Official
Mehmet Arif Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Kars in 1845 (AH 1261). On record 1874 to 1907, 34 annual entries.
Archive reference 5_366; 729
Life#
Born in Kars in 1845 (AH 1261), Mehmet Arif Efendi came from the Muslim (Müslüman) community; the father's occupation was "culha kethudasi". Schooling took four years, at a school for young children (Sıbyan Mektebi).
Work began in Istanbul in 1873/74, at about 28, with one unpaid year as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 200 kuruş. The annual lists begin in 1874/75, with Mehmet Arif in the sorting room (Tefrik Odası) in Istanbul, where the entries run to 1876/77. Mehmet Arif then moved to Razgrad in 1877/78, as an official (Memur). From 1878 to 1907 every annual entry places Mehmet Arif again in Istanbul, first in the Tefrik Odası, from 1892/93 as a chief official (Başmemur).
The salary went from 200 kuruş a month in 1874/75 to 750 in 1892/93, the peak, as Başmemur in Istanbul, when 76 per cent of paid officials earned less. In all, 34 years of salary come to 250,800 kuruş, 1.2 times what an official on the median salary earned in those years. The final annual entry is for 1906/07.
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 1845 (AH 1261)
First work 1873/74 (AH 1290); 1874 to 1877 (AH 1291 to 1293)
200 to 300 kuruş a month; entries in 3 years
1878 to 1907 (AH 1295 to 1324)
Tefrik Odası 1878 to 1892 (AH 1295 to 1309); Başmemur 1892 to 1907 (AH 1310 to 1324)
300 to 750 kuruş a month; entries in 30 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1874/75 | 200 | 535 | 6% | |
| 1875/76 | 200 | 530 | 6% | |
| 1876/77 | 300 | 582.5 | 9% | |
| 1877/78 | 600 | 560 | 400 | 50% |
| 1878 | 300 | 600 | 8% | |
| 1878/79 | 400 | 600 | 18% | |
| 1879/80 | 320 | 500 | 400 | 19% |
| 1880/81 | 450 | 500 | 425 | 42% |
| 1881/82 | 600 | 500 | 320 | 60% |
| 1882/83 | 600 | 500 | 310 | 59% |
| 1883/84 | 600 | 500 | 310 | 59% |
| 1884/85 | 600 | 500 | 350 | 59% |
| 1885/86 | 600 | 500 | 365 | 58% |
| 1886/87 | 600 | 500 | 380 | 59% |
| 1887/88 | 700 | 500 | 500 | 71% |
| 1888/89 | 700 | 500 | 475 | 72% |
| 1889/90 | 700 | 500 | 475 | 73% |
| 1890/91 | 700 | 500 | 450 | 73% |
| 1891/92 | 700 | 500 | 450 | 73% |
| 1892/93 | 750 | 500 | 700 | 76% |
| 1893/94 | 750 | 500 | 725 | 76% |
| 1894/95 | 750 | 500 | 825 | 76% |
| 1895/96 | 750 | 500 | 1,000 | 76% |
| 1896/97 | 675 | 500 | 900 | 77% |
| 1897/98 | 675 | 500 | 900 | 77% |
| 1898/99 | 700 | 500 | 945 | 80% |
| 1899/1900 | 730 | 500 | 900 | 81% |
| 1900/01 | 750 | 500 | 1,000 | 79% |
| 1901/02 | 750 | 500 | 1,000 | 79% |
| 1902/03 | 750 | 500 | 855 | 79% |
| 1903/04 | 750 | 475 | 725 | 79% |
| 1904/05 | 750 | 450 | 780 | 79% |
| 1905/06 | 750 | 475 | 800 | 77% |
| 1906/07 | 750 | 450 | 800 | 76% |
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) | 200first-salary field |
| 1874 to 1877AH 1291 to 1293 | Tefrik Odası | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 200 to 300 |
| 1877/78AH 1294 | Memur | Razgrad (Hezargrad) | 600 |
| 1878 to 1892AH 1295 to 1309 | Tefrik Odası | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 300 to 700 |
| 1892 to 1907AH 1310 to 1324 | Başmemur | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 750 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1845 (AH 1261)
- Birthplace
- Kars
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- culha kethudasi
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
- 1873/74 (AH 1290)
- Place
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 200
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 1,503 officials with entries in Istanbul in the same years, Mehmet Arif Efendi had the 594th highest salary.
- Suleyman Resat Bey33 shared years; highest salary 7,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Hayri Bey33 shared years; highest salary 5,500 kuruş
- Melkok Efendi33 shared years; highest salary 5,000 kuruş
- Unnamed official (0007_0144; 285)33 shared years; highest salary 2,750 kuruş
- Salih Tevfik Efendi33 shared years; highest salary 2,600 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 18 officials with the title Tefrik Odası in the same years, Mehmet Arif Efendi had the 9th highest salary.
- Karabet Diyon Efendi15 shared years; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Osman Efendi8 shared years; highest salary 600 kuruş
- İbrahim Saffet Efendi8 shared years; highest salary 550 kuruş
- Ali Rıza Efendi7 shared years; highest salary 200 kuruş
- Mehmet Halit Efendi6 shared years; highest salary 630 kuruş
Same school
Of the 746 officials with Sıbyan Mektebi among their schools, 745 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Arif Efendi had the 331st highest salary of them.
- Abdullah Fikri Efendiborn 1845 (AH 1261); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Ahmet Hilmi Efendiborn 1845 (AH 1261); highest salary 675 kuruş
- Ahmet Naili Efendiborn 1845 (AH 1261); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Ahmet Raif Efendiborn 1845 (AH 1261); highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Ali Efendiborn 1845 (AH 1261); highest salary 800 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 7 officials born in Kars, Mehmet Arif Efendi had the 3rd highest salary.
- Ömer Bahaettin Efendiborn 1850/51 (AH 1267); highest salary 1,140 kuruş
- Hamdi Efendiborn 1851/52 (AH 1268); highest salary 1,200 kuruş
- Mehmet Necati Efendiborn 1865/66 (AH 1282); highest salary 750 kuruş
- Hüseyin İlhami Efendiborn 1875/76 (AH 1292); highest salary 380 kuruş
- Unnamed official (0157_0046; 89)born 1876/77 (AH 1293); highest salary 250 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 55 officials whose first annual entry is for 1874/75 (AH 1291), Mehmet Arif Efendi had the 27th highest salary.
- Mustafa Hakkı Beyfirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 650 kuruş
- Ahmet Faik Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 1,170 kuruş
- Yusuf Kemal Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Hafız Halil Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 1,200 kuruş
- Hacı Sadık Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 850 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (34)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1874/75AH 1291 | Tefrik Odası | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_366; 729 |
| 1875/76AH 1292 | Tefrik Odası | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_366; 729 |
| 1876/77AH 1293 | Tefrik Odası | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_366; 729 |
| 1877/78AH 1294 | Memur | Razgrad (Hezargrad) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_366; 729 |
| 1878AH 1295 | Tefrik Odası | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_366; 729 |
| 1878/79AH 1296 | Tefrik Odası | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_366; 729 |
| 1879/80AH 1297 | Tefrik Odası | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 320 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_366; 729 |
| 1880/81AH 1298 | Tefrik Odası | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 450 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_366; 729 |
| 1881/82AH 1299 | Tefrik Odası | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_366; 729 |
| 1882/83AH 1300 | Tefrik Odası | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_366; 729 |
| 1883/84AH 1301 | Tefrik Odası | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_366; 729 |
| 1884/85AH 1302 | Tefrik Odası | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_366; 729 |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Tefrik Odası | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_366; 729 |
| 1886/87AH 1304 | Tefrik Odası | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_366; 729 |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Tefrik Odası | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 700 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_366; 729 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Tefrik Odası | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 700 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_366; 729 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Tefrik Odası | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 700 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_366; 729 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Tefrik Odası | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 700 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_366; 729 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Tefrik Odası | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 700 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_366; 729 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Başmemur | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_366; 729 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Başmemur | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_366; 729 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Başmemur | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_366; 729 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Başmemur | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_366; 729 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Başmemur | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 675 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_366; 729 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | Başmemur | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 675 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_366; 729 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Başmemur | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 700 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_366; 729 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | Başmemur | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 730 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_366; 729 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | Başmemur | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_366; 729 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | Başmemur | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_366; 729 |
| 1902/03AH 1320 | Başmemur | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_366; 729 |
| 1903/04AH 1321 | Başmemur | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_366; 729 |
| 1904/05AH 1322 | Başmemur | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_366; 729 |
| 1905/06AH 1323 | Başmemur | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_366; 729 |
| 1906/07AH 1324 | Başmemur | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 5_366; 729 |
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 Arif Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1261 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birthplace | kars | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Province of birth | erzurum | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Father's occupation | culha kethudasi | 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 | Sibyan mektebi | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Years of schooling | 4 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Years of apprenticeship (mülazemet) | 1 | 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) | 200 | 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.
- 33 annual entries of 34 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 Arif Efendi
- Sorting room (Tefrik Odası)
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Kars
- School for young children (Sıbyan 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)