1811 (Lucknow) – 1845 (Lucknow) • Master of Masnavi
"A brilliant Kashmiri Pandit hailing from Lucknow, Daya Shankar Naseem was a prominent student of the legendary poet Khwaja Haider Ali Aatish. Though his life was cut tragically short at the age of 34, he achieved lasting literary immortality with a single work: his epic fantasy masnavi (narrative poem), 'Gul Bakawali'. This masterpiece remains highly celebrated in classical Urdu literature for its crisp, highly dramatic dialogue, imaginative storytelling, and an unmatched linguistic charm that perfectly captures the sophisticated literary culture of Awadh."