Official
Mehmet Rıfat Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Istanbul (Dersaadet) in 1862/63 (AH 1279). On record 1881 to 1905, 24 annual entries.
Archive reference 0065_0068; 133
Life#
Mehmet Rıfat Efendi was born in Istanbul in 1862/63 (AH 1279) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community; the father was a clerk (katip). Schooling took seven years, at a middle school (Rüşdiye Mektebi); Mehmet Rıfat also attended the telegraph school and wrote French as well as Turkish.
Work began in Istanbul in 1879/80, at about 17, with two unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 150 kuruş. The annual lists begin in 1881/82, with Mehmet Rıfat as an official for foreign communications (Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti) in Beyoğlu, where the entries run to 1893/94. From 1894 to 1905 every annual entry places Mehmet Rıfat in Mabeyni humayun. Of the 1,586 officials whose entries span 20 years or more, fewer than 10 per cent kept one title throughout.
Pay rose from 150 kuruş a month in 1881/82 to a peak of 1,250 in 1902/03, as Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti in Mabeyni humayun, when 92 per cent of paid officials earned less. The final annual entry is for 1904/05.
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 1862/63 (AH 1279); First work 1879/80 (AH 1297)
1881 to 1894 (AH 1299 to 1311)
Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti
150 to 520 kuruş a month; entries in 13 years
1894 to 1905 (AH 1312 to 1322)
Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti
520 to 1,250 kuruş a month; entries in 11 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1881/82 | 150 | 500 | 500 | 2% |
| 1882/83 | 250 | 500 | 500 | 6% |
| 1883/84 | 400 | 500 | 500 | 27% |
| 1884/85 | 400 | 500 | 500 | 27% |
| 1885/86 | 400 | 500 | 500 | 27% |
| 1886/87 | 400 | 500 | 500 | 27% |
| 1887/88 | 400 | 500 | 500 | 27% |
| 1888/89 | 400 | 500 | 500 | 27% |
| 1889/90 | 450 | 500 | 500 | 38% |
| 1890/91 | 450 | 500 | 500 | 39% |
| 1891/92 | 490 | 500 | 500 | 43% |
| 1892/93 | 520 | 500 | 500 | 57% |
| 1893/94 | 520 | 500 | 500 | 58% |
| 1894/95 | 520 | 500 | 500 | 57% |
| 1895/96 | 800 | 500 | 500 | 80% |
| 1896/97 | 720 | 500 | 495 | 81% |
| 1897/98 | 720 | 500 | 480 | 81% |
| 1898/99 | 720 | 500 | 495 | 80% |
| 1899/1900 | 800 | 500 | 500 | 83% |
| 1900/01 | 900 | 500 | 500 | 85% |
| 1901/02 | 1,100 | 500 | 480 | 91% |
| 1902/03 | 1,250 | 500 | 400 | 92% |
| 1903/04 | 1,250 | 475 | 450 | 92% |
| 1904/05 | 1,250 | 450 | 455 | 92% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1879/80AH 1297 | First work | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 150first-salary field |
| 1881 to 1894AH 1299 to 1311 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Beyoğlu | 150 to 520 |
| 1894 to 1905AH 1312 to 1322 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Mabeyni humayun | 520 to 1,250 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1862/63 (AH 1279)
- Birthplace
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- Katip
Education
- Rüşdiye
- Rüşdiye Mektebi (7 years)rüşdiye school (middle school)
- Higher or professional
- Telgraf Mektebitelegraph school; recorded as a code
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 2 years
- 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
- French
- Kitabetwriting
- Turkish
- Kitabetwriting
The glosses are cautious historical readings of the recorded words, not modern levels of proficiency.
First work
- Year
- 1879/80 (AH 1297)
- Place
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 150
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 183 officials with entries in Beyoğlu in the same years, Mehmet Rıfat Efendi had the 45th highest salary.
- Mustafa Habip Efendi13 shared years; highest salary 15,000 kuruş
- Muftuzade Mehmet Hilmi Efendi13 shared years; highest salary 10,000 kuruş
- Esperdiyon Diloti Efendi13 shared years; highest salary 3,360 kuruş
- Paskal Mıgırdıç Kazancıyan Efendi13 shared years; highest salary 2,905 kuruş
- Melkon Berhadar Efendi13 shared years; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 471 officials with the title Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti in the same years, Mehmet Rıfat Efendi had the 46th highest salary.
- Acemyan Dikran Efendi24 shared years; highest salary 1,100 kuruş
- Gerope Gümüş Gerdan Efendi24 shared years; highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Andon Yaldızyan Efendi24 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Hazarusyan Misbak Efendi24 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Yanko Filoklis Efendi24 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
All 605 officials with the title Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti
Same school
Of the 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi among their schools, 3,200 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Rıfat Efendi had the 205th highest salary of them.
- Abdullah Efendiborn 1862/63 (AH 1279); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Abdullah Talat Efendiborn 1862/63 (AH 1279); highest salary 800 kuruş
- Abdüllatif Lütfü Efendiborn 1862/63 (AH 1279); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Abdülvahhab Efendiborn 1862/63 (AH 1279); highest salary 550 kuruş
- Abrik Nadir Efendiborn 1862/63 (AH 1279); highest salary 300 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 1,999 officials born in Istanbul, 1,997 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Rıfat Efendi had the 269th highest salary of them.
- Ali Galib Efendiborn 1862/63 (AH 1279); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Ali Galip Efendiborn 1862/63 (AH 1279); highest salary 2,250 kuruş
- Ali Haydar Efendiborn 1862/63 (AH 1279); highest salary 450 kuruş
- Arif Cemil Efendiborn 1862/63 (AH 1279); highest salary 400 kuruş
- Asım Efendiborn 1862/63 (AH 1279); highest salary 600 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 86 officials whose first annual entry is for 1881/82 (AH 1299), Mehmet Rıfat Efendi had the 16th highest salary.
- Zenob Balyan Efendifirst entry in Beyoğlu; highest salary 400 kuruş
- Şişmanyan Bogos Efendifirst entry in Beyoğlu; highest salary 650 kuruş
- Abdülvahhab Efendifirst entry in Diyarbakır; highest salary 550 kuruş
- Ali Haydar Efendifirst entry in Kastamonu; highest salary 500 kuruş
- Asım Efendifirst entry in Serres (Siroz); highest salary 600 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (24)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1881/82AH 1299 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Beyoğlu | 150 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0068; 133 |
| 1882/83AH 1300 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Beyoğlu | 250 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0068; 133 |
| 1883/84AH 1301 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Beyoğlu | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0068; 133 |
| 1884/85AH 1302 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Beyoğlu | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0068; 133 |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Beyoğlu | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0068; 133 |
| 1886/87AH 1304 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Beyoğlu | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0068; 133 |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Beyoğlu | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0068; 133 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Beyoğlu | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0068; 133 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Beyoğlu | 450 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0068; 133 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Beyoğlu | 450 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0068; 133 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Beyoğlu | 490 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0068; 133 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Beyoğlu | 520 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0068; 133 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Beyoğlu | 520 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0068; 133 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Mabeyni humayun | 520 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0068; 133 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Mabeyni humayun | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0068; 133 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Mabeyni humayun | 720 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0068; 133 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Mabeyni humayun | 720 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0068; 133 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Mabeyni humayun | 720 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0068; 133 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Mabeyni humayun | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0068; 133 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Mabeyni humayun | 900 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0068; 133 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Mabeyni humayun | 1,100 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0068; 133 |
| 1902/03AH 1320 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Mabeyni humayun | 1,250 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0068; 133 |
| 1903/04AH 1321 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Mabeyni humayun | 1,250 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0068; 133 |
| 1904/05AH 1322 | Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti | Mabeyni humayun | 1,250 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0065_0068; 133 |
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 | Mehmet Rıfat Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1279 | 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 | Katip | 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) | 2 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work | ||
| First work: year (AH) | 1297 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1880 | 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) | 150 | 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.
- 24 annual entries of 24 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 Rıfat Efendi
- Post of official for foreign communications (Muhaberat-ı Ecnebiye Memuriyeti)
- Beyoğlu
- 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)