Q. Consider the following statements regarding Al-Masudi, a 10th-century Arab historian and geographer:

1. He is sometimes referred to as the ‘Herodotus of the Arabs’.
2. His work Muruj adh-Dhahab (Meadows of Gold) combines elements of history and geography.
3. He described the coastline of East Africa and Indian Ocean trade routes.
4. He believed that the Earth was flat and stationary.

Which of the above statements is / are correct?
Answer: Only 1, 2 and 3
Notes: Statements 1, 2 and 3 are correct: Al-Masudi was called the ‘Herodotus of the Arabs’, his Meadows of Gold blended history with geography, and he described East Africa's coastline and Indian Ocean trade. However, statement 4 is incorrect; Al-Masudi believed the Earth was spherical, not flat and stationary.