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Sayyed Hasan[1] Taqizādeh[2] (Persian:سید حسن تقیزاده; September 27, 1878 inTabriz,Iran – January 28, 1970 inTehran,Iran)[3] was an influential Iranianpolitician anddiplomat,[4] ofAzerbaijani origin,[5] during theQajar era under the reign ofMohammad Ali Shah Qajar, as well as the Pahlavi era under the reign ofReza Shah[6] andMohammad Reza Shah. Taqizadeh was also a prominent scholar; his studies on Iranian calendars remain reference work up until now.
Although in the modern political history Taqizadeh is known as asecular politician, who believed that "outwardly and inwardly, in body and in spirit, Iran must become Europeanized",[7] he came from a traditionalIslamicSayyed-family (descendant ofMuhammad). His father, Sayyed Taqi, was a clergyman and when Sayyed Hasan became amullah, it seemed likely that he would follow in his father's footsteps. From an early age Taqizadeh showed interest in enlightened ideas and the Western concept ofconstitutionalism. This interest can be traced back to the socio-political sphere in which Taqizadeh became an adult. He grew up in Tabriz, the capital city ofEast Azerbaijan province, which was the gateway to the modern and progressive ideas coming fromRussia and especiallyWestern Europe. In the time ofWorld War I,World War II and after, Taqizadeh was the most influential person in Iran who supported the interests ofGermany against Russia and Britain.
Secretly Taqizadeh studiedFrench andEnglish for the purpose of becoming acquainted with the WesternAge of Enlightenment and modern political thoughts. Nevertheless, he became mullah and remained one until the period in which the traditional Iranian political and socio-economic system disintegrated and the modern Iranian nation-state was formed. As early as the beginning of his political career he confronted the corrupt and despotic régime of the Qajar princes, who seemed unable to prevent the decay of their dynasty. Convinced of the destructive consequences of thedespotism and corruption for the political and socio-economic development of Iran, Taqizadeh actively participated in theConstitutional Revolution (Mashruteh Revolution), which resulted in the foundation of theMajles (Parliament - مجلس شورای ملی). From this period onwards he developed into a secular enlightened politician. In 1908 his life was saved byClaude Stokes a Britishmilitary attaché who allowed him to take refuge in the legation compound. He was then secured safe passage toEngland where he worked withEdward Granville Browne to lobby parliament for support of the constitutionalist movement.[8]
In 1909, under the guidance of Taqizadeh the first modern pro German political party, theFerqeh-ye Demokrat-e Iran (Democratic Party of Iran), was founded in Iran. Shortly after the outbreak ofWorld War I, Taqizadeh allied withGermany against Russia and Britain. InBerlin he established theKomiteh-ye Iran (Committee of Iran), and together with other prominent Iranian intellectuals, he published the influential periodicalKaveh (1916–1922), which was distributed inEurope as well as in Iran.Kaveh was a political and literary journal which greatly contributed to the creation of the Iranian consciousness and national identity. This journal emphasized the need for national independence, and internal reforms, especially secular and educational ones.
Under the reign of Reza Shah Pahlavi (1925–1941), Taqizadeh contributed to the formation of the modern Iranian nation-state. During his political career of seventy years, Taqizadeh served asparliamentarian,governor-general ofKhorasan province, minister of Roads and Transportation, minister of Finance, andambassador to theUnited Kingdom andFrance. Although at the time of the Constitutional Revolution he opposed the formation of theSenate (Majles-e Sena, مجلس سنا — defunct since 1979, following adoption of a new constitution), in 1950, during the imperial government of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi (1941–1978), he became its president. Taqizadeh described his life as a "tempestuous life" (Zendegi-ye Tufani), which he later used as the title of hisautobiography.
Taqizadeh's views are not characterised by ideological continuity, but by many breaks in the course of his life, which have contributed to the difficulty of writing a consistent account of his life. Taqizadeh was a natural politician. If he was convinced that his alliance with a person or country would further interests of Iran, he often was ready to ally himself with them. Similarly, he would abandon his allies if he believed that his alliance would be detrimentalto his country. The following two quotations are indicative of the divergence of views that exist concerning Taqizadeh:
"He [Taqizadeh] had won deserved fame by his fearless independence and wonderful grasp of political affairs. There is something so sympathetic in his face, so attractive, with eyes sparkling with cheerful animation. (...). If I am not mistaken he is of those whose genius is capable of inspiring great enthusiasm, great sacrifices, and whose influence leaves a lasting impression of the history of nations." (Edward Granville Browne)
"In which position was Taqizadeh true and sincere? What were the motives of that contradictory behaviour? He was not adept at political truth and honour." (Fereydun Adamiyat)
Views vary as to the degree to which Taqizadeh served the interests of Iran and her people. Some experts believe that he made the Iranian interests secondary to that of the United Kingdom during the period of the Constitutional Revolution, and to that of Germany during World War I. Others suggest that he allied with the United Kingdom with the intention of protecting Iran against the Russian expansionist policies. They are of the opinion that Taqizadeh was a supporter of the Iranian constitution and that during World War I, he allied with Germany to oppose the Anglo-Russian influence which was aimed at undermining Iran's independence. In addition, they believe that in 1942 Taqizadeh attempted to bring about a close relationship between Iran and theUnited States of America in order to guarantee a balance of powers conducive to Iran's independence.
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27 September 1878: Born in Tabriz.
1896: Established theTarbiyat (Education) school and abookshop and set up apharmacy in collaboration with his friends in Tabriz.
1898: Taughtphysics atLoqmaniya in Tabriz. Translated the book'Ajaeb-e Asemani (Astrnomie Populaire) byCamille Flammarion.
1899/1900: Studied English at theAmericanMemorial School in Tabriz (thePresbyterian mission school in Tabriz).
January 1903 — January 1904: Published the magazineGanjineh-ye Fonun (Treasure of Sciences).
1904: Travelled to theCaucasus andIstanbul for six months, toEgypt for several months and toBeirut for fifty days. Published the discourseTahqiq-e Ahval-e kononi-ye Iran ba Mohakemat-e Tarikhi (Research into the contemporary condition of Iran from historical perspective) in newspaperHekmat (Wisdom), inCairo.
October 1905: Returned to Tabriz.
September 1906: Arrived in Tehran. Published some articles inNeda-ye Vatan (Voice of Nation).
October 1906: Elected by merchants of Tabriz as deputy to the First Majles. Published articles inSur-e Esrafil (whose editor,Mirza Jahangir Khan, ofBábí background, was killed following Mohammad Ali Shah'scoup d'état of June 23, 1908) andMosavat (Equality).
June 1908: Was exiled from Iran by Mohammad Ali Shah; left for Europe.
September 1908: Organised political activities against Mohammad Ali Shah in the United Kingdom.
November 1908: Returned to Tabriz.
August 1909: Arrived in Tehran after the victory ofMojaheds. Membership to the "Temporarily Board of Directors". Elected deputy to the Second Majles.
October 1909: Deputy to the Second Majles and parliamentary leader ofFerqeh-ye Demokrat-e Iran (Democratic Party of Iran).
1910: Left (forced to leave Tehran) for Tabriz after the assassination ofSayyed Abdullah Behbahani (one of two primeMojahed leaders of the revolution, the other beingSayyed Mohammad Tabātabā'i). Stayed for some months in Tabriz.October 1910: Arrived inIstanbul, staying there for almost two years.
1911: Left Istanbul for Europe.
June 1913: Left forNew York, staying for nineteen months in the United States of America. Published four political articles in French about the political situations of Iran,Ottoman andArabic countries inRevue du Monde Musulman (Study of the Muslim World).
January 1915: Left the United States of America for Germany (Berlin), travelling throughthe Netherlands.
January 1916 — March 1922: Published the periodicalKaveh (Blacksmith) in collaboration with such important writers asSayyed Mohammad-Ali Jamalzadeh (son ofSayyed Jamal ad-Din Esfahani) andHossein Kazemzadeh (who later became editor of the nationalist paperIranshahr[9]).[10][11]
January 1922 — July 1923: Went, as deputy of the Iranian State, toMoscow for formation of a friendship agreement. Stayed for one and a half year in Moscow.
1923: Married to his German wife, whom he called by the name'Atiyeh (Gift).
July 1924: Returned to Iran. Elected deputy to the Fifth Majles. Became member of theMa'aref (Cultural Affairs) Commission.
June 1926: Travelled to the United States of America as official Iranian representative to thePhiladelphia Sesquicentennial Exposition of 1926. Membership of the "Council of Founders" of the "Society of National Opuses".
1927: Returned to Iran. Elected deputy to the Sixth Majles.
1928: Became Governor-general of Khorasan province.
1929: Became IranianMinister Plenipotentiary to London.
March 1930: Returned to Iran. Accepted to become Minister of Roads and Transport.
August 1930 — August 1933: Was Minister of Finance.
April 1933: Signing of the prolongation of the oil-concession.
November 1933 — July 1934: Became Iranian Minister Plenipotentiary to Paris.
1934: Travelled to the United Kingdom for his Lecture atRoyal Society of Arts about the Iranian situation. End of his duties assigned to him by the Iranian embassy in Paris. Left for Berlin, staying there for fifteen months.
1935: Was Iranian Deputy at the "International Association ofOrientalists" inRome.
1936: Went toLondon to teach at the then School of Oriental Studies (SOAS),University of London. Taqizadeh was a temporary member of the teaching staff of Iranian and Persian Studies alongsideVladimir Minorsky,A. J. Arberry andW. B. Henning. He briefly moved with SOAS toUniversity of Cambridge when SOAS was evacuated to there at the beginning of theWorld War II.
October 1941: Became Iranian ambassador to the United Kingdom. Was Chairman of the Iranian delegation to theUnited Nations in connection with the case of Azerbaijan.
1945: Protest to the United Nations in connection with the Russian occupation of Tabriz.
October 1947: Elected deputy from Tabriz to the Fifteenth Majles. Was Chairman of the Iranian Board at the Congress of Orientalists (Cambridge, United Kingdom), Chairman of the Iranian Board at International Congress ofAvicenna (Baghdad), Chairman of International Congress of Avicenna (Tehran).
1949 — 1967: Deputy at the Senate. Chairman of Senate.
1954: Was Scientific adviser and member of the Board of Directors of the "Translation Institution and Book Publication".
1954: Participated in the International Congress of Orientalists in Cambridge (United Kingdom).
1957: Chairman of the Iranian Board at Congress of Orientalists (Munich). Went to the United States of America for teaching atColumbia University.
1958: Was Chairman of the Iranian Society of Philosophy and Humanities. Participated in the establishment of an offset printing-house.
1966: Was Chairman of the first International Congress of Iranists (Tehran).
28 January 1970: Died in Tehran.
"Though "throughout his life matters of state and government have been his preoccupation", S. H. Taqizadeh, who was born in 1878, has applied his vast knowledge and sure imagination to the study of classical Persian literature, the chronology of Iran,Zoroastrianism andManicheism. His contributions on these subjects which are listed in a brief bibliography (A locust's leg, pp. 19-20) are of permanent value and they will remain indispensable to future students. Taqizadeh's career, a rare combination of statesman and scholar, is reminiscent of such French politicians and scholarly authors as his contemporariesLéon Blum andÉdouard Herriot who were also uncommonly successful in integrating a political career and public life with a scholarly avocation."
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