Al-Ya'qubi
9th-century Arab geographer and historian
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Abu l-Abbas Ahmad bin Abi Ya'qub bin Ja'far bin Wahb bin Wadiḥ al-Ya'qubi[a] (died 897/8), commonly referred to simply by his nisba al-Yaʿqubi, was an Arab[3][4][5][6] Muslim historian and geographer.[7]
Al-Ya'qubi | |
|---|---|
| Native name | اليعقوبي |
| Born | Baghdad, Abbasid Caliphate |
| Died | AH 284 (AD 897–898)[1][2] |
| Occupation | Historian, Traveler and Geographer |
| Language | Arabic, Persian |
| Period | Islamic Golden Age (Abbasid era) |
| Genre | History and geography |
| Notable works | Ta'rikh ibn Wadih and Kitab al-Buldan |
| Arabic name | |
| Personal (Ism) | ʾAḥmad أحمد |
| Patronymic (Nasab) | bin ʾAbī Yaʿqūb bin Ǧaʿfar bin Wahb bin Waḍīḥ بن أبي يعقوب بن جعفر بن وهب بن واضح |
| Teknonymic (Kunya) | ʾAbū l-ʿAbbās أبو العباس |
| Toponymic (Nisba) | al-Yaʿqūbī اليعقوبي |
Life
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] According to Sean Anthony, a careful reading of al-Ya'qubi's works easily discern his Rāfiḍī Shi'ite faith.[13]
Works
- 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]
Editions
- Gordon, Mathew S. and al. (2018). The Works Of Ibn Wāḍiḥ Al Yaʿqūbī. Brill. pp. Vol 1, 2, 3. ISBN 9789004364165.
- Ya'qubi (1861). A. W. T. Juynboll (ed.). Kitab al-Buldan (in Arabic). BRILL.
