"A cursory view of the history of Salam  in Urdu, from the begining to the 20th century" covers the historical  background, literary and cultural perspectives of Salam, an important genre of religious poetry. As far as history is concerned, this elegiac form of poetry is traced back to the early Deccani period of Urdu poetry. The verses written during that period are often supposed to be marsiya but were generally in the form of Salam. The journey of salam went on to Northern India, and poets like Sauda, Ghalib, Mir and Anees took this genre on the peak of its hight in the 20th century, many poets portray "Salam" as not just a source of crying and mourning but also as a potential medium to convey the message of Karbala to the minds of masses.