Pessian was born into an aristocratic Azerbaijani family in Tabriz originating in the Caucasus. Pessian’s family possessed strong military traditions, his uncle General Hamzeh Khan Pessian was a commander in the Persian Cossack Brigade, his cousins Heydar Qoli Khan Pessian – father of author and journalist, Mahtalat Pessian, – Ali Qoli Khan Pessian, Gholam Reza Khan Pessian and he himself served in Gendarmerie.
In Tabriz Mohammad Taqi was educated in sciences, Turkish, Persian, Arabic and foreign languages. In 1907 he left for Tehran to continue his education. After 5 years he took up the rank of Second Lieutenant in the Gendarmerie, within two years he was promoted to captain. After that he held a variety of posts such as Second Commander in a battalion in Qazvin, served in Hamedan and Yazd and also was an instructor and interpreter at Gendarmerie school in Yusef Abad, capital. He was promoted to Major when World War I broke out.
