# Individual vs. State Power in Hadji Murád

> Theme guide for Hadji Murád by Leo Tolstoy.

Hadji Murád is caught between two powerful empires—Shamil's theocratic state and Tsarist Russia—both of which treat him as a tool to be used or eliminated, illustrating the struggle of the individual against impersonal, oppressive systems.

## Where it surfaces

- [Chapter III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hadji_mur_d_se/chapters/iii): Vovílo's internal monologue contrasts his own constrained life as a serf with the relative freedom of the ordnance sergeant, reflecting the power imbalance between individuals and the state or landowner.
- [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hadji_mur_d_se/chapters/vi): The quarrel between Vorontsóv and Meller-Zakomélsky over authority reflects the tension between personal initiative and bureaucratic hierarchy.
- [XIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hadji_mur_d_se/chapters/xiv): Vorontsóv's decision-making reflects the tension between individual agency (Hadji Murád's requests) and state security (the risk of escape).
- [Chapter XV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hadji_mur_d_se/chapters/xv): Nicholas I exercises absolute authority, punishing dissent and ordering harsh measures without accountability, while courtiers and officials submit to his will to maintain their positions.
- [XXI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hadji_mur_d_se/chapters/xxi): The soldiers' resentment of extra duties to protect Márya Vasílevna illustrates tension between individual soldiers' welfare and the state's priorities.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hadji_mur_d_se/themes/individual_vs_state_power
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hadji_mur_d_se/themes