa Şükrü Efendifirst entry in Travnik; highest salary 600 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (18)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1875/76AH 1292 | Muhabere Memuru | Veliko Tarnovo (Tırnova) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 110_92; 181 |
| 1876/77AH 1293 | Muhabere Memuru | Ruse (Rusçuk) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 110_92; 181 |
| 1877/78AH 1294 | Seyyar Memur | Bakırköy | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 110_92; 181 |
| 1878/79AH 1296 | Tarhrirat Kitabeti | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 650 | Other | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 110_92; 181 |
| 1879/80AH 1297 | Tarhrirat Kitabeti | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 650 | Other | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 110_92; 181 |
| 1880/81AH 1298 | Tarhrirat Kitabeti | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 650 | Other | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 110_92; 181 |
| 1881/82AH 1299 | Tarhrirat Kitabeti | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 600 | Other | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 110_92; 181 |
| 1882/83AH 1300 | Tarhrirat Kitabeti | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 600 | Other | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 110_92; 181 |
| 1883/84AH 1301 | Tarhrirat Kitabeti | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 600 | Other | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 110_92; 181 |
| 1884/85AH 1302 | Duyunu Umumiye Kitabeti | Rhodes (Rodos) | 800 | Public Debt Administration (Düyun-ı Umumiye) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 110_92; 181 |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Duyunu Umumiye Kitabeti | Rhodes (Rodos) | 800 | Public Debt Administration (Düyun-ı Umumiye) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 110_92; 181 |
| 1886/87AH 1304 | Duyunu Umumiye Kitabeti | Rhodes (Rodos) | 800 | Public Debt Administration (Düyun-ı Umumiye) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 110_92; 181 |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Duyunu Umumiye Kitabeti | Rhodes (Rodos) | 800 | Public Debt Administration (Düyun-ı Umumiye) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 110_92; 181 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Duyunu Umumiye Kitabeti | Rhodes (Rodos) | 800 | Public Debt Administration (Düyun-ı Umumiye) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 110_92; 181 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Duyunu Umumiye Kitabeti | Ioannina (Yanya) | 1,000 | Public Debt Administration (Düyun-ı Umumiye) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 110_92; 181 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Duyunu Umumiye Kitabeti | Aleppo (Halep) | 900 | Public Debt Administration (Düyun-ı Umumiye) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 110_92; 181 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Duyunu Umumiye Kitabeti | Aleppo (Halep) | 900 | Public Debt Administration (Düyun-ı Umumiye) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 110_92; 181 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Duyunu Umumiye Kitabeti | Aleppo (Halep) | 900 | Public Debt Administration (Düyun-ı Umumiye) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 110_92; 181 |
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 (23)
| Field | Recorded value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Name | Hüsnü Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Linked personnel workbook |
| Birth year (AH) | 1273 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace | sumnu | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace: district (kaza) | sumnu | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace: sancak | Ruscuk | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace: province (vilayet) | Tuna | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Province of birth | tuna | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Father's occupation | Nahiye Muduru | 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 |
| Years of schooling | 7 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Years of apprenticeship (mülazemet) | 4 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work | ||
| First work: year (AH) | 1288 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Linked personnel workbook |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1871 | Recovered annual personnel extract |
| First work: place | istanbul | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work: district (kaza) | istanbul | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work: sancak | istanbul | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work: province (vilayet) | istanbul | 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.
- Origin of the record: Post and Telegraph personnel records.
- 3 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
- Hüsnü Efendi
- Duyunu Umumiye Kitabeti
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Shumen (Şumnu)
- Rüşdiye school (Rüşdiye Mektebi)
- Public Debt Administration (Düyun-ı Umumiye)
- 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)