Hadji Murat is a short novel based on the life of a real Chechen-Avar leader in the Caucasus during the reign of Nicholas I. Caught between rival powers, Hadji Murat leaves his own side and seeks refuge with the Russians, hoping to protect his family. Tolstoy shows the Russian court and army as well as mountain villages, and he gives the story a plain, vivid style. Written late in his life and published after his death, it is admired for its fairness to both sides and its quiet reflection on power, violence and pride.