Official
Mehmet Ali Bey
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Istanbul (Dersaadet) in 1852/53 (AH 1269). On record 1877 to 1903, 27 annual entries.
Archive reference 0201_0007; 309
Life#
Born in Istanbul in 1852/53 (AH 1269), Mehmet Ali Bey came from the Muslim (Müslüman) community; the father's occupation was "Muhacir Komisyon Memuru". Schooling took seven years, at a middle school (Rüşdiye Mektebi); Mehmet Ali also wrote French as well as Turkish and held a qualification (a diploma, certificate, training or decoration).
Work began in Istanbul in 1873/74, at about 20, with four unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 60 kuruş. Every annual entry from 1877/78 to 1902/03 places Mehmet Ali in Sadaret, first as Telgraf Memuru, from 1895/96 as Sifre Kalemi Mudur Muavini.
Pay rose from 60 kuruş a month in 1877/78 to a peak of 2,200 in 1900/01, as Sifre Kalemi Mudur Muavini in Sadaret, when 97 per cent of paid officials earned less. Over 27 years the salaries add up to 305,520 kuruş, 1.9 times what an official on the median salary earned. The peak was 36.7 times the first salary, a rise matched by fewer than 2 per cent of the 2,859 officials paid for ten years or more. 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.
Born 1852/53 (AH 1269); First work 1873/74 (AH 1290)
1877 to 1903 (AH 1294 to 1320)
Telgraf Memuru 1877 to 1895 (AH 1294 to 1312); Sifre Kalemi Mudur Muavini 1895 to 1903 (AH 1313 to 1320)
60 to 2,200 kuruş a month; entries in 27 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1877/78 | 60 | 560 | 0% | |
| 1878 | 300 | 600 | 8% | |
| 1878/79 | 300 | 600 | 9% | |
| 1879/80 | 240 | 500 | 9% | |
| 1880/81 | 300 | 500 | 15% | |
| 1881/82 | 550 | 500 | 58% | |
| 1882/83 | 550 | 500 | 57% | |
| 1883/84 | 650 | 500 | 70% | |
| 1884/85 | 650 | 500 | 69% | |
| 1885/86 | 750 | 500 | 73% | |
| 1886/87 | 750 | 500 | 73% | |
| 1887/88 | 800 | 500 | 76% | |
| 1888/89 | 800 | 500 | 77% | |
| 1889/90 | 800 | 500 | 78% | |
| 1890/91 | 800 | 500 | 79% | |
| 1891/92 | 800 | 500 | 79% | |
| 1892/93 | 850 | 500 | 85% | |
| 1893/94 | 950 | 500 | 87% | |
| 1894/95 | 950 | 500 | 87% | |
| 1895/96 | 1,150 | 500 | 90% | |
| 1896/97 | 1,035 | 500 | 90% | |
| 1897/98 | 1,325 | 500 | 94% | |
| 1898/99 | 1,600 | 500 | 96% | |
| 1899/1900 | 1,900 | 500 | 96% | |
| 1900/01 | 2,200 | 500 | 97% | |
| 1901/02 | 2,200 | 500 | 97% | |
| 1902/03 | 2,200 | 500 | 97% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1873/74AH 1290 | First work | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 60first-salary field |
| 1877 to 1895AH 1294 to 1312 | Telgraf Memuru | Sadaret | 60 to 950 |
| 1895 to 1903AH 1313 to 1320 | Sifre Kalemi Mudur Muavini | Sadaret | 1,150 to 2,200 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1852/53 (AH 1269)
- Birthplace
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- Muhacir Komisyon Memuru
Education
- Rüşdiye
- Rüşdiye Mektebi (7 years)rüşdiye school (middle school)
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 4 years
- 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
- French
- Kitabetwriting
- Turkish
- Kitabetwriting
The glosses are cautious historical readings of the recorded words, not modern levels of proficiency.
First work
- Year
- 1873/74 (AH 1290)
- Place
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- First salary field (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 place, same years
Of the 4 officials with entries in Sadaret in the same years, Mehmet Ali Bey had the highest salary.
- Mustafa Tevfik Efendi15 shared years; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Arif Bey13 shared years; highest salary 700 kuruş
- Seyyit Safa Efendi2 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 3 officials with the title Telgraf Memuru in the same years, Mehmet Ali Bey had the highest salary.
- Mustafa Tevfik Efendi15 shared years; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Zeynelabidin Efendi1 shared year; highest salary 280 kuruş
Same school
Of the 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi among their schools, 3,200 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Ali Bey had the 81st highest salary of them.
- Abdülhamit Efendiborn 1852/53 (AH 1269); highest salary 440 kuruş
- Ali Galip Efendiborn 1852/53 (AH 1269); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Ali Raif Efendiborn 1852/53 (AH 1269); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Ali Rıza Efendiborn 1852/53 (AH 1269); highest salary 3,150 kuruş
- Ali Riza Efendiborn 1852/53 (AH 1269); highest salary 400 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 1,999 officials born in Istanbul, 1,997 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Ali Bey had the 135th highest salary of them.
- Abdurrahman Serafettin Efendiborn 1852/53 (AH 1269); highest salary 25,000 kuruş
- Ahmet Muhtar Efendiborn 1852/53 (AH 1269); highest salary 2,500 kuruş
- Ahmet Refet Efendiborn 1852/53 (AH 1269); highest salary 3,000 kuruş
- Ali Galip Efendiborn 1852/53 (AH 1269); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Ali Rıza Efendiborn 1852/53 (AH 1269); highest salary 1,200 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 118 officials whose first annual entry is for 1877/78 (AH 1294), Mehmet Ali Bey had the 4th highest salary.
- Abdülhamit Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 440 kuruş
- Ali Riza Efendifirst entry in Kastamonu; highest salary 400 kuruş
- Ali Tevfik Efendifirst entry in Gümüşhane; highest salary 500 kuruş
- Ernest Mavromati Efendifirst entry in Galata; highest salary 750 kuruş
- Mehmet Ali Beyfirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 2,200 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (27)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1877/78AH 1294 | Telgraf Memuru | Sadaret | 60 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0201_0007; 309 |
| 1878AH 1295 | Telgraf Memuru | Sadaret | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0201_0007; 309 |
| 1878/79AH 1296 | Telgraf Memuru | Sadaret | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0201_0007; 309 |
| 1879/80AH 1297 | Telgraf Memuru | Sadaret | 240 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0201_0007; 309 |
| 1880/81AH 1298 | Telgraf Memuru | Sadaret | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0201_0007; 309 |
| 1881/82AH 1299 | Telgraf Memuru | Sadaret | 550 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0201_0007; 309 |
| 1882/83AH 1300 | Telgraf Memuru | Sadaret | 550 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0201_0007; 309 |
| 1883/84AH 1301 | Telgraf Memuru | Sadaret | 650 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0201_0007; 309 |
| 1884/85AH 1302 | Telgraf Memuru | Sadaret | 650 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0201_0007; 309 |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Telgraf Memuru | Sadaret | 750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0201_0007; 309 |
| 1886/87AH 1304 | Telgraf Memuru | Sadaret | 750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0201_0007; 309 |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Telgraf Memuru | Sadaret | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0201_0007; 309 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Telgraf Memuru | Sadaret | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0201_0007; 309 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Telgraf Memuru | Sadaret | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0201_0007; 309 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Telgraf Memuru | Sadaret | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0201_0007; 309 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Telgraf Memuru | Sadaret | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0201_0007; 309 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Telgraf Memuru | Sadaret | 850 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0201_0007; 309 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Telgraf Memuru | Sadaret | 950 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0201_0007; 309 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Telgraf Memuru | Sadaret | 950 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0201_0007; 309 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Sifre Kalemi Mudur Muavini | Sadaret | 1,150 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0201_0007; 309 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Sifre Kalemi Mudur Muavini | Sadaret | 1,035 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0201_0007; 309 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | Sifre Kalemi Mudur Muavini | Sadaret | 1,325 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0201_0007; 309 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Sifre Kalemi Mudur Muavini | Sadaret | 1,600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0201_0007; 309 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | Sifre Kalemi Mudur Muavini | Sadaret | 1,900 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0201_0007; 309 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | Sifre Kalemi Mudur Muavini | Sadaret | 2,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0201_0007; 309 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | Sifre Kalemi Mudur Muavini | Sadaret | 2,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0201_0007; 309 |
| 1902/03AH 1320 | Sifre Kalemi Mudur Muavini | Sadaret | 2,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0201_0007; 309 |
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 Ali Bey | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1269 | 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 | Muhacir Komisyon Memuru | 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) | 4 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work | ||
| First work: year (AH) | 1290 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1873 | 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) | 60 | 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 27 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 Ali Bey
- Telgraf Memuru
- Sadaret
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Rüşdiye school (Rüşdiye Mektebi)
- Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)
- 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)