He was the cousin and successor of Ala al-Din Atsiz.
During his early years, Zia al-Din Ali was appointed as governor of Khorasan in ca.
Ghiyath later died in 1202, and was succeeded by his brother Mu'izz al-Din Muhammad, who shortly appointed Ala al-Din Ali as the governor of Ghur, Gharchistan and Zamindawar.
Ala al-Din Ali later lead a campaign against the Ismailis in Quhistan.
After a year Taj al-Din Yildiz was forced to surrender Firozkoh to the Khwarazmian dynasty, and Ala al-Din Ali was captured by a Khwarazmian army and was brought to Khwarazm, where he lived in an honorable exile in Khwarazm.