Ya'qubi

Ya'qubi was born in Baghdad^[3] to a family of noble background, his great-grandfather was Wadih, the freedman of the caliph Al-Mansur and ruler of Egypt during the reign of al-Mahdi.^[8][9] Until 873, he lived in Armenia and Khorasan, working under the patronage of the Tahirid Governors; then he traveled to India, Egypt and the Maghreb.^[8] In 872, he listed the kingdoms of Bilād as-Sūdān, including Ghana, Gao, and Kanem.^[10]

His methodical approach to writing history includes personal observations and interviews to close relations on topics that Yaqubi could not encounter first-hand. He covered topics of natural, human and economic geography as well as noting down cultural, historical and topographic information.^[9]

His sympathies with Ahl al-Bayt^[11] are found throughout his works.^[12]

He died in Egypt on AH 284 (897/8).^[2]

• Ta'rikh ibn Wadih (Chronicle of Ibn Wadih)
• Kitab al-Buldan (Book of the Countries) - biology, contains a description of the Maghreb, with a full account of the larger cities and much topographical and political information (ed. M. de Goeje, Leiden, 1892).^[8]