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 a secular politician, who believed that "outwardly and inwardly, in body and in spirit, Iran must become Europeanized",[7] he came from a traditional Islamic Sayyed-family (descendant of Muhammad).

From an early age Taqizadeh showed interest in enlightened ideas and the Western concept of constitutionalism.

He grew up in Tabriz, the capital city of East Azerbaijan province, which was the gateway to the modern and progressive ideas coming from Russia and especially Western Europe.

Secretly Taqizadeh studied French and English for the purpose of becoming acquainted with the Western Age of Enlightenment and modern political thoughts.

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 the despotism and corruption for the political and socio-economic development of Iran, Taqizadeh actively participated in the Constitutional Revolution (Mashruteh Revolution), which resulted in the foundation of the Majles (Parliament - مجلس شورای ملی).

In 1908 his life was saved by Claude Stokes a British military attaché who allowed him to take refuge in the legation compound.

He was then secured safe passage to England where he worked with Edward Granville Browne to lobby parliament for support of the constitutionalist movement.

Kaveh was a political and literary journal which greatly contributed to the creation of the Iranian consciousness and national identity.

Under the reign of Reza Shah Pahlavi (1925–1941), Taqizadeh contributed to the formation of the modern Iranian nation-state.

(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.

1896: Established the Tarbiyat (Education) school and a bookshop and set up a pharmacy in collaboration with his friends in Tabriz.

Published articles in Sur-e Esrafil (whose editor, Mirza Jahangir Khan, of Bábí background, was killed following Mohammad Ali Shah's coup d'état of June 23, 1908) and Mosavat (Equality).

September 1908: Organised political activities against Mohammad Ali Shah in the United Kingdom.

January 1916 — March 1922: Published the periodical Kaveh (Blacksmith) in collaboration with such important writers as Sayyed Mohammad-Ali Jamalzadeh (son of Sayyed Jamal ad-Din Esfahani) and Hossein Kazemzadeh (who later became editor of the nationalist paper Iranshahr [9]).

June 1926: Travelled to the United States of America as official Iranian representative to the Philadelphia Sesquicentennial Exposition of 1926.

Taqizadeh was a temporary member of the teaching staff of Iranian and Persian Studies alongside Vladimir Minorsky, A. J. Arberry and W. B. Henning.

"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 and Manicheism.