MASUDI (Abu-1 Hasan 'Ali ibn Husain ibn 'Ali ul-Maeudi), Arabic geographer and historian: b. Bagdad, near the close of the 9th century; d. Fostat, about 956 A.D. Receiving a good education he set out to study the history, manner of life, customs, etc., of every land at first hand. This quest took him to Persia and Kerman, in 915 to Istakhr, to Multan and Man sura in 916. From there he journeyed to Cam bay, Saimur and Ceylon, to Madagascar and back via Oman. He also visited the shores of the Caspian; journeyed to Tiberias in Pales tine. He visited Antioch in 943 and Damascus in 945. The last decade of his life was spent in Egypt and Syria. Of the Metazilite sect, he was free from bigotry, studied Christianity and Judaism and was well versed in the history of the principal nations of both Orient and Occi dent. He wrote a universal history in 30 vol umes, entitled 'Kitab akhbar uz-Zaman,' fol lowed by a supplement in ul-Ausat,' a chronology of general history. The two works were combined by the author in 'Muruj udh Dhahab wa ma'adin ul-Jawahir) ((Meadows of Gold and Mines of Precious Stones') in 947.
Editions have been published at Bulak (1866) and at Cairo (1886). The original with French translation by C. B. de Maynard and P. de Courteille has appeared (9 vols., Paris 1861 77; Vol. I, in English by A. Sprenger, London 1841). An enlarged edition of this work fin ished by Masudi in 956 appears to be now lost. Another work, written in 956, is 'Kitab ut Tanbih wal IshraP of Indication and is a summary with corrections of his other writings. It was edited by M. J. de Goeje (Leyden 1894) and there is a French translation by Carra de Vattx (Paris 1896) and a partial translation in De Saaj's memoir to Meynard's edition of (Muruj..) Consult Brockelmann, Karl, 'Geschichte der arabischen Literati& (Vol. I, Weimar 1899) Field, C., 'Tales of the Caliphs' (1909); Nicholson, R. A., 'Literary History of the Arabs' (Cam bridge 19(r).