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Ottoman BureaucracyPeople, places and careers in Ottoman public service

Official

Mehmet Talat Efendi

Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Istanbul (Dersaadet) in 1871/72 (AH 1288). On record 1906 to 1908, 2 annual entries.

Archive reference 52_0222; 441

Compare Mehmet Talat Efendi with other officials

Life

Mehmet Talat Efendi was born in Istanbul in 1871/72 (AH 1288) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community; the father was a clerk (ketebe). Schooling took four years, at a school for young children (Sıbyan Mektebi).

At about 12, in 1882/83, Mehmet Talat began work in Istanbul, with one unpaid year as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 60 kuruş. Of the 5,128 officials whose age at first work is known, fewer than 3 per cent started at 12 or younger. The first annual entry, for 1906/07, names Mehmet Talat as Basmubasir, with no place. The last post was in Istanbul, the birthplace, in 1907/08, with a rise to official (Memur).

Pay rose from 600 kuruş a month in 1906/07 to a peak of 800 in 1907/08, as Memur in Istanbul, when four in five paid officials earned less. The final annual entry is for 1907/08.

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
birthplaceplace of annual entriesmove, with the year of the first entry there
1907/0813Istanbul

Not on the map, as no position is recorded: stop 2 (Davutpasa).

  1. Istanbul (Dersaadet)

    Born 1871/72 (AH 1288); First work 1882/83 (AH 1300)

    First work as Maarif Nezareti

  2. Davutpasa as worded, no place record not on the map

    1906/07 (AH 1324)

    Basmubasir

    600 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year

  3. Istanbul (Dersaadet)

    1907/08 (AH 1325)

    Memur

    800 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year

Career and salary

All years
Monthly salary by year, kuruşsalary of the yearentry of another institutionyears with one job titleno annual entry
02004006008001906/07AH 13241907/08AH 1325800 kuruşBasmubasirMemur
Salary against the medians of the same year
2005001,0001906/07AH 13241907/08AH 1325This officialMedian, all officialsMedian, 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 Talat Efendi against the medians of the same year, kuruş a month
YearSalaryMedian, all officialsMedian, same titleMedian, same provincePaid less
1906/0760045065%
1907/0880030030079%

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 Talat Efendi, one row per stage
YearsTitlePlaceSalary (kuruş a month)
1882/83AH 1300Maarif Nezaretifirst workIstanbul (Dersaadet)60first-salary field
1906/07AH 1324Basmubasir600
1907/08AH 1325Memur
Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)
Istanbul (Dersaadet)800

Record

Personal

Born
1871/72 (AH 1288)
Community
Muslim (Müslüman)
Nationality as recorded
Turkish
Father's occupation
Ketebe

Education

Primary
Sıbyan Mektebi (4 years)school for young children (primary school)
Unpaid years (mülazemet)
1 year
Preparation route (classification of the paper)
Low
Qualification (diploma, certificate, training or nişan)
NoShown as in the flag of the paper. The qualification column of the recovered extract gives yes.

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
1882/83 (AH 1300)
First job as worded
Maarif Nezareti
Age at first work (workbook field)
12
First salary field (kuruş a month)
60
First-job salary of the original workbook (kuruş a month)
60

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 2 officials who held Memur in Istanbul in the same years, Mehmet Talat Efendi had the highest salary.

Same place, same years

Of the 204 officials with entries in Istanbul in the same years, Mehmet Talat Efendi had the 61st highest salary.

All 1,750 officials with entries in Istanbul

Same job title, same years

Of the 2 officials with the title Memur in the same years, Mehmet Talat Efendi had the highest salary.

All 338 officials with the title Memur

Same school

Of the 746 officials with Sıbyan Mektebi among their schools, 745 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Talat Efendi had the 269th highest salary of them.

All 746 officials with Sıbyan Mektebi

Same birthplace

Of the 1,999 officials born in Istanbul, 1,997 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Talat Efendi had the 503rd highest salary of them.

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

First annual entry in the same year

Of the 161 officials whose first annual entry is for 1906/07 (AH 1324), Mehmet Talat Efendi had the 4th highest salary.

All 161 officials whose first annual entry is for 1906/07 (AH 1324)

Full record

Annual entries (2)

Annual entries of Mehmet Talat Efendi
YearTitlePlaceKuruş a monthInstitutionSourceArchive reference
1906/07AH 1324BasmubasirDavutpasa600OtherCross-ministry personnel workbook52_0222; 441
1907/08AH 1325MemurIstanbul (Dersaadet)800Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract52_0222; 441
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 (24)

Recorded values of Mehmet Talat Efendi with their sources
FieldRecorded valueSource
Identity
NameMehmet Talat EfendiPersonnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Linked personnel workbook
Birth year (AH)1288Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook
Birthplacedersaadet used on this pageRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Birthplaceistanbul other valueCross-ministry personnel workbook
Birthplace: district (kaza)istanbulCross-ministry personnel workbook
Birthplace: sancakistanbulCross-ministry personnel workbook
Birthplace: province (vilayet)istanbulCross-ministry personnel workbook
Province of birthdersaadetRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Father's occupationKetebeRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook
ReligionMuslumanRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook
Nationality or communityTurkishRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook
Schooling
SchoolSibyan MektebiRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook
Years of schooling4Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook
Years of apprenticeship (mülazemet)1Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook
First work
First work: year (AH)1300Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Linked personnel workbook
First work: Gregorian year as stored1883Recovered annual personnel extract
First work: placeistanbulRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook
First work: district (kaza)istanbulCross-ministry personnel workbook
First work: sancakistanbulCross-ministry personnel workbook
First work: province (vilayet)istanbulCross-ministry personnel workbook
First job as wordedMaarif NezaretiLinked personnel workbook; Cross-ministry personnel workbook
Age at first work (workbook field)12Cross-ministry personnel workbook
First salary field (kuruş a month)60Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
First-job salary of the original workbook (kuruş a month)60Linked 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.
  • The sources give more than one value for a marked field. Every value is listed.
  • Origin of the record: Post and Telegraph personnel records.

How to read this record: calendar years, years without an annual entry, salaries and sources.

Subjects