From the Journal Asiatique: Ubayd Allah ibn Abd Allah ibn Khurradadhbih, or Ibn Khordadbeh, was the chief of the Abbasid postal service in the Zagros mountain district, under the Caliph al-Mutammid. His book covers the customs duties in the various provinces, the lengths of the roads of the entire Islamic empire, and a description of mountains, rivers, and lakes; but it is most notable for a description of a journey through the Indian Ocean to India, Indochina and China, and some countries (like Waqwaq) of less clear identity. The introduction presents what is known of his life, including the conversion of his family from Zoroastrianism; the history of his book and its influence, and a vivid account of the Abbasid postal service.