Ottoman Official Payment Deed Salary 1911 Muslim Citizen Çankırı Empire
Ottoman Official Payment Deed with Hamidiye–Hejaz Railway Revenue Stamp (1911)
Description:
This Ottoman official payment deed represents standard fiscal practice in the late Ottoman administration. Such documents were legally required for all official payments of fifty kuruş and above, ensuring formal record-keeping, accountability, and verification within state and municipal institutions.
A key feature of this document is the presence of a cold-embossed revenue stamp marked “Hamidiye Hicaz Demiryolu menfaatine.” The Ottoman state systematically used these stamps on official paperwork to collect special taxes, the proceeds of which were allocated to the construction and maintenance of the Hamidiye Hicaz Demiryolu. This practice demonstrates how large-scale imperial infrastructure projects were financed through everyday bureaucratic transactions.
The document is dated 31 July 1327 (13 August 1911) and bears official signatures, revenue stamps, and seals, confirming its authenticity and administrative validity. It records the payment of 400 kuruş to Mehmed Çelebi Bey, identified as the Çankırı Evkaf Katibi (Clerk of the Pious Foundations Administration).
In the text, Mehmed Çelebi Bey provides a written acknowledgment stating that he received the payment from the municipality. The stated reason for the payment is his salary for July 1327, clearly identifying the document as a formal salary payment receipt. Beneath this acknowledgment, an additional official note confirms that there was no obstacle or objection to the payment, further reinforcing the document’s legal and procedural completeness.
Overall, this deed is a valuable historical artifact illustrating Ottoman municipal finance, the administration of vakıf (pious foundation) institutions, and the fiscal mechanisms used to support the Hejaz Railway project. It also highlights the structured and documented nature of salary payments to state officials in the final years of the Ottoman Empire.
Overall, this document is historically significant because it illustrates the active role of Rum citizens in Ottoman municipal administration, particularly in practical urban services such as street and public lighting. Combined with the Hamidiye–Hejaz Railway revenue stamp, it offers insight into both the multi-ethnic structure of the Ottoman bureaucracy and the fiscal mechanisms used to support imperial infrastructure projects in the early 20th century.
Key Features:
• Document Type: Ottoman official payment deed (resmî sened)
• Date: 31 July 1327 / 13 August 1911
• Legal Requirement: Mandatory for official payments of 50 kuruş and above
• Revenue Stamp: Cold-embossed stamp for the Hamidiye–Hejaz Railway fund
• Payment Amount: 400 kuruş
• Recipient: Mehmed Çelebi Bey, Çankırı Evkaf Katibi
• Payment Reason: Salary for July 1327
• Issuing Authority: Municipality (name not specified)
• Official Annotations: Written receipt by the payee and confirmation that no obstacle existed to the payment
• Authentication: Signatures, stamps, and revenue seals present
• Historical Significance: Illustrates late Ottoman salary administration, vakıf bureaucracy, and state funding mechanisms for major infrastructure projects