Hadji Murád · Chapters
Chapters explained
Chapter companions for Hadji Murád by Leo Tolstoy.
Chapter 1
Hadji Murád
The chapter introduces Hadji Murád, a renowned Avar leader who has defected from Shamil's forces and seeks refuge with the Russians. He arrives at Sado's aoul, where he is hosted and protected despite the danger. The chapter sets the stage for the cultural and political tensions between the Russian imperial forces and the Chechen and Avar peoples, highlighting themes of honor, betrayal, and the brutal realities of war in the Caucasus.
Chapter 2
I
Hadji Murád, a former naïb of Shamil, arrives as a fugitive at a hostile Chechen aoul and seeks refuge in the home of Sado. Despite the danger of harboring him, Sado welcomes him and pledges to protect him at the risk of his own life. Hadji Murád arranges for his murid Bata to guide Khan Mahomá to the Russian commander Prince Vorontsóv, and gives Sado a note to be forwarded to his son. The chapter establishes the tension of Hadji Murád's flight and the loyalty of his hosts.
Chapter 3
II
Russian soldiers on ambush duty at a plane tree discuss the commander's gambling debts and the tedium of service. Avdéev laments his voluntary enlistment in place of his brother. Two Chechen scouts, Bata and a companion, arrive seeking Prince Vorontsóv, and are escorted to the fort.
Chapter 4
Chapter III
Late at night in the fortress, Prince Vorontsóv and his wife Márya Vasílevna host a card game with officers Poltorátsky and the regimental adjutant. The Princess's presence distracts Poltorátsky, causing him to play poorly. After the game, Vorontsóv is called away by an officer on duty and returns visibly pleased, ordering champagne. He hints at a meeting the next day during a wood-cutting expedition. Later, Márya Vasílevna presses her husband for details and correctly guesses that the visitor was an emissary from Hadji Murád, though Vorontsóv confirms only that Hadji Murád will meet him the next day. The chapter ends with Poltorátsky returning home in an ecstatic mood, while his serf Vovílo reflects bitterly on his own life.
Chapter 5
IV
Hadji Murád, after three sleepless nights fleeing Shamil's murids, rests at Sado's aoul. Warned that the village elders plan to detain him, he and his murid Eldár escape under cover of darkness, pursued by mounted villagers. He fires a warning shot and gallops into the forest, where his loyal followers await. After performing his nightly prayer, he falls into deep thought, dreaming of revenge against Shamil and future glory under the Russian Tsar.
Chapter 6
V
Early morning, two companies under Poltorátsky march out to fell trees beyond the Shagirínsk Gate. While the officers discuss the death of General Sleptsóv, a skirmish erupts with Chechen horsemen. During the exchange, soldier Avdéev is wounded in the stomach. Meanwhile, Prince Vorontsóv arrives to meet Hadji Murád, who has surrendered. Hadji Murád and his five henchmen—Khan Mahomá, Khanéfi, Eldár, Gamzálo, and another—ride to Vorontsóv, and Hadji Murád formally declares his submission to the Russian Tsar. The soldiers comment on the notorious chief, and Vorontsóv returns to the fort in high spirits.
Chapter 7
VI
Young Prince Vorontsóv brings Hadji Murád into his home, where he meets Princess Márya Vasílevna and her son Búlka. Hadji Murád presents his dagger to the boy, and the family treats him warmly, though he remains wary. A conflict arises when General Meller-Zakomélsky demands that Hadji Murád be handed over to him, leading to a tense confrontation between Vorontsóv and the General. Princess Márya Vasílevna mediates, and peace is restored. Hadji Murád, observing the power dynamics, understands his value to the Russians and behaves proudly.
Chapter 8
VII
Avdéev, wounded in a skirmish, is taken to the hospital where the doctor fails to extract the bullet. As he lies dying, he asks his comrades to write a letter home expressing his contentment and forgiveness. He dies shortly after, and the official report sanitizes the event, claiming one killed and two slightly wounded.
Chapter 9
VIII
The chapter shifts to the Avdéev family farm, where Peter's father, mother, brother Akím, and sister-in-law thresh oats. The old man bitterly regrets that Peter, a hardworking and childless son, enlisted in place of his brother Akím, who has four children. The family receives news of Peter's death in the war, and his mother sends a letter and a ruble that are returned. Peter's widow Aksínya, though outwardly mourning, is secretly relieved because she is pregnant by a shopman and hopes to marry him.
Chapter 10
IX
Prince Vorontsóv, the Russian Viceroy in Tiflis, receives news of Hadji Murád's surrender during a formal dinner party. The conversation among the guests revolves around Hadji Murád's exploits, with flattery directed at Vorontsóv. A general's clumsy mention of the disastrous Dargo campaign causes a brief awkwardness, but the evening proceeds with card games and further praise of Hadji Murád.
Chapter 11
Hadji Murád's Surrender and First Days Among the Russians
Hadji Murád meets with Prince Vorontsóv to formally surrender and pledge his service to the Russian Tsar, though both men silently recognize the mutual distrust underlying their words. Hadji Murád requests help to free his family from Shamil's captivity, while Vorontsóv receives him cautiously. Later, Hadji Murád attends an Italian opera and a formal ball at the Vorontsóvs', observing Russian high society with detached indifference. He repeatedly tries to discuss his family's ransom but is put off, and eventually leaves early.
Chapter 12
XI
On the fifth day of Hadji Murád's stay in Tiflis, Lóris-Mélikov visits him at the Viceroy's command to record his life story for the Emperor. Hadji Murád begins his narrative, recounting his birth in Tselméss, his mother's refusal to nurse the Khan's son and the wound she received from his father, his childhood memories, and his early involvement with the Khans of Khunzákh. He describes the rise of Muridism under Kazi-Mullá and Hamzád, his visit to Tiflis with Umma Khan, and the treacherous murder of the Khans by Hamzád and Shamil, which filled him with shame and fear, a shame he has never forgotten.
Chapter 13
XII
Lóris-Mélikov observes Hadji Murád's murids—Khan Mahomá, Eldár, Gamzálo, and Khanéfi—as they debate Shamil's holiness, smoke secretly, and reveal their diverse loyalties. Lóris-Mélikov grows suspicious that Gamzálo's open hatred of Russians may indicate a ruse, and that Hadji Murád's surrender could be a spy mission.
Chapter 14
XIII
Hadji Murád continues his life story to Lóris-Mélikov, recounting the murder of the Khans by Hamzád, his own revenge killing of Hamzád, the subsequent rise of Shamil, his refusal to join Shamil, his arrest and torture by Akhmet Khan, his dramatic escape from a cliff, and his eventual recovery and return to power in Tselméss. He also shares letters from General Klügenau urging him to return to Russian service, but explains his deep mistrust and his primary need to rescue his family from Shamil.
Chapter 15
XIV
Prince Vorontsóv writes to the Minister of War, Chernyshóv, detailing his interactions with Hadji Murád since his arrival in Tiflis. Vorontsóv describes Hadji Murád's anxiety over his family held by Shamil, his requests for help in ransoming them, and his desire to be sent to Grózny with Cossacks to establish communication with his family. Vorontsóv weighs the risks of trusting Hadji Murád versus imprisoning him, and explains his decision to allow him some freedom under supervision, with Captain Lóris-Mélikov and Prince Tarkhánov as intermediaries.
Chapter 16
Chapter XV
At a state dinner, Nicholas I discusses Hadji Murád's surrender and his own strategic plans for the Caucasus, while receiving flattery from his courtiers. The chapter then delves into Nicholas's daily routine, including his handling of reports on embezzlement, troop movements, and the suppression of dissent, all marked by his autocratic and self-aggrandizing demeanor. He orders harsher measures against the Chechens and approves cruel punishments for peasants and journalists, reinforcing his absolute authority.
Chapter 17
XVI
A Russian raiding party marches into Chechnya in January 1852. The column, including Butler and his company, encounters Chechen horsemen and artillery fire. They pursue the mountaineers, burn an abandoned aoul, and retreat without casualties. Butler reflects on his new life in the Caucasus, contrasting it with his past gambling debts in Petersburg, and enjoys the camaraderie and adventure of war.
Chapter 18
XVII
The aoul that hosted Hadji Murád is destroyed by the Russians. Sado returns to find his home ruined, his son killed, and his livelihood burned. The community is overwhelmed by a visceral disgust and perplexity at the senseless cruelty, feeling an instinct to exterminate the Russians like pests. They face the choice of rebuilding under constant threat or submitting to the Russians, and the elders decide to send envoys to Shamil for help.
Chapter 19
XVIII
Hadji Murád arrives at the fort and is received by Major Petróv, Butler, and Márya Dmítrievna. He is lodged in the guest-chamber, and his relations with the household are established: he is contemptuous of the Major, drawn to Márya Dmítrievna, and friendly with Butler. Spies bring him bad news about his family.
Chapter 20
XIX
Shamil returns to Vedenó after an unsuccessful campaign and deals with the situation of Hadji Murád's family, who are held captive. He issues a proclamation urging Chechens not to surrender to the Russians and decides to use Hadji Murád's son, Yusúf, to lure him back or kill him. Yusúf, initially admiring Shamil, is threatened with blinding and beheading, leading him to attempt suicide.
Chapter 21
XX
Hadji Murád has spent a week at the Major's fort, forming bonds with Márya Dmítrievna and Butler. On the day of his departure, he gives gifts and exchanges farewells, but a blood feud erupts when Arslán Khan attempts to assassinate him. Hadji Murád narrowly escapes, and the incident underscores the cultural tensions and personal loyalties at play.
Chapter 22
XXI
Life in the Chechen forts continues with routine alarms and minor skirmishes. A new commander, Prince Baryátinsky, arrives and organizes a detachment for an expedition. A farewell dinner is held for General Kozlóvsky, where emotional speeches are made. Butler visits the camp, enjoys the festivities, but succumbs to gambling and loses heavily, leading to financial distress.
Chapter 23
XXII
Hadji Murád, frustrated by Vorontsóv's delays in securing his family's release, moves to Nukhá to negotiate with his adherents. He receives a visit from Councillor Kiríllov, whom he treats contemptuously, and later learns that his friends have refused to rescue his family for fear of Shamil's reprisals. He contemplates his impossible choices: return to Shamil and be killed, or stay with the Russians and risk his family's destruction.
Chapter 24
XXIII
Hadji Murád resolves to escape from the Russians into the mountains to rescue his family from Shamil. He prepares his henchmen, listens to a song of martyrdom, and recalls memories of his mother and son, Yusúf, before seeking permission to ride out.
Chapter 25
XXIV
Butler seeks solace in the poetry of warfare, drinking, and courting Márya Dmítrievna, who rebuffs him. A detachment arrives, leading to a drunken party. Later, Kámenev arrives with the severed head of Hadji Murád, shocking Butler and Márya Dmítrievna. The chapter ends with Kámenev preparing to tell the story of Hadji Murád's death.
Chapter 26
XXV
Hadji Murád, allowed to ride outside Nukhá with a reduced Cossack escort, seizes an opportunity to escape toward the mountains. He shoots the lead Cossack Nazárov and spurs his horse, triggering a chase. The chapter then shifts to his final stand: surrounded by militiamen led by Hadji Aga and Akhmet Khan, Hadji Murád and his followers fight desperately from a ditch. One by one his men fall—Eldár is killed, Bata is wounded, and Hadji Murád himself is hit twice. In his dying moments, memories of Abu Nutsal Khan, Vorontsóv, his family, and Shamil flash before him. He rises for a last charge, is shot down, and his head is cut off by Hadji Aga. The chapter ends with the narrator recalling the crushed thistle that inspired the story.
Chapter 27
Endnotes
The endnotes provide translations, historical clarifications, and contextual explanations for terms and references in the main text, including corrections to earlier biographical errors about Tolstoy's meeting with Hadji Murád.
