Official
Mehmet Tevfik Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Tekirdağ in 1852/53 (AH 1269). On record 1872 to 1899, 21 annual entries. Death recorded 1899/1900.
Archive reference 0062_0010; 17
Life#
Born in Tekirdağ in 1852/53 (AH 1269), Mehmet Tevfik Efendi came from the Muslim (Müslüman) community; the father was a tradesman (esnaf). Schooling took seven years, at a middle school (Rüşdiye Mektebi).
Work began in Tekirdağ in 1872/73, at about 19, with half a year without pay as a mülazım (apprentice) before a first salary of 200 kuruş. The annual lists begin in 1872/73, with Mehmet Tevfik as a communications official (Muhabere Memuru) in Tekirdağ, the birthplace, where the entries run to 1875/76. Mehmet Tevfik then moved to Edirne, İnecik, Soufli (Sofulu) and Kastamonu, four places in eight years, then Çatalca from 1888 to 1894. The lists have no entry for 1884 to 1888. The last posts were in Tekirdağ again from 1894 to 1899. A career like this is rare; fewer than 10 per cent of the 1,586 officials whose entries span 20 years or more kept one title throughout.
The salary went from 200 kuruş a month in 1872/73 to 800 in 1878, the peak, as Muhabere Memuru in İnecik, when 65 per cent of paid officials earned less. Over 21 years the salaries add up to 126,480 kuruş, about what an official on the median salary earned. After the last annual entry, for 1898/99, the list of 1899/1900 (AH 1317) gives the status word Vefat (death).
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 1852/53 (AH 1269); First work 1872/73 (AH 1289); 1872 to 1876 (AH 1289 to 1292)
200 to 420 kuruş a month; entries in 4 years
1877/78 (AH 1294)
No annual entry for 1876/77 (AH 1293) before it.
600 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year
1880 to 1882 (AH 1298 to 1299)
No annual entry for 1879/80 (AH 1297) before it.
600 kuruş a month; entries in 2 years
1883/84 (AH 1301)
No annual entry for 1882/83 (AH 1300) before it.
400 kuruş a month; entries in 1 year
1888 to 1894 (AH 1306 to 1311)
No annual entry for 1884 to 1888 (AH 1302 to 1305) before it.
500 kuruş a month; entries in 6 years
Death recorded in the annual list of 1899/1900 (AH 1317): the word Vefat, not a date of death.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1872/73 | 200 | 550 | 400 | 5% |
| 1873/74 | 200 | 500 | 400 | 7% |
| 1874/75 | 420 | 535 | 450 | 31% |
| 1875/76 | 420 | 530 | 400 | 33% |
| 1877/78 | 600 | 560 | 410 | 50% |
| 1878 | 800 | 600 | 500 | 65% |
| 1878/79 | 800 | 600 | 420 | 66% |
| 1880/81 | 600 | 500 | 400 | 60% |
| 1881/82 | 600 | 500 | 400 | 60% |
| 1883/84 | 400 | 500 | 400 | 27% |
| 1888/89 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 41% |
| 1889/90 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 42% |
| 1890/91 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 43% |
| 1891/92 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 43% |
| 1892/93 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 44% |
| 1893/94 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 46% |
| 1894/95 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 46% |
| 1895/96 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 47% |
| 1896/97 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 49% |
| 1897/98 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 49% |
| 1898/99 | 500 | 500 | 400 | 48% |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1872/73AH 1289 | First work | Tekirdağ | 200first-salary field |
| 1872 to 1876AH 1289 to 1292 | Muhabere Memuru | Tekirdağ | 200 to 420 |
| No annual entry: 1876/77 (AH 1293) | |||
| 1877/78AH 1294 | Muhabere Memuru | Edirne | 600 |
| 1878 to 1879AH 1295 to 1296 | Muhabere Memuru | İnecik | 800 |
| No annual entry: 1879/80 (AH 1297) | |||
| 1880 to 1882AH 1298 to 1299 | Muhabere Memuru | Soufli (Sofulu) | 600 |
| No annual entry: 1882/83 (AH 1300) | |||
| 1883/84AH 1301 | Muhabere Memuru | Kastamonu | 400 |
| No annual entry: 1884 to 1888 (AH 1302 to 1305) | |||
| 1888 to 1894AH 1306 to 1311 | Muhabere Memuru | Çatalca | 500 |
| 1894 to 1899AH 1312 to 1316 | Muhabere Memuru | Tekirdağ | 500 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | Death recorded | ||
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1852/53 (AH 1269)
- Birthplace
- Tekirdağ
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- Esnaf
- Death recorded
- 1899/1900 (AH 1317)the year of the annual list with the word Vefat, not a date of death
Education
- Rüşdiye
- Rüşdiye Mektebi (7 years)rüşdiye school (middle school)
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 0.5 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
- 1872/73 (AH 1289)
- Place
- Tekirdağ
- 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 15 officials with entries in Tekirdağ in the same years, Mehmet Tevfik Efendi had the 11th highest salary.
- Hacı Mehmet Emin Efendi9 shared years; highest salary 720 kuruş
- Hazım Rasim Efendi7 shared years; highest salary 600 kuruş
- Süleyman Faik Efendi5 shared years; highest salary 600 kuruş
- Mehmet Rasim Efendi4 shared years; highest salary 2,500 kuruş
- Mehmet İzzet Efendi4 shared years; highest salary 1,200 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 1,976 officials with the title Muhabere Memuru in the same years, Mehmet Tevfik Efendi had the 420th highest salary.
- Nikola Yunani Efendi21 shared years; highest salary 1,350 kuruş
- Mehmet Nazım Efendi21 shared years; highest salary 1,300 kuruş
- Şarl Laze Efendi21 shared years; highest salary 1,250 kuruş
- Cemal Efendi21 shared years; highest salary 840 kuruş
- Unnamed official (23_38; 73)21 shared years; highest salary 800 kuruş
Same school
Of the 3,206 officials with Rüşdiye Mektebi among their schools, 3,200 have a recorded salary; Mehmet Tevfik Efendi had the 477th highest salary of them.
- Abdülhamit Efendiborn 1852/53 (AH 1269); highest salary 440 kuruş
- Ali Galip Efendiborn 1852/53 (AH 1269); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Ali Raif Efendiborn 1852/53 (AH 1269); highest salary 600 kuruş
- Ali Rıza Efendiborn 1852/53 (AH 1269); highest salary 3,150 kuruş
- Ali Riza Efendiborn 1852/53 (AH 1269); highest salary 400 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 21 officials born in Tekirdağ, Mehmet Tevfik Efendi had the 6th highest salary.
- Mehmet Ata Efendiborn 1853/54 (AH 1270); highest salary 1,050 kuruş
- Mehmet Raif Efendiborn 1854/55 (AH 1271); highest salary 650 kuruş
- Mehmet Raif Efendiborn 1849/50 (AH 1266); highest salary 800 kuruş
- Salih Sabri Efendiborn 1848/49 (AH 1265); highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Hazım Rasim Efendiborn 1844/45 (AH 1260); highest salary 600 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 84 officials whose first annual entry is for 1872/73 (AH 1289), Mehmet Tevfik Efendi had the 40th highest salary.
- Mehmet Raif Efendifirst entry in Tekirdağ; highest salary 650 kuruş
- Ali Sefik Efendifirst entry in Sivas; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- İbrahim Hakkı Efendifirst entry in Kuşadası; highest salary 650 kuruş
- Mahmut Nedim Efendifirst entry in Chirpan (Çırpan); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Mehmet Ali Beyfirst entry in Aleppo (Halep); highest salary 1,500 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (21)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1872/73AH 1289 | Muhabere Memuru | Tekirdağ | 200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0010; 17 |
| 1873/74AH 1290 | Muhabere Memuru | Tekirdağ | 200 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0010; 17 |
| 1874/75AH 1291 | Muhabere Memuru | Tekirdağ | 420 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0010; 17 |
| 1875/76AH 1292 | Muhabere Memuru | Tekirdağ | 420 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0010; 17 |
| 1877/78AH 1294 | Muhabere Memuru | Edirne | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0010; 17 |
| 1878AH 1295 | Muhabere Memuru | İnecik | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0010; 17 |
| 1878/79AH 1296 | Muhabere Memuru | İnecik | 800 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0010; 17 |
| 1880/81AH 1298 | Muhabere Memuru | Soufli (Sofulu) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0010; 17 |
| 1881/82AH 1299 | Muhabere Memuru | Soufli (Sofulu) | 600 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0010; 17 |
| 1883/84AH 1301 | Muhabere Memuru | Kastamonu | 400 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0010; 17 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Muhabere Memuru | Çatalca | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0010; 17 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Muhabere Memuru | Çatalca | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0010; 17 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Muhabere Memuru | Çatalca | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0010; 17 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | Muhabere Memuru | Çatalca | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0010; 17 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | Muhabere Memuru | Çatalca | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0010; 17 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | Muhabere Memuru | Çatalca | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0010; 17 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | Muhabere Memuru | Tekirdağ | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0010; 17 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | Muhabere Memuru | Tekirdağ | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0010; 17 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | Muhabere Memuru | Tekirdağ | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0010; 17 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | Muhabere Memuru | Tekirdağ | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0010; 17 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Muhabere Memuru | Tekirdağ | 500 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 0062_0010; 17 |
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 Tevfik Efendi | Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birth year (AH) | 1269 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birthplace | tekirdag | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Province of birth | edirne | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Father's occupation | Esnaf | 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) | 0.5 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work | ||
| First work: year (AH) | 1289 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1872 | Recovered annual personnel extract |
| First work: place | Tekirdag | 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 |
| Status | ||
| Death recorded under the year (AH) | 1317 | Earlier annual personnel extract (original copy); Earlier annual personnel extract (parallel copy) |
What the sources named in this table are
- Earlier annual personnel extract (original copy)
- A copy of the earlier annual personnel file, read for the title wording of each year. A death taken from it is the status word Vefat in the title field of one annual list: the year is the year of that list, not a date of death.
- Earlier annual personnel extract (parallel copy)
- A second copy of the earlier annual personnel file, read in the same way. A death taken from it is the status word Vefat in the title field of one annual list: the year is the year of that list, not a date of death. Two copies that agree are one piece of evidence, not two.
- 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.
- 21 annual entries of 21 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 Tevfik Efendi
- Communications official (Muhabere Memuru)
- Tekirdağ
- Rüşdiye school (Rüşdiye Mektebi)
- Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf)
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Çatalca
- 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)