Official
Mehmet Halid Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Istanbul (Dersaadet) in 1861/62 (AH 1278). On record 1879 to 1907, 28 annual entries.
Archive reference 5_89; 175
Life#
Mehmet Halid Efendi was born in Istanbul in 1861/62 (AH 1278) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community; the father's occupation was "Topkapi sarayi degnek kalfasi". Schooling took seven years, at a middle school (Rüşdiye Mektebi).
Work began in Istanbul in 1878, at about 16, with two unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 50 kuruş. From 1879/80 to 1906/07 every annual entry places Mehmet Halid in Istanbul, the birthplace, first in the accounts office (Muhasebe Kalemi), from 1884/85 in the Varidat Kalemi.
The salary went from 50 kuruş a month in 1879/80 to 600 in 1906/07, the peak, in the Varidat Kalemi in Istanbul, when 65 per cent of paid officials earned less. Over 28 years the salaries add up to 93,600 kuruş, 56 per cent of what an official on the median salary earned. The final annual entry is for 1906/07.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1879/80 | 50 | 500 | 380 | 0% |
| 1880/81 | 50 | 500 | 400 | 0% |
| 1881/82 | 50 | 500 | 400 | 0% |
| 1882/83 | 100 | 500 | 320 | 0% |
| 1883/84 | 100 | 500 | 320 | 0% |
| 1884/85 | 150 | 500 | 1% | |
| 1885/86 | 150 | 500 | 1% | |
| 1886/87 | 150 | 500 | 1% | |
| 1887/88 | 150 | 500 | 2% | |
| 1888/89 | 150 | 500 | 2% | |
| 1889/90 | 180 | 500 | 7% | |
| 1890/91 | 180 | 500 | 7% | |
| 1891/92 | 180 | 500 | 8% | |
| 1892/93 | 250 | 500 | 13% | |
| 1893/94 | 250 | 500 | 13% | |
| 1894/95 | 270 | 500 | 16% | |
| 1895/96 | 270 | 500 | 16% | |
| 1896/97 | 350 | 500 | 26% | |
| 1897/98 | 375 | 500 | 29% | |
| 1898/99 | 375 | 500 | 28% | |
| 1899/1900 | 400 | 500 | 31% | |
| 1900/01 | 450 | 500 | 43% | |
| 1901/02 | 475 | 500 | 47% | |
| 1902/03 | 475 | 500 | 48% | |
| 1903/04 | 500 | 475 | 51% | |
| 1904/05 | 540 | 450 | 61% | |
| 1905/06 | 580 | 475 | 66% | |
| 1906/07 | 600 | 450 | 65% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1878AH 1295 | First work | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 50first-salary field |
| 1879 to 1884AH 1297 to 1301 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 50 to 100 |
| 1884 to 1907AH 1302 to 1324 | Varidat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 150 to 600 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1861/62 (AH 1278)
- Birthplace
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- Topkapi sarayi degnek kalfasi
Education
- Rüşdiye
- Rüşdiye Mektebi (7 years)rüşdiye school (middle school)
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 2 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
- 1878 (AH 1295)
- 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 1,433 officials with entries in Istanbul in the same years, Mehmet Halid Efendi had the 675th highest salary.
- Suleyman Resat Bey28 shared years; highest salary 7,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Hayri Bey28 shared years; highest salary 5,500 kuruş
- Melkok Efendi28 shared years; highest salary 5,000 kuruş
- Unnamed official (0007_0144; 285)28 shared years; highest salary 2,750 kuruş
- Salih Tevfik Efendi28 shared years; highest salary 2,600 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 3 officials with the title Varidat Kalemi in the same years, Mehmet Halid Efendi had the 2nd highest salary.
- Ahmet Refik Bey10 shared years; highest salary 1,100 kuruş
- Mehmet Vamık Efendi3 shared years; highest salary 125 kuruş
Same school
Of the 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi among their schools, 3,200 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Halid Efendi had the 852nd highest salary of them.
- Ahmed Hulusi Efendiborn 1861/62 (AH 1278); highest salary 800 kuruş
- Ahmet Hamdi Efendiborn 1861/62 (AH 1278); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Ahmet Hamdi Efendiborn 1861/62 (AH 1278); highest salary 285 kuruş
- Ahmet Refik Efendiborn 1861/62 (AH 1278); highest salary 400 kuruş
- Ahmet Refik Efendiborn 1861/62 (AH 1278); highest salary 500 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 1,999 officials born in Istanbul, 1,997 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Halid Efendi had the 789th highest salary of them.
- Ahmet Hamdi Efendiborn 1861/62 (AH 1278); highest salary 285 kuruş
- Ahmet Refik Efendiborn 1861/62 (AH 1278); highest salary 400 kuruş
- Ahmet Tevfik Beyborn 1861/62 (AH 1278); highest salary 800 kuruş
- Ali Galip Efendiborn 1861/62 (AH 1278); highest salary 100 kuruş
- Arganyan Karekin Efendiborn 1861/62 (AH 1278); highest salary 850 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 60 officials whose first annual entry is for 1879/80 (AH 1297), Mehmet Halid Efendi had the 29th highest salary.
- İhsan Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 3,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Nezir Beyfirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 600 kuruş
- Hüseyin Hüsnü Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 95 kuruş
- Mehmet Celalettin Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 650 kuruş
- Unnamed official (0007_0148; 293)first entry in Istanbul; highest salary 200 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (28)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1879/80AH 1297 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 50 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_89; 175 |
| 1880/81AH 1298 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 50 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_89; 175 |
| 1881/82AH 1299 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 50 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_89; 175 |
| 1882/83AH 1300 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 100 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_89; 175 |
| 1883/84AH 1301 | Muhasebe Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 100 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_89; 175 |
| 1884/85AH 1302 | Varidat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 150 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_89; 175 |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Varidat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 150 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_89; 175 |
| 1886/87AH 1304 | Varidat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 150 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_89; 175 |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Varidat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 150 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_89; 175 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Varidat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 150 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_89; 175 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Varidat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 180 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_89; 175 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Varidat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 180 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_89; 175 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Varidat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 180 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_89; 175 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Varidat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 250 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_89; 175 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Varidat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 250 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_89; 175 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Varidat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 270 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_89; 175 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Varidat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 270 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_89; 175 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Varidat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 350 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_89; 175 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | Varidat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 375 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_89; 175 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Varidat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 375 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_89; 175 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | Varidat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_89; 175 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | Varidat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 450 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_89; 175 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | Varidat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 475 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_89; 175 |
| 1902/03AH 1320 | Varidat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 475 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_89; 175 |
| 1903/04AH 1321 | Varidat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_89; 175 |
| 1904/05AH 1322 | Varidat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 540 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_89; 175 |
| 1905/06AH 1323 | Varidat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 580 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_89; 175 |
| 1906/07AH 1324 | Varidat Kalemi | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_89; 175 |
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 | Mehmet Halid Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1278 | 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 | Topkapi sarayi degnek kalfasi | 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) | 2 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work | ||
| First work: year (AH) | 1295 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1878 | 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.
- Origin of the record: Post and Telegraph personnel records.
- 27 annual entries of 28 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
- Mehmet Halid Efendi
- Varidat Kalemi
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Rüşdiye school (Rüşdiye Mektebi)
- Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Accounts office (Muhasebe Kalemi)
- 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)