895-956

Arab Historian and Geographer

A pioneer of scientific geography, al-Mas'udi traveled throughout the Muslim world in the course of writing several books, the most notable of which is known as The Meadows of Gold and Mines of Gems. Admired as the "Herodotus of the Arabs," al-Mas'udi is generally considered the greatest Arab historian of the medieval period.

Born in Baghdad, now the capital of Iraq, al-Mas'udi descended from a close friend of the prophet Muhammad (c. 570-632). He set out on his travels at the age of 30, heading eastward through Persia and Khurasan (part of modern Afghanistan), and deep into the Deccan plateau of central India. Along the way, he took extensive notes regarding plant and animal life, and reported information from travelers he met who had been to China and Ceylon (modern Sri Lanka).

Al-Mas'udi moved westward in 916 or 917, sailing to Oman...