Skip to content
Ottoman BureaucracyPeople, places and careers in Ottoman public service

Official

Mehmet Şevket Efendi

Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Edirne in 1887/88 (AH 1305). On record 1903 to 1906, 3 annual entries.

Archive reference 114_123; 241

Compare Mehmet Şevket Efendi with other officials

Life

Mehmet Şevket Efendi was born in Edirne in 1887/88 (AH 1305) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community; the father was a sergeant (çavuş). Schooling took seven years, at a middle school (Rüşdiye Mektebi); Mehmet Şevket also held a qualification (a diploma, certificate, training or decoration).

Mehmet Şevket began work in Edirne in 1900/01, at about 13, with three unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 250 kuruş. Few began so young; fewer than 6 per cent of the 5,128 officials whose age at first work is known started at 13 or younger. The annual lists begin in 1903/04, with Mehmet Şevket as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru) in Soufli (Sofulu). The last posts were in Kırklareli in 1904/05 and Dereköy in 1905/06.

The salary went from 250 kuruş a month in 1903/04 to 300 in 1905/06, the peak, as Muhabere Memuru in Dereköy, when 23 per cent of paid officials earned less. In all, three years of salary come to 9,600 kuruş, 57 per cent of what an official on the median salary earned in those years. The final annual entry is for 1905/06.

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 4 stops
birthplaceplace of annual entriesmove, with the year of the first entry there
1903/041904/051905/061234EdirneSoufliKırklareliDereköy

  1. Edirne

    Born 1887/88 (AH 1305); First work 1900/01 (AH 1318)

  2. Soufli (Sofulu)

    1903/04 (AH 1321)

    Muhabere Memuru

    250 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year

  3. Kırklareli

    1904/05 (AH 1322)

    Muhabere Memuru

    250 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year

  4. Dereköy

    1905/06 (AH 1323)

    Muhabere Memuru

    300 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year

Career and salary

Monthly salary by year, kuruşsalary of the yearyears with one job titleno annual entry
01002003001903/04AH 13211904/05AH 13221905/06AH 1323300 kuruşMuhabere Memuru
Salary against the medians of the same year
2005001903/04AH 13211904/05AH 13221905/06AH 1323This 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 Şevket Efendi against the medians of the same year, kuruş a month
YearSalaryMedian, all officialsMedian, same titlePaid less
1903/0425047535014%
1904/0525045035014%
1905/0630047533023%

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 Şevket Efendi, one row per stage
YearsTitlePlaceSalary (kuruş a month)
1900/01AH 1318First workEdirne250first-salary field
1903/04AH 1321Muhabere MemuruSoufli (Sofulu)250
1904/05AH 1322Muhabere MemuruKırklareli250
1905/06AH 1323Muhabere MemuruDereköy300

Record

Personal

Born
1887/88 (AH 1305)
Birthplace
Edirne
Community
Muslim (Müslüman)
Nationality as recorded
Turkish
Father's occupation
cavus

Education

Rüşdiye
Rüşdiye Mektebi (7 years)rüşdiye school (middle school)
Unpaid years (mülazemet)
3 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

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
Edirne
First salary field (kuruş a month)
250

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 2 officials with entries in Soufli (Sofulu) in the same years, Mehmet Şevket Efendi had the lowest salary.

All 22 officials with entries in Soufli (Sofulu)

Same job title, same years

Of the 1,090 officials with the title Muhabere Memuru in the same years, Mehmet Şevket Efendi had the 729th 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 Şevket Efendi had the 2,211th highest salary of them.

All 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi

Same birthplace

Of the 66 officials born in Edirne, Mehmet Şevket Efendi had the 48th highest salary.

The page of Edirne, with the 66 officials born there

First annual entry in the same year

Of the 174 officials whose first annual entry is for 1903/04 (AH 1321), Mehmet Şevket Efendi had the 53rd highest salary.

Full record

Annual entries (3)

Annual entries of Mehmet Şevket Efendi
YearTitlePlaceKuruş a monthInstitutionSourceArchive reference
1903/04AH 1321Muhabere MemuruSoufli (Sofulu)250Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract114_123; 241
1904/05AH 1322Muhabere MemuruKırklareli250Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract114_123; 241
1905/06AH 1323Muhabere MemuruDereköy300Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract114_123; 241
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 Şevket Efendi with their sources
FieldRecorded valueSource
Identity
NameMehmet Şevket EfendiPersonnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Birth year (AH)1305Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
BirthplaceedirneRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Province of birthedirneRecovered 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)3Recovered 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: placeEdirneRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
First salary field (kuruş a month)250Recovered 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.
  • 3 annual entries of 3 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