"Hadji Murad," Tolstoy's final masterpiece, dramatizes the true story of the eponymous Avar rebel commander's defiance against the Russian Empire. Caught between loyalty to his people and the pragmatics of survival, Hadji Murad's struggle illuminates the brutalities of war and the complexities of honor, betrayal, and courage. With vivid character portraits and a keen eye on the tragic ironies of history, Tolstoy crafts a powerful narrative that questions the very nature of power, loyalty, and resistance.