Foster-brother to the throne
He was a grandson of Shaikh Salim Chishti of Fathpur; the Maasir-ul-Umara opens his entry, "His name was 'Ala'-ud-Din, and he was a grandson of Shaikh Salim Fathpuri" (vol. I, p. 692), adding that he was linked to Jahangir by fosterage and married to the sister of Shaikh Abul Fadl. Jahangir's own memoir records the same honour in his own words: "I dignified Shaikh 'Ala'u-d-din, grandson of Shaikh Salim, who had strong connections with me, with the title of Islam Khan, and promoted him to the rank of" 5,000 (Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri, I, p. 31). He was made governor of Bihar at that rank, and in the third regnal year succeeded Jahangir Quli Khan Lala Beg as governor of Bengal, where he broke the rebellion of 'Uthman Khan, son of Qutlu Lohani.
A strange history, and a sudden death
The Maasir calls it "a strange one": his "virtue and gravity were such that probably, in all his life, he never took part in drunkenness or other forbidden things," yet kept a household where "all the saltatory troops in the whole of the province of Bengal consisting of luli, hurkani, kanchni (dancing-girls) and domni (gypsies) were his servants and received from him Rs.80,000 a month" (vol. I, p. 693). Jahangir records his death without warning: "news came of the death of Islam Khan; he had died on Thursday, the 5th Rajab, in the year 1022 (21st August, 1613)" (Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri, I, p. 257), crediting him that "He ruled Bengal with entire authority" (I, p. 257). The Maasir adds that his body was carried to Fathpur, his birthplace, for burial among his ancestors (vol. I, p. 693).