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Ottoman BureaucracyPeople, places and careers in Ottoman public service

Official

Mehmet Emin Efendi

Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Istanbul (Dersaadet) in 1867/68 (AH 1284). On record 1886 to 1911, 23 annual entries.

Archive reference 0034_0213; 423

Compare Mehmet Emin Efendi with other officials

Life

Born in Istanbul in 1867/68 (AH 1284), Mehmet Emin Efendi came from the Muslim (Müslüman) community; the father's occupation was "Tegmen". Schooling took 12 years, at Darüşşafaka, the school for orphans in Istanbul; Mehmet Emin also attended the telegraph school, wrote French as well as Turkish and held a qualification (a diploma, certificate, training or decoration).

Work began in Istanbul in 1886/87, at about 19, paid from the start, on 170 kuruş a month. Every annual entry from 1886/87 to 1910/11 places Mehmet Emin in Istanbul, the birthplace, first in the foreign accounts office (Muhasebat-ı Ecnebiye Kalemi), from 1889/90 as an assistant director (Müdür Muavini), from 1908/09 as Muhendis Kalemi Muduru and from 1909/10 as Fen Kalemi Muduru.

Pay rose from 170 kuruş a month in 1886/87 to a peak of 3,500 in 1910/11, as Fen Kalemi Muduru in Istanbul, when 95 per cent of paid officials earned less. Over 23 years the salaries add up to 351,000 kuruş, 2.7 times what an official on the median salary earned, a level reached by fewer than 6 per cent of the 3,805 officials paid for five years or more. The peak was 20.6 times the first salary, a rise matched by fewer than 4 per cent of the 2,859 officials paid for ten years or more. The final annual entry is for 1910/11.

Career and salary

All years
Monthly salary by year, kuruşsalary of the yearyears with one job titleno annual entry
no entry01,0002,0003,0004,0001886/87AH 13041888/89AH 13061890/91AH 13081892/93AH 13101894/95AH 13121896/97AH 13141898/99AH 13161900/01AH 13181902/03AH 13201904/05AH 13221906/07AH 13241908/09AH 13261910/11AH 13283,500 kuruşMüdür Muavini
Salary against the medians of the same year
1002005001,0002,0005,0001886/87AH 13041888/89AH 13061890/91AH 13081892/93AH 13101894/95AH 13121896/97AH 13141898/99AH 13161900/01AH 13181902/03AH 13201904/05AH 13221906/07AH 13241908/09AH 13261910/11AH 1328This officialMedian, all officialsMedian, same titleMedian, same province

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
Salary of Mehmet Emin Efendi against the medians of the same year, kuruş a month
YearSalaryMedian, all officialsMedian, same titleMedian, same provincePaid less
1886/871705006005003%
1889/9075050050074%
1890/9175050050075%
1891/9275050050075%
1892/9375050087550076%
1893/9475050087548076%
1894/9575050095045076%
1895/968505001,02544084%
1896/9776550099042585%
1897/987655001,02142585%
1898/991,0005001,02144090%
1899/19001,4005001,20045094%
1900/011,4005001,25045093%
1901/021,4005001,32544093%
1902/031,4005001,30045093%
1903/041,4004751,25045093%
1904/051,4004501,25045093%
1905/061,4004751,25542593%
1906/071,4004501,25047092%
1907/081,50030030090%
1908/092,50035040093%
1909/102,500462.550089%
1910/113,50050060095%

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.

Career of Mehmet Emin Efendi, one row per stage
YearsTitlePlaceSalary (kuruş a month)
1886/87AH 1304First workIstanbul (Dersaadet)170first-salary field
1886/87AH 1304Muhasebat-ı Ecnebiye KalemiIstanbul (Dersaadet)170
No annual entry: 1887 to 1889 (AH 1305 to 1306)
1889 to 1908AH 1307 to 1325Müdür Muavini
19 entries
YearSalary
1889/90750
1890/91750
1891/92750
1892/93750
1893/94750
1894/95750
1895/96850
1896/97765
1897/98765
1898/991,000
1899/19001,400
1900/011,400
1901/021,400
1902/031,400
1903/041,400
1904/051,400
1905/061,400
1906/071,400
1907/081,500
Istanbul (Dersaadet)750 to 1,500
1908/09AH 1326Muhendis Kalemi MuduruIstanbul (Dersaadet)2,500
1909 to 1911AH 1327 to 1328Fen Kalemi Muduru
2 entries
YearSalary
1909/102,500
1910/113,500
Istanbul (Dersaadet)2,500 to 3,500

Record

Personal

Born
1867/68 (AH 1284)
Community
Muslim (Müslüman)
Nationality as recorded
Turkish
Father's occupation
Tegmen

Education

Darüşşafaka
Darüşşafaka (12 years)Darüşşafaka (school for orphans in Istanbul)
Higher or professional
Telgraf Mektebitelegraph school; recorded as a code
Unpaid years (mülazemet)
0 years
Preparation route (classification of the paper)
Darüşşafaka
Qualification (diploma, certificate, training or nişan)
Yes

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
1886/87 (AH 1304)
First salary field (kuruş a month)
170

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 12 officials who held Müdür Muavini in Istanbul in the same years, Mehmet Emin Efendi had the 2nd highest salary.

Same place, same years

Of the 1,463 officials with entries in Istanbul in the same years, Mehmet Emin Efendi had the 52nd highest salary.

All 1,750 officials with entries in Istanbul

Same job title, same years

Of the 30 officials with the title Müdür Muavini in the same years, Mehmet Emin Efendi had the 4th highest salary.

All 36 officials with the title Müdür Muavini

Same school

Of the 203 officials with Darüşşafaka among their schools, Mehmet Emin Efendi had the 7th highest salary.

All 203 officials with Darüşşafaka

Same birthplace

Of the 1,999 officials born in Istanbul, 1,997 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Emin Efendi had the 63rd highest salary of them.

The page of Istanbul, with the 1,999 officials born there

First annual entry in the same year

Of the 53 officials whose first annual entry is for 1886/87 (AH 1304), Mehmet Emin Efendi had the 2nd highest salary.

All 53 officials whose first annual entry is for 1886/87 (AH 1304)

Full record

Annual entries (23)

Annual entries of Mehmet Emin Efendi
YearTitlePlaceKuruş a monthInstitutionSourceArchive reference
1886/87AH 1304Muhasebat-ı Ecnebiye KalemiIstanbul (Dersaadet)170Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract0034_0213; 423
1889/90AH 1307Müdür MuaviniIstanbul (Dersaadet)750Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract0034_0213; 423
1890/91AH 1308Müdür MuaviniIstanbul (Dersaadet)750Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract0034_0213; 423
1891/92AH 1309Müdür MuaviniIstanbul (Dersaadet)750Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract0034_0213; 423
1892/93AH 1310Müdür MuaviniIstanbul (Dersaadet)750Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract0034_0213; 423
1893/94AH 1311Müdür MuaviniIstanbul (Dersaadet)750Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract0034_0213; 423
1894/95AH 1312Müdür MuaviniIstanbul (Dersaadet)750Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract0034_0213; 423
1895/96AH 1313Müdür MuaviniIstanbul (Dersaadet)850Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract0034_0213; 423
1896/97AH 1314Müdür MuaviniIstanbul (Dersaadet)765Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract0034_0213; 423
1897/98AH 1315Müdür MuaviniIstanbul (Dersaadet)765Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract0034_0213; 423
1898/99AH 1316Müdür MuaviniIstanbul (Dersaadet)1,000Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract0034_0213; 423
1899/1900AH 1317Müdür MuaviniIstanbul (Dersaadet)1,400Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract0034_0213; 423
1900/01AH 1318Müdür MuaviniIstanbul (Dersaadet)1,400Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract0034_0213; 423
1901/02AH 1319Müdür MuaviniIstanbul (Dersaadet)1,400Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract0034_0213; 423
1902/03AH 1320Müdür MuaviniIstanbul (Dersaadet)1,400Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract0034_0213; 423
1903/04AH 1321Müdür MuaviniIstanbul (Dersaadet)1,400Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract0034_0213; 423
1904/05AH 1322Müdür MuaviniIstanbul (Dersaadet)1,400Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract0034_0213; 423
1905/06AH 1323Müdür MuaviniIstanbul (Dersaadet)1,400Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract0034_0213; 423
1906/07AH 1324Müdür MuaviniIstanbul (Dersaadet)1,400Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract0034_0213; 423
1907/08AH 1325Müdür MuaviniIstanbul (Dersaadet)1,500Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract0034_0213; 423
1908/09AH 1326Muhendis Kalemi MuduruIstanbul (Dersaadet)2,500Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract0034_0213; 423
1909/10AH 1327Fen Kalemi MuduruIstanbul (Dersaadet)2,500Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract0034_0213; 423
1910/11AH 1328Fen Kalemi MuduruIstanbul (Dersaadet)3,500Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract0034_0213; 423
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)

Recorded values of Mehmet Emin Efendi with their sources
FieldRecorded valueSource
Identity
NameMehmet Emin EfendiPersonnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Birth year (AH)1284Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
BirthplacedersaadetRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Province of birthdersaadetRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Father's occupationTegmenRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
ReligionmuslumanRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Nationality or communityTurkishRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Schooling
SchooldarussafakaRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Years of schooling14 used on this pageRecovered annual personnel extract
Years of schooling12 other valueRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Telegraph school (recorded code)1Recovered annual personnel extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Years of apprenticeship (mülazemet)0Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
First work
First work: year (AH)1304Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
First work: Gregorian year as stored1887Recovered annual personnel extract
First work: placeistanbulRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
First salary field (kuruş a month)170Recovered 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.
  • 18 annual entries of 23 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