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Ottoman BureaucracyPeople, places and careers in Ottoman public service

Official

Ahmed Refik Efendi

Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Istanbul (Dersaadet) in 1878/79 (AH 1296). On record 1903 to 1906, 3 annual entries.

Archive reference 118-78-151

Compare Ahmed Refik Efendi with other officials

Life

Born in Istanbul in 1878/79 (AH 1296), Ahmed Refik Efendi came from the Muslim (Müslüman) community; the father was a tradesman (esnaf). Ahmed Refik had seven years of schooling, at a middle school (Rüşdiye Mektebi).

At about 20, in 1899/1900, Ahmed Refik began work in Istanbul, with four unpaid years as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 300 kuruş. The first annual entry, for 1903/04, places Ahmed Refik in Istanbul, the birthplace, as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru). The last posts were in Sarmasik from 1904 to 1906, with a rise to central office official (Merkez Memuru).

Pay rose from 300 kuruş a month in 1903/04 to a peak of 350 in 1904/05, as Merkez Memuru in Sarmasik, when one in three paid officials earned less. In all, three years of salary come to 12,000 kuruş, 71 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 2 stops
birthplaceplace of annual entriesmove, with the year of the first entry there
1904/0512IstanbulSarmasik

  1. Istanbul (Dersaadet)

    Born 1878/79 (AH 1296); First work 1899/1900 (AH 1317); 1903/04 (AH 1321)

    Muhabere Memuru

    300 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year

  2. Sarmasik

    1904 to 1906 (AH 1322 to 1323)

    Merkez Memuru

    350 kuruş a month; entries in 2 years

Career and salary

Monthly salary by year, kuruşsalary of the yearyears with one job titleno annual entry
01002003004001903/04AH 13211904/05AH 13221905/06AH 1323350 kuruşMuhabere MemuruMerkez 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 Ahmed Refik Efendi against the medians of the same year, kuruş a month
YearSalaryMedian, all officialsMedian, same titlePaid less
1903/0430047535023%
1904/0535045050032%
1905/0635047550032%

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 Ahmed Refik Efendi, one row per stage
YearsTitlePlaceSalary (kuruş a month)
1899/1900AH 1317First workIstanbul (Dersaadet)300first-salary field
1903/04AH 1321Muhabere MemuruIstanbul (Dersaadet)300
1904 to 1906AH 1322 to 1323Merkez Memuru
2 entries
YearSalary
1904/05350
1905/06350
Sarmasik350

Record

Personal

Born
1878/79 (AH 1296)
Community
Muslim (Müslüman)
Nationality as recorded
Turkish
Father's occupation
Esnaf

Education

Rüşdiye
Rüşdiye Mektebi (7 years)rüşdiye school (middle school)
Unpaid years (mülazemet)
4 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

Turkish
Kitabetwriting

The glosses are cautious historical readings of the recorded words, not modern levels of proficiency.

First work

Year
1899/1900 (AH 1317)
First salary field (kuruş a month)
300

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 621 officials with entries in Istanbul in the same years, Ahmed Refik Efendi had the 444th highest salary.

All 1,750 officials with entries in Istanbul

Same job title, same years

Of the 39 officials with the title Merkez Memuru in the same years, Ahmed Refik Efendi had the 37th highest salary.

All 159 officials with the title Merkez Memuru

Same school

Of the 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi among their schools, 3,200 have a recorded salary; Ahmed Refik Efendi had the 2,129th highest salary of them.

All 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi

Same birthplace

Of the 1,999 officials born in Istanbul, 1,997 have a recorded salary; Ahmed Refik Efendi had the 1,378th highest salary of them.

The page of Istanbul, with the 1,999 officials born there

First annual entry in the same year

Of the 174 officials whose first annual entry is for 1903/04 (AH 1321), Ahmed Refik Efendi had the 44th highest salary.

Full record

Annual entries (3)

Annual entries of Ahmed Refik Efendi
YearTitlePlaceKuruş a monthInstitutionSourceArchive reference
1903/04AH 1321Muhabere MemuruIstanbul (Dersaadet)300Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract118-78-151
1904/05AH 1322Merkez MemuruSarmasik350Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract118-78-151
1905/06AH 1323Merkez MemuruSarmasik350Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)Recovered annual personnel extract118-78-151
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 Ahmed Refik Efendi with their sources
FieldRecorded valueSource
Identity
NameAhmed Refik EfendiPersonnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Birth year (AH)1296Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
BirthplacedersaadetRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Province of birthdersaadetRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
Father's occupationEsnafRecovered 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)4Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
First work
First work: year (AH)1317Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
First work: Gregorian year as stored1899Recovered annual personnel extract
First work: placeistanbulRecovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract
First salary field (kuruş a month)300Recovered 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