Qiyan
There are many stories about qiyan, especially of female slaves. For this reason, they are important in the history of slavery in the Islamic world. Many female poets of the Arab world in the Middle ages were qiyan. For a few , it is possible to give quite a full biography. Important medieval sources of  include a treatise by al-Jahiz (776–868/869 CE), Abu Tayyib al-Washsha's  () by ibn al-Sāʿī, and  (Choice Anecdotes from the Accounts of Concubines) by al-Suyuti (). Many of these sources recount the repartee of prominent , though there are hints that  in less wealthy households were used by their owners to attract gifts. In the 'Abbasid period,  were often educated in the cities of Basra, Ta'if, and Medina.