His father, Ahmad, son of Mawla, was a learned man and a prosperous local merchant.

At the age of 15, he began to write poetry and initially wrote under the pen-name Chasmi (The Hopeful), but before long took up the name of Âlî (The Exalted).

He gained employment as a cleric at the Chancery, after writing a poem, Mihr ü Mâh (The Sun and the Moon), designed to impress Prince Salim.

Ali's duties took him to various parts of the Ottoman Empire and the Middle East including Aleppo, Damascus, and Egypt.

[2] When Prince Selim succeeded his father to the throne, Pasha and Ali entered the Royal Court in Istanbul.

Ali was assigned military duties and spent seven years in Bosnia, after which he served various administrative roles in provincial towns as far away as Baghdad and Dalmatia.

He also wrote poetry as well as a work of nasihatname literature entitled Nuṣḥatü's-selāṭīn (Counsel for Sultans).