Hadji Murad by Leo Tolstoy

 The Unyielding Haji Murad

Haji Murad, Tolstoy's last fictional work, published posthumously in part in 1912 and in its present form in 1917, is believed to have been written between 1896 and 1904. The novel takes position among the 'Cossacks', and 'Prisoners of the Caucasus', which were products of his life in military service   in the Caucasus Mountains, including the Crimean Wars. His literary career began in 1851. It is interesting that the history of Haji Murad also occupies his mind since that time. In that sense, the novel can be described as the creation of a journey that spans his entire literary career. Considering Tolstoy's practice of frequent rewriting, critics have questioned the extent to which such cuts/rewrites may have taken place in a work that only saw the light of day after his death. Some critics think that there are minor flaws here and there in the novel, quite uncharacteristic of the master story-teller, and this might be due to the absence of such revisions. But it is widely acknowledged that even in the last novel the brilliance of that genius has not diminished.

When the Russian imperialist project aimed to subjugate the Chechen-Dagestani tribes, the biggest challenge they faced was the fighting spirit of Imam Shamil, known as the Lion of Dagestan. The novel follows the adventures of Haji Murad, a brave guerrilla fighter who was Shamil's right-hand man at one point. Once here is a rift with Shamil, it throws Murad to the agony of a threat to his family's safety, who are now captives of his rival. Haji's efforts to enlist the help of the Russian emperor are fruitless, and the cold reactions of the Russian chieftains, who view him with suspicion in light of his past, draw him to a last-ditch effort. Tolstoy portrays Hadji Murad as a dignified and awe-inspiring personality that impresses even his enemies, while realistically portraying the events that led to his tragedy. Tolstoy's controlled mastery in portraying the shortcomings of the Czar's regime and its ruthless military methods explains why he is even regarded as the herald of the Russian Revolution.

It has been observed that the troubled twilight of the elderly Haji Murad's life echoes the restless torments Tolstoy himself faced in his last days. One may recall the tragic end of Tolstoy’s long and revered life at the Astapova railway station in an almost orphaned manner. His letters reveal that Haji Murad's fighting spirit even in his beleaguered state inspired sparks of vigour in the novelist himself.