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Ottoman BureaucracyPeople, places and careers in Ottoman public service

Official

Mehmet Efendi

Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Aleppo (Halep) in 1880/81 (AH 1298). On record 1901 to 1903, 2 annual entries.

Archive reference 116_215; 427

Compare Mehmet Efendi with other officials

Life

Born in Aleppo (Halep) in 1880/81 (AH 1298), Mehmet Efendi came from the Muslim (Müslüman) community; the father was a sergeant (çavuş). Schooling took seven years, at a middle school (Rüşdiye Mektebi); Mehmet also wrote Arabic as well as Turkish and held a qualification (a diploma, certificate, training or decoration).

Work began in Birecik in 1900/01, at about 19, with one unpaid year as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 280 kuruş. Both annual entries, for 1901/02 and 1902/03, place Mehmet in Komotini (Gümülcine) as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru).

The salary never rose above the first in the lists, 280 kuruş a month in 1901/02, as Muhabere Memuru in Komotini, when one in five paid officials earned less. The final annual entry is for 1902/03.

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.

All 3 stops
birthplacefirst workplace of annual entriesmove, with the year of the first entry there
1900/011901/02123AleppoBirecikKomotini

  1. Aleppo (Halep)

    Born 1880/81 (AH 1298)

  2. Birecik

    First work 1900/01 (AH 1318)

  3. Komotini (Gümülcine)

    1901 to 1903 (AH 1319 to 1320)

    Muhabere Memuru

    280 kuruş a month; entries in 2 years

Career and salary

Monthly salary by year, kuruşsalary of the yearyears with one job titleno annual entry
01002003001901/02AH 13191902/03AH 1320280 kuruşMuhabere Memuru
Salary against the medians of the same year
2005001901/02AH 13191902/03AH 1320This officialMedian, all officialsMedian, same title

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
Salary of Mehmet Efendi against the medians of the same year, kuruş a month
YearSalaryMedian, all officialsMedian, same titlePaid less
1901/0228050040019%
1902/0328050038020%

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 Efendi, one row per stage
YearsTitlePlaceSalary (kuruş a month)
1900/01AH 1318First workBirecik280first-salary field
1901 to 1903AH 1319 to 1320Muhabere Memuru
2 entries
YearSalary
1901/02280
1902/03280
Komotini (Gümülcine)280

Record

Personal

Born
1880/81 (AH 1298)
Birthplace
Aleppo (Halep)
Community
Muslim (Müslüman)
Nationality as recorded
Turkish
Father's occupation
cavus

Education

Rüşdiye
Rüşdiye Mektebi (7 years)rüşdiye school (middle school)
Unpaid years (mülazemet)
1 year
Preparation route (classification of the paper)
Middle
Qualification (diploma, certificate, training or nişan)
Yes

The years count all schooling up to that school, as the record gives them.

Languages

Arabic
Kitabetwriting
Turkish
Kitabetwriting

The glosses are cautious historical readings of the recorded words, not modern levels of proficiency.

First work

Year
1900/01 (AH 1318)
Place
Birecik
First salary field (kuruş a month)
280

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 3 officials with entries in Komotini (Gümülcine) in the same years, Mehmet Efendi had the lowest salary.

All 34 officials with entries in Komotini (Gümülcine)

Same job title, same years

Of the 972 officials with the title Muhabere Memuru in the same years, Mehmet Efendi had the 856th highest salary.

All 3,162 officials with the title Muhabere Memuru

Same school

Of the 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi among their schools, 3,200 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Efendi had the 2,527th highest salary of them.

All 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi

Same birthplace

Of the 67 officials born in Aleppo (Halep), Mehmet Efendi had the 58th highest salary.

The page of Aleppo (Halep), with the 67 officials born there

First annual entry in the same year

Of the 131 officials whose first annual entry is for 1901/02 (AH 1319), Mehmet Efendi had the 91st highest salary.

Full record

Annual entries (2)

Annual entries of Mehmet Efendi
YearTitlePlaceKuruş a monthInstitutionSourceArchive reference
1901/02AH 1319Muhabere MemuruKomotini (Gümülcine)280Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract116_215; 427
1902/03AH 1320Muhabere MemuruKomotini (Gümülcine)280Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract116_215; 427
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)

Recorded values of Mehmet Efendi with their sources
FieldRecorded valueSource
Identity
NameMehmet EfendiPersonnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Birth year (AH)1298Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
BirthplacehalepRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Province of birthhalepRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Father's occupationcavusRecovered 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
SchoolRusdiye MektebiRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Years of schooling7Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Years of apprenticeship (mülazemet)1Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
First work
First work: year (AH)1318Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
First work: Gregorian year as stored1900Recovered annual personnel extract
First work: placeBirecikRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
First salary field (kuruş a month)280Recovered 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.
  • 2 annual entries of 2 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