Official
Recep Lütfi Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Bitola (Manastır) in 1867/68 (AH 1284). On record 1885 to 1906, 16 annual entries.
Archive reference 0084_0164; 323
Life#
Born in Bitola (Manastır) in 1867/68 (AH 1284) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community, Recep Lütfi Efendi was the child of an army captain (yüzbaşı). At about 16, in 1882/83, Recep Lütfi began work in Tirana (Tiran), with three unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 500 kuruş. The first annual entry, for 1885/86, places Recep Lütfi in Thessaloniki (Selanik) as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru). Recep Lütfi then moved to Berat, Ohrid (Ohri) and Elbasan (İlbasan) from 1891 to 1897, then back to Ohrid from 1897 to 1902. The last posts were in Elbasan again from 1902 to 1906. Fewer than 10 per cent of the 1,586 officials whose entries span 20 years or more kept one title throughout.
The salary never rose above the first in the lists, 500 kuruş a month in 1885/86, as Muhabere Memuru in Thessaloniki, when 42 per cent of paid officials earned less. After 16 years the salary stood below the first, 300 kuruş against 500; fewer than 7 per cent of the 2,010 officials paid for 15 years or more ended as low. The last 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.
Born 1867/68 (AH 1284)
First work 1882/83 (AH 1300)
1891 to 1895 (AH 1309 to 1312)
No annual entry for 1886 to 1891 (AH 1304 to 1308) before it.
380 kuruş a month; entries in 4 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, 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
| Year | Salary | Median, all officials | Median, same title | Median, same province | Paid less |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1885/86 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 42% |
| 1891/92 | 380 | 500 | 400 | 600 | 24% |
| 1892/93 | 380 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 24% |
| 1893/94 | 380 | 500 | 400 | 600 | 25% |
| 1894/95 | 380 | 500 | 400 | 600 | 26% |
| 1895/96 | 395 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 30% |
| 1896/97 | 300 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 18% |
| 1897/98 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 49% |
| 1898/99 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 48% |
| 1899/1900 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 47% |
| 1900/01 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 47% |
| 1901/02 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 500 | 49% |
| 1902/03 | 300 | 500 | 380 | 500 | 21% |
| 1903/04 | 300 | 475 | 350 | 400 | 23% |
| 1904/05 | 300 | 450 | 350 | 450 | 23% |
| 1905/06 | 300 | 475 | 330 | 400 | 23% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1882/83AH 1300 | First work | Tirana (Tiran) | 500first-salary field |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Muhabere Memuru | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 500 |
| No annual entry: 1886 to 1891 (AH 1304 to 1308) | |||
| 1891 to 1895AH 1309 to 1312 | Muhabere Memuru | Berat | 380 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Muhabere Memuru | Ohrid (Ohri) | 395 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Muhabere Memuru | Elbasan (İlbasan) | 300 |
| 1897 to 1902AH 1315 to 1319 | Muhabere Memuru | Ohrid (Ohri) | 500 |
| 1902 to 1906AH 1320 to 1323 | Muhabere Memuru | Elbasan (İlbasan) | 300 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1867/68 (AH 1284)
- Birthplace
- Bitola (Manastır)
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- Yuzbasi
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
- 1882/83 (AH 1300)
- Place
- Tirana (Tiran)
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 500
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 3 officials who held Muhabere Memuru in Ohrid (Ohri) in the same years, Recep Lütfi Efendi had the 2nd highest salary.
- Sabri Efendi5 shared years; highest salary 540 kuruş
- Hasan Vasıf Efendi1 shared year; highest salary 250 kuruş
Same place, same years
Of the 3 officials with entries in Ohrid (Ohri) in the same years, Recep Lütfi Efendi had the 2nd highest salary.
- Sabri Efendi5 shared years; highest salary 540 kuruş
- Hasan Vasıf Efendi1 shared year; highest salary 250 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 2,305 officials with the title Muhabere Memuru in the same years, Recep Lütfi Efendi had the 1,051st highest salary.
- Mehmet Hulusi Bey16 shared years; highest salary 2,600 kuruş
- Mustafa Fazıl Bey16 shared years; highest salary 1,700 kuruş
- Nikola Yunani Efendi16 shared years; highest salary 1,350 kuruş
- Mustafa Efendi16 shared years; highest salary 1,200 kuruş
- Mehmet Tahsin Efendi16 shared years; highest salary 1,100 kuruş
Same school
Of the 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi among their schools, 3,200 have a recorded salary; Recep Lütfi Efendi had the 1,253rd highest salary of them.
- Ahmet Efendiborn 1867/68 (AH 1284); highest salary 380 kuruş
- Ahmet Ferit Efendiborn 1867/68 (AH 1284); highest salary 540 kuruş
- Ahmet Nazif Efendiborn 1867/68 (AH 1284); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Ali Avni Efendiborn 1867/68 (AH 1284); highest salary 800 kuruş
- Ali Enver Efendiborn 1867/68 (AH 1284); highest salary 500 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 40 officials born in Bitola (Manastır), Recep Lütfi Efendi had the 21st highest salary.
- Hıristo Efendiborn 1867/68 (AH 1284); highest salary 540 kuruş
- İsmail Hakkı Efendiborn 1866/67 (AH 1283); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Mehmet Arif Efendiborn 1869/70 (AH 1286); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Zeynelabidin Efendiborn 1869/70 (AH 1286); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Ali Haydar Efendiborn 1864/65 (AH 1281); highest salary 300 kuruş
The page of Bitola (Manastır), with the 40 officials born there
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 93 officials whose first annual entry is for 1885/86 (AH 1303), Recep Lütfi Efendi had the 57th highest salary.
- Mazhar Tevfik Efendifirst entry in Thessaloniki (Selanik); highest salary 2,500 kuruş
- Hasan Tahsin Efendifirst entry in Thessaloniki (Selanik); highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- HASAN TAHSİN EFENDİfirst entry in Thessaloniki (Selanik); highest salary 700 kuruş
- Ali Rıza Efendifirst entry in Rize; highest salary 400 kuruş
- Hafiz İbrahim Nefʻî Efendifirst entry in Gotse Delchev (Nevrekop); highest salary 2,000 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (16)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Muhabere Memuru | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0084_0164; 323 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Muhabere Memuru | Berat | 380 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0084_0164; 323 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Muhabere Memuru | Berat | 380 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0084_0164; 323 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Muhabere Memuru | Berat | 380 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0084_0164; 323 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Muhabere Memuru | Berat | 380 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0084_0164; 323 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Muhabere Memuru | Ohrid (Ohri) | 395 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0084_0164; 323 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Muhabere Memuru | Elbasan (İlbasan) | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0084_0164; 323 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | Muhabere Memuru | Ohrid (Ohri) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0084_0164; 323 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Muhabere Memuru | Ohrid (Ohri) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0084_0164; 323 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | Muhabere Memuru | Ohrid (Ohri) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0084_0164; 323 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | Muhabere Memuru | Ohrid (Ohri) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0084_0164; 323 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | Muhabere Memuru | Ohrid (Ohri) | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0084_0164; 323 |
| 1902/03AH 1320 | Muhabere Memuru | Elbasan (İlbasan) | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0084_0164; 323 |
| 1903/04AH 1321 | Muhabere Memuru | Elbasan (İlbasan) | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0084_0164; 323 |
| 1904/05AH 1322 | Muhabere Memuru | Elbasan (İlbasan) | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0084_0164; 323 |
| 1905/06AH 1323 | Muhabere Memuru | Elbasan (İlbasan) | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0084_0164; 323 |
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 | Recep Lütfi Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1284 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birthplace | manastir | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Province of birth | manastir | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Father's occupation | Yuzbasi | 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) | 3 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work | ||
| First work: year (AH) | 1300 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1883 | Recovered annual personnel extract |
| First work: place | Tiran | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First salary field (kuruş a month) | 500 | 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.
- 16 annual entries of 16 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
- Recep Lütfi Efendi
- Communications official (Muhabere Memuru)
- Ohrid (Ohri)
- Bitola (Manastır)
- 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)