One of the most prominent Azerbaijani poets of the 19th century, Gasim Bey Zakir was born in 1784 in Shusha – the historical capital of Karabakh. He was one of the founders of the critical realism and satirical trend in the Azerbaijani literature. Gasim Bey Zakir’s satire exposed the ugliness of the Czarist rule, its local corrupt advocates, social injustice and the backwardness of the clergy. Because of his satire, Gasim Bey Zakir was even exiled from Shusha and had to live for several months in exile before he could return back home.

Gasim Bey Zakir was also a great lyrical poet, who write many poems considered to be the masterpieces of the Azerbaijani literature. While in exile he write one of his best lyrical poems “Durnalar”. This poem was dedicated to his longing for his homeland in Karabakh.