Berdakh, pseudonym of Berdimurat (son of Kargabai) (1827–1900), was a Karakalpak poet. He was the most famous representative of Karakalpak classical literature. He was the son of a poor fisherman and was born in Karakalpakstan, in a distant village what is now Muynak. His mother died when he was 10 years old. During her lifetime, she blandly called him “Berdakh” and since then he has been in the poetry under this name. After some time his father died and he became an orphan. Berdakh studied in a maktab and at the same time he grazed his fellow villagers’ cattle. His brother helped him to go to Karakum madrasah, a Muslim religious school. But Berdakh couldn’t graduate from school. He was dropped out from the school because of his freethinking poetry. The young poet began to study folk poetry and narrative classical masterpieces of the East. His tutor, Kunkhoja, (1799–1880) who was famous for his folk poetry, helped him with his poetry. Ajinyaz, (1824–1878) another famous poet of that time, played a significant role in Berdakh’s life. The poet Berdakh for a long time, had to earn money performing duutar playing at weddings and so was known among the people as Berdakh - baksi. He was a welcome guest everywhere. He sang his songs at weddings and different festive occasions. His songs were about the fate of a deprived man whose life was very hard. The time when he lived was full of vehement strife and there was a rise in national liberation movements among the nations of the Aral Sea territory, especially among the Karakalpaks. Karakalpakia became an apple of discord among those nations. The Khiva khanate considered Karakalpakia to be a “nabob” and constantly imposed duties on its people. The Russian Tsar’s Empire was also interested in Karakalpakia as it was a gateway to Central Asia. Berdakh wrote not only about social problems but also about the protection of women’s rights and dignity. He propagated equality and women’s rights. His dream was to unite nations which were separated by different wars. His most famous poem was “Tsar Samodur” which shows his life and poetry experience. His other poems are “For the people”, “Amangeldi”, “Aydos biy”, “Ernazar biy”.