During the Overthrow of the Qajar dynasty, Sardar Homayoun was encouraged by the local politicians and moderates, backed by Edmund Ironside, 1st Baron Ironside and the British Government, to become the Shah of Persia (his ancestry as a member of the Qajar dynasty supported his claim to the throne).

[2] He declined out of his loyalty to Ahmad Shah, although it was stated that it was out of his fear for his family's safety and his moral reluctance to use force against his countrymen, a measure which was inevitable for the maintenance of the monarchy.

During Reza Shah's reign, Vali was appointed commander of the Cossack Division in Northern Iran.

His cousin, Doust Mohammad Khan Moayer ol-Mamalek, was the son-in-law of Nasser al-Din Shah who married his daughter Princess Esmat os-Saltaneh.

His sons, Ebrahim and Ali Vali, also served in the Imperial Iranian Army as generals during the reign of Mohammad Reza Shah.