The Slave Girls of Baghdad: The Qiyan in the Early Abbasid Era

by F. Matthew Caswell

From the refined Geisha of the Imperial Court to the learned hetaerae of Ancient Greece, the captivating history of courtesans and slave girls transcends countless cultural boundaries and fields of academic study. The Slave Girls of Baghdad explores the origins, education and art of the ""qiyan"" -- indentured girls and women who entertained and entranced the caliphs and aristocrats who worked the labyrinths of power within ninth-century Baghdad and throughout the Abbasid Empire. Through a detailed analysis of Islamic law, historical sources and poetry, F. Matthew Caswell examines the qiyans' unique place in Abbasid society and their contested moral standing, providing a comprehensive overview and cultural comparison of an elusive and alluring institution. This fascinating history will be essential reading for all interested in the story of slavery along with the rich world of the Abbasid Empire more widely.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

304 pages, Hardcover

First published August 30, 2011

Reviews

[El-Jahiz · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title of the book is a bit misleading. It is more about the genius of "slave girls" of Baghdad who composed exquisite songs and poems for the Abbasid Court. A very good exposition - although, much of the cadence of Arabic poetry is lost in translation.

[hawa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The most interesting segment of this for me was the 'modern feminist view of the qiyan'. I disliked how the author chalked up Fatima Mernissi's analysis to some transtemporal intrasexual competition or resentment. I think the parallels she drew between colonial era Morocco and the Abbasid period were valid in that what is considered desirable is influenced partially by what is most expedient for upper class men.

The book is very comprehensive and sparks the imagination in other senses. A student of history can draw their own parallels between themes presented and explained here with other slave-reliant societies. The supposed 'competition' between the free and enslaved women, the racial component and the ubiquitous violence are but some of these themes.

[K.D. McQuain · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good but dry academic work on the slave poetresses of dark ages Baghdad.

[Cheri]

Recommended by OLLI instructor, who said that most western depictions of harems say more about what was going on in the West than what was actually happening in harems.