Al-Ya'qubi
Abu l-Abbas Ahmad bin Abi Ya'qub bin Ja'far bin Wahb bin Wadiḥ al-Ya'qubi, commonly referred to simply by his nisba al-Yaʿqubi, was an Arab Muslim historian and geographer.
Life
Ya'qubi was born in Baghdad 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. 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. In 872, he listed the kingdoms of Bilād as-Sūdān, including Ghana, Gao, and Kanem.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.
His sympathies with Ahl al-Bayt are found throughout his works. According to Sean Anthony, a careful reading of al-Ya'qubi's works easily discern his Rāfiḍī Shi'ite faith.
He died in Egypt on AH 284.