Official
Ali Rıza Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Istanbul (Dersaadet) in 1863/64 (AH 1280). On record 1878 to 1910, 30 annual entries.
Archive reference 44_38; 73
Life#
Ali Rıza Efendi was born in Istanbul in 1863/64 (AH 1280) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community; the father was a telegraph official (telgraf memuru). Work began in Istanbul in 1877/78, at about 14, with one unpaid year as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 100 kuruş. The first annual entry, for 1878, places Ali Rıza in Istanbul, the birthplace, as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru). The annual lists then follow Ali Rıza to ten places in 16 years, with a rise to inspector (Müfettiş) in 1894/95 and to chief director (Başmüdür) in 1895/96, then back to Ioannina from 1896 to 1898. Ali Rıza then moved to four places in ten years. The last posts were in Thessaloniki again from 1908 to 1910. In all, 13 provinces on three continents, a number reached by only 2 of the 5,200 officials with a place of service.
Pay rose from 100 kuruş a month in 1878 to a peak of 4,750 in 1899/1900, as Başmüdür in Aleppo, when 99 per cent of paid officials earned less. Over 30 years the salaries add up to 871,140 kuruş, 5 times the median official's, a level reached by fewer than 2 per cent of the 3,805 officials paid for five years or more. The peak was 47.5 times the first salary, a rise matched by 32 of the 2,859 officials paid for ten years or more. The last annual entry is for 1909/10.
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 1863/64 (AH 1280); First work 1877/78 (AH 1294); 1878 to 1879 (AH 1295 to 1296)
100 kuruş a month; entries in 2 years
1880/81 (AH 1298)
No annual entry for 1879/80 (AH 1297) before it.
285 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year
1884/85 (AH 1302)
No annual entry for 1882 to 1884 (AH 1300 to 1301) before it.
380 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year
1898 to 1901 (AH 1316 to 1318)
2,750 to 4,750 kuruş a month; entries in 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1878 | 100 | 600 | 500 | 0% |
| 1878/79 | 100 | 600 | 420 | 0% |
| 1880/81 | 285 | 500 | 400 | 11% |
| 1881/82 | 380 | 500 | 400 | 20% |
| 1884/85 | 380 | 500 | 400 | 18% |
| 1885/86 | 600 | 500 | 550 | 58% |
| 1886/87 | 600 | 500 | 400 | 59% |
| 1887/88 | 600 | 500 | 300 | 58% |
| 1888/89 | 600 | 500 | 375 | 58% |
| 1889/90 | 600 | 500 | 300 | 58% |
| 1890/91 | 600 | 500 | 285 | 59% |
| 1891/92 | 850 | 500 | 200 | 84% |
| 1892/93 | 1,200 | 500 | 1,200 | 90% |
| 1893/94 | 1,200 | 500 | 1,200 | 91% |
| 1894/95 | 2,000 | 500 | 2,000 | 96% |
| 1895/96 | 3,000 | 500 | 2,825 | 98% |
| 1896/97 | 2,250 | 500 | 2,632.5 | 97% |
| 1897/98 | 2,250 | 500 | 2,632.5 | 97% |
| 1898/99 | 2,750 | 500 | 2,610 | 98% |
| 1899/1900 | 4,750 | 500 | 2,700 | 99% |
| 1900/01 | 4,750 | 500 | 2,610 | 99% |
| 1901/02 | 4,750 | 500 | 2,700 | 99% |
| 1902/03 | 4,750 | 500 | 2,700 | 99% |
| 1903/04 | 4,750 | 475 | 2,650 | 99% |
| 1904/05 | 4,750 | 450 | 2,700 | 99% |
| 1905/06 | 4,750 | 475 | 2,600 | 99% |
| 1906/07 | 4,750 | 450 | 2,650 | 99% |
| 1907/08 | 4,750 | 300 | 98% | |
| 1908/09 | 4,750 | 350 | 2,750 | 98% |
| 1909/10 | 4,750 | 462.5 | 2,750 | 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1877/78AH 1294 | First work | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 100first-salary field |
| 1878 to 1879AH 1295 to 1296 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 100 |
| No annual entry: 1879/80 (AH 1297) | |||
| 1880/81AH 1298 | Muhabere Memuru | Pristina (Priştine) | 285 |
| 1881/82AH 1299 | Muhabere Memuru | Hopa | 380 |
| No annual entry: 1882 to 1884 (AH 1300 to 1301) | |||
| 1884/85AH 1302 | Muhabere Memuru | Keşan | 380 |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Seyyar Memur | Ioannina (Yanya) | 600 |
| 1886/87AH 1304 | Memur | Berane | 600 |
| 1887 to 1889AH 1305 to 1306 | Memur | Kumanovo (Kumanova) | 600 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Memur | Suakin (Sevakin) | 600 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Memur | Pristina (Priştine) | 600 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Memur | Tuzla | 850 |
| 1892 to 1894AH 1310 to 1311 | 1. Müdür | Tripoli (Trablusgarp) | 1,200 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Müfettiş | Crete (Girit) | 2,000 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Başmüdür | Tripoli (Trablusgarp) | 3,000 |
| 1896 to 1898AH 1314 to 1315 | Başmüdür | Ioannina (Yanya) | 2,250 |
| 1898 to 1901AH 1316 to 1318 | Başmüdür | Aleppo (Halep) | 2,750 to 4,750 |
| 1901 to 1903AH 1319 to 1320 | Başmüdür | Beirut (Beyrut) | 4,750 |
| 1903 to 1905AH 1321 to 1322 | Başmüdür | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 4,750 |
| 1905 to 1907AH 1323 to 1324 | Başmüdür | Suriye | 4,750 |
| 1907/08AH 1325 | Başmüdür | Beirut (Beyrut) | 4,750 |
| 1908 to 1910AH 1326 to 1327 | Başmüdür | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 4,750 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1863/64 (AH 1280)
- Birthplace
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- Telgraf Memuru
Education
- Rüşdiye
- Rüşdiye Mektebi (7 years)rüşdiye school (middle school)
- Higher or professional
- Telgraf Mektebitelegraph school; recorded as a code
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 1 year
- Preparation route (classification of the paper)
- Low
- Qualification (diploma, certificate, training or nişan)
- No
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
- 1877/78 (AH 1294)
- Place
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 100
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 107 officials with entries in Thessaloniki (Selanik) in the same years, Ali Rıza Efendi had the 3rd highest salary.
- Mustafa Nuri Efendi4 shared years; highest salary 900 kuruş
- Mehmet Galip Efendi4 shared years; highest salary 600 kuruş
- Mehmet Talat Efendi2 shared years; highest salary 15,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Memduh Bey2 shared years; highest salary 5,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Rıza Efendi2 shared years; highest salary 1,200 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 35 officials with the title Başmüdür in the same years, Ali Rıza Efendi had the 3rd highest salary.
- Unnamed official (26_188; 371)15 shared years; highest salary 2,500 kuruş
- Unnamed official (0049_0034; 65)13 shared years; highest salary 3,000 kuruş
- Unnamed official (0002_0176; 350)11 shared years; highest salary 3,500 kuruş
- Mahmut Efendi11 shared years; highest salary 2,500 kuruş
- Mehmet Şevket Efendi10 shared years; highest salary 4,000 kuruş
Same school
Of the 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi among their schools, 3,200 have a recorded salary; Ali Rıza Efendi had the 15th highest salary of them.
- Ahmet Faiz Efendborn 1863/64 (AH 1280); highest salary 5,400 kuruş
- Ahmet Hamdi Efendiborn 1863/64 (AH 1280); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Ahmet Refik Efendiborn 1863/64 (AH 1280); highest salary 800 kuruş
- Ahmet Zihni Efendiborn 1863/64 (AH 1280); highest salary 600 kuruş
- ALİ RIZA EFENDİborn 1863/64 (AH 1280); highest salary 800 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 1,999 officials born in Istanbul, 1,997 have a recorded salary; Ali Rıza Efendi had the 36th highest salary of them.
- Ahmet Cemal Efendiborn 1863/64 (AH 1280); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Ahmet Faiz Efendborn 1863/64 (AH 1280); highest salary 5,400 kuruş
- Ahmet Hamdi Efendiborn 1863/64 (AH 1280); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Aram Efendiborn 1863/64 (AH 1280); highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Hafız Vasfi Efendiborn 1863/64 (AH 1280); highest salary 400 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 42 officials whose first annual entry is for 1878 (AH 1295), Ali Rıza Efendi had the 2nd highest salary.
- Ömer Beyfirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 750 kuruş
- İsmail Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 600 kuruş
- Mehmet İhsan Beyfirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 400 kuruş
- Mehmet Nazmi Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 600 kuruş
- Abdulkadir Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 800 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (30)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1878AH 1295 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 100 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 44_38; 73 |
| 1878/79AH 1296 | Muhabere Memuru | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 100 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 44_38; 73 |
| 1880/81AH 1298 | Muhabere Memuru | Pristina (Priştine) | 285 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 44_38; 73 |
| 1881/82AH 1299 | Muhabere Memuru | Hopa | 380 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 44_38; 73 |
| 1884/85AH 1302 | Muhabere Memuru | Keşan | 380 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 44_38; 73 |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Seyyar Memur | Ioannina (Yanya) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 44_38; 73 |
| 1886/87AH 1304 | Memur | Berane | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 44_38; 73 |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Memur | Kumanovo (Kumanova) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 44_38; 73 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Memur | Kumanovo (Kumanova) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 44_38; 73 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Memur | Suakin (Sevakin) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 44_38; 73 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Memur | Pristina (Priştine) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 44_38; 73 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Memur | Tuzla | 850 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 44_38; 73 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | 1. Müdür | Tripoli (Trablusgarp) | 1,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 44_38; 73 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | 1. Müdür | Tripoli (Trablusgarp) | 1,200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 44_38; 73 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Müfettiş | Crete (Girit) | 2,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 44_38; 73 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Başmüdür | Tripoli (Trablusgarp) | 3,000 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 44_38; 73 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Başmüdür | Ioannina (Yanya) | 2,250 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 44_38; 73 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | Başmüdür | Ioannina (Yanya) | 2,250 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 44_38; 73 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Başmüdür | Aleppo (Halep) | 2,750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 44_38; 73 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | Başmüdür | Aleppo (Halep) | 4,750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 44_38; 73 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | Başmüdür | Aleppo (Halep) | 4,750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 44_38; 73 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | Başmüdür | Beirut (Beyrut) | 4,750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 44_38; 73 |
| 1902/03AH 1320 | Başmüdür | Beirut (Beyrut) | 4,750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 44_38; 73 |
| 1903/04AH 1321 | Başmüdür | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 4,750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 44_38; 73 |
| 1904/05AH 1322 | Başmüdür | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 4,750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 44_38; 73 |
| 1905/06AH 1323 | Başmüdür | Suriye | 4,750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 44_38; 73 |
| 1906/07AH 1324 | Başmüdür | Suriye | 4,750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 44_38; 73 |
| 1907/08AH 1325 | Başmüdür | Beirut (Beyrut) | 4,750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 44_38; 73 |
| 1908/09AH 1326 | Başmüdür | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 4,750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 44_38; 73 |
| 1909/10AH 1327 | Başmüdür | Thessaloniki (Selanik) | 4,750 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 44_38; 73 |
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 (15)
| Field | Recorded value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Name | Ali Rıza Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1280 | 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 | telgraf 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 |
| Telegraph school (recorded code) | 1 | 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) | 1294 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1877 | 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) | 100 | 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.
- 26 annual entries of 30 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
- Ali Rıza Efendi
- Chief director (Başmüdür)
- Thessaloniki (Selanik)
- 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)