From the early centuries of Islam, religious scholars claimed the exclusive right to produce religious knowledge, and in many instances, collectively resisted interference by political authority in this sphere. As a corollary of this claim, many scholars rejected the offer to serve government functions, since they considered that this would compromise their academic integrity and would make them acquiescent before the demands and interference of the political authority. In addition, there was a disdain for government service, because it would keep them from studying the “noble” religious disciplines. On the other hand, some scholars accepted government service and justified this with reference to the principle of exigency. Most commonly, they asserted that these government functions needed to be fulfilled by knowledgeable people, and that, if they abstained, “ignorant oppressors” would undertake these functions and would cause “many injustices.” In this paper, I will look and trace the changes at the attitudes of Ottoman religious scholars towards government employment from the 15th to the 16th centuries. I will argue that, in the 15th century, religious scholars frequently rejected, or reluctantly accepted, the offers of government employment, while, in the 16th century, the government employment became prestigious and most of religious scholars competed to receive a position. The change can be seen by following the shift in their views about excellence in learning, rank and hierarchy. In the 15th century, even the government-employed scholars desisted from asserting that their rank in the hierarchy and their proximity to the ruler showed their academic merit. The aspiration of religious scholars at the time was to surpass the level of intellectual excellence in the works of Sadeddin Taftazani (d. 1389) and Seyyid ?erif Cürcani (d. 1413). On the other hand, in the 16th century, the government hierarchy became the preponderant fact of life for religious scholars in the Ottoman lands. Many scholars wrote treatises about the praiseworthy qualities of, and otherworldly rewards acquired from, fulfilling government functions. More and more, having the top positions in government hierarchy became the marker of academic distinction and the sole objective of religious scholars.