Abu Dulaf Misar b. Muhalhil

Abu Dulaf Misar b. Muhalhil al-Khazraji was a mineralogist and traveller of the fourth/tenth century. The encyclopaedia's entry is signed by V. Minorsky. The earliest date in his life is his presence in Bukhara towards the end of the reign of Nasr b. Ahmad (d. 331/943), and his travels in Persia fall in the years 331-341/943-952. ¹

His patron in Sistan was Ahmad b. Muhammad, who ruled 331-352/942-963. The Fihrist, completed in 377/987, mentions him as a globe-trotter. Al-Tha'alibi, in the Yatimat al-Dahr, links him with the circle of al-Sahib Isma'il b. 'Abbad (326-385/938-995), probably in the later part of al-Sahib's life. ¹

He is credited with two geographical risalas. The first describes a journey with envoys of a Turkish king to Turkestan, China and India, and the encyclopaedia judges that the journey is largely spurious, since the places named come out of order. The second describes his journey through western and northern Persia and Armenia, where the itinerary can be checked and gives many verifiable details. The article judges both risalas genuine as to authorship, and so attributes the fabrication to Abu Dulaf himself. ¹