In 1624, Ali Mardan Khan inherited his father's position when he was appointed governor of Kerman, Sistan, and Qandahar by the Safavid emperor Shah Abbas.

[4] Ali Mardan Khan experienced a meteoric rise in Mughal government, becoming a member with important responsibilities and a highly favoured noble of Shah Jahan.

As a Safavid official, he is known to have constructed the cistern of the Ganj Ali Khan complex in Kerman, and built multiple gardens in Qandahar.

[4][5]His most notable architectural feat as a Mughal official was the creation of a canal that brought water to the suburbs of Lahore from the Ravi River, which was more than 100 miles away.

Another significant architectural creation was an Iranian-style covered bazaar in Peshawar, which impressed Shah Jahan and inspired the marketplace of his capital city Shahjahanabad.