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Nakaz

Catherine II of Russia · 1766

Catherine the Great's 1766 instruction to Russia's Legislative Commission, which borrowed heavily, often word for word, from Montesquieu's Spirit of the Laws.

Catherine the Great borrowed extensively from Montesquieu's Spirit of the Laws when writing this instruction, showing his wide influence.

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Title page of a 1769 French edition printed in Yverdon, headed 'Instructions adressées par sa Majesté l'Impératrice de toutes les Russies' to the commission for a new law code, 'Nouveau code de loix, Traduit de l'Allemand.' A crown ornament, a quotation beginning 'Seigneur Dieu!' in italics, and the imprint 'Aux dépens de la Société Typographique' with the date MDCCLXIX appear below.
Catherine II of Russia, Nakaz, 1766 (printed edition 1769).

About this source

What it is

The Nakaz, or Instruction, was written by Catherine II of Russia between 1764 and 1766 as a guide for a commission tasked with creating a new Russian law code. More than 400 of its articles are copied almost directly from Montesquieu's writings, along with ideas from other Enlightenment thinkers.

Why it matters

Catherine admitted in her own words that she 'pillaged President Montesquieu' for the good of her empire, calling his book her 'breviary.' This shows how far Montesquieu's ideas on law and government spread, even reaching an absolutist monarch who adapted them to support her own rule rather than the divided government he had proposed.

Look closer

  • Why might Catherine have chosen not to name Montesquieu directly in the text while using his ideas so heavily?
  • How did Catherine change Montesquieu's ideas about divided power to fit her belief in strong monarchy?
  • What does this document reveal about how Enlightenment ideas could be used for very different political purposes?

This document is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Baron de Montesquieu and Catherine the Great on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Montesquieu · 1748

Title page of a book reading 'LETTRES PERSANES, TOME I', with a central decorative floral ornament, and the imprint 'A COLOGNE, Chez Pierre Marteau, Imprimeur-Libraire, près le Collège des Jésuites' and date 'M. DCC. LIV.'Book

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De l'esprit des loix (volume III), Amsterdam and Leipzig, 1759

Montesquieu · 1759

Title page of a French book: 'Montesquieu. Considérations sur les causes de la grandeur des Romains et de leur décadence', with an introduction and notes by L. Petit de Julleville, huitième édition, published in Paris by Librairie Ch. Delagrave.Book

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Considerations on the Causes of the Greatness of the Romans and their Decline

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Title page of the first volume of De l'Esprit des loix, printed in Geneva by Barillot & Fils. Large capitals read DE L'ESPRIT DES LOIX, followed by a subtitle in smaller type, a rule, and TOME PREMIER at the bottom.Document

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