THE TIGER KING

Q. 1. Who is the Tiger King ?

The Maharaja of Pratibandapuram is the Tiger King of the story. He may be identified as His
Highness Jamedar-General, Khiledar-Major, Sata Vyaghra Samhari. He is also called
Maharajadhiraja Visva Bhuvana Samrat. He is known as Sir Jilani Jung Jung Bahadur. Many
titles, decorate his name. But this name is often shortened to The Tiger King.
Q. 2. Why does the Tiger King get this name ?                                                 (V. Imp.)
Ans. Tigers dominate the life and even death of the king. So he is named thus. The chief
astrologer foretells that he is born in the hour of the Bull. The Bull and the Tiger are
enemies. Therefore, his death will come from the Tiger. Ironically, the king who killed 99
tigers, his death was caused by a wooden toy tiger.
Q. 3. What was the great miracle that took place? Why did the people stand stunned?
(Imp.)
Ans. A miracle took place. The ten-day-old Jilani Jung Jung Bahadur spoke clearly and
firmly. Everyone was surprised. The chief astrologer took off his spectacles and gazed
intently at the babe. The infant spoke that "all those who are born will one day have to die".
He asked the chief astrologer to tell him the cause of his death.
Q. 4.  What does the chief astrologer tell to be the cause of the Maharaja's death?
(Imp.)
Ans. The royal infant thinks. That "all those who are born will one day have to die". There is
nothing new in it. He wants to know the real cause of his death. The astrologer tells the royal
infant that he is born in the hour of the Bull. The Bull and the Tiger are enemies. Therefore,
his death will "come from the Tiger".
Q. 5. Describe the upbringing of the royal infant. When did he take the reins of the
state in his hands ?
Crown prince Jung Jung Bahadur grew taller and stronger day by day. The boy drank the
milk of an English cow. He was brought up by an English governess. He was tutored in
English by an Englishman. He saw nothing but English films. When he became twenty years
old, the rule of the state came into his hands.
Q.6. What did the Maharaja decide to do when he remembered the astrologer's
prediction ?                                                                                                               (Imp.)
Ans. The astrologer revealed that the Maharaja's death would come from a tiger. Slowly it
came to the Maharaja's ears. There were so many forests in the Pratibandapuram State. They
had tigers in them. There was no objection to killing tigers. The Maharaja started out on a
tiger hunt and very soon he killed the first tiger.
Q. 7. How did the Maharaja feel when he killed his first tiger ? What did the  State
Astrologer say at that occasion ?                                                                                  (Imp.)
Ans. The Maharaja was thrilled 'beyond measure' when he killed his first tiger. He sent for
the State astrologer. He showed him the dead beast and demanded his reaction. The
astrologer replied that he might kill ninety-nine tigers in exactly the same manner. But he
must be very careful with the hundredth tiger.
Q. 8, "What if the hundredth tiger were also killed"? said the Maharaja. What did the State
astrologer say to the king then ?                                                                (Imp.) Ans. The
King wanted to know what would happen if he killed even the hundredth tiger. The
Astrologer replied that he would tear up all his books on astrology. He will set fire to them.
He would cut off his tuft, and become an insurance agent.
Q. 9. Why did the Maharaja ban tiger hunting ? Why was it celebration time for tigers
in Pratibandapuram ?                                                                                     (Imp.)
Ans. The state banned tiger hunting by anyone except the Maharaja. If anyone even dared to
throw a stone at a tiger, all his wealth and property would be confiscated. The
Maharaja didn't want any other person to reduce the limited population of tigers. It was
celebration time for tigers in the state. Tiger hunting was banned for all except the Maharaja.
Q. 10. What dangers did the Tiger King face during his tiger-hunting ?
Ans. The Maharaja seemed well set to realise his ambition initially. But he had to face some
dangers during his tiger-hunt. There were times when his bullet missed its mark. Once a tiger
leapt upon him. He fought the violent beast with his bare hands. Each time it was the
Maharaja who won.
Q. 11. How was at one time the Maharaja in danger of losing his throne ? (V. Imp.)
Ans. At one time the Maharaja was in danger of losing his throne. A high ranking British
officer visited Pratibandapuram. He was very fond of hunting tigers and being photographed
with them. He was refused permission to hunt tigers in Pratibandapuram. He had prevented
such a high ranking officer from fulfilling his desire, the Maharaja stood in danger of losing
his kingdom itself.
Q. 12. How did the Maharaja manage to retain his kingdom ?                      (Imp.)
Ans. The Maharaja had to please the high ranking British officer. Samples of expensive
diamond rings of different designs .were brought from a famous jeweller in Calcutta. The
Maharaja sent all the 50 rings to the British officer's good lady. The lady accepted the whole
lot. The Maharaja lost three lakh of rupees but managed to retain his kingdom.
Q. 13. What was the unforeseen hurdle that brought the Maharaja's tiger hunts to a
halt?                                                                                                                    (Imp.)
Ans. The Tiger King's tiger-hunts continued to be highly successful. Within ten years
he was able to kill seventy tigers. Then an unforeseen hurdle brought his mission to a halt.
The tiger population became extinct in the forests of Pratibandapuram. No one knew if they
practised birth control or committed harakiri. It brought tiger hunts to a halt.
Q. 14. How did the Maharaja solve the problem of killing the remaining thirty tigers?
What was his marriage plan ? (Imp)
Ans. The Maharaja asked his dewan to draw up figures of tiger populations in the different
native states. He could marry in a royal family with a large tiger population. The dewan
found out the right girl. The Maharaja killed five or six tigers each time he visited his father-
in-law. Ultimately, he was able to kill 99 tigers in all.
Q. 15. Why and when did the Maharaja's anxiety reach a fever pitch ?
Ans. The Maharaja was able to kill 99 tigers. Just one tiger remained to complete his tally of
a hundred. By this time the tiger farms had run dry even in his father-in-law's kingdom. It
became impossible to locate tigers anywhere. Thus, the king's anxiety reached a fever pitch.
Q. 16. What was the happy news which dispelled the Maharaja's gloom ?
Ans. Sheep began to disappear frequently from a hillside village. It was not the work of
Khader Mian Saheb and Virasami Naicker who were famous for killing sheep. The Maharaja
announced a three-year exemption from all taxes for that village. The Maharaja refused to
leave the forest until the tiger was found.
Q. 17. Why did the dewan warn the Maharaja not to double the land tax forthwith?
What was the reaction of the Maharaja ?                                                 (Imp.)
Ans. The hundredth tiger was not located. The Maharaja's anger was at its height. He called
the dewan and ordered him to double the land-tax forthwith. The dewan warned that the
people would rise in revolt. Then their state too would fall a prey to the Indian National
Congress. The king didn't relent. He told the dewan that in that case he might resign from his
post.
Q. 18. How did the tiger king celebrate his victory over the killing of the
100th tiger ? (CBSE 2008)
Ans. The Maharaja thought that he had killed the hundredth tiger. He was overcome with
elation. He ordered the tiger to be brought to the capital in grand procession. The dead tiger
was taken in a procession through the town. It was buried and a tomb was erected over it.
Q. 19. What was the Dewan's tiger like ? How did he take it into the forest ?
(CBSE 2008)
Ans. Dewan's tiger was an old tiger. It was not ferocious and agile. It was passive and
exhausted. He was pushed down to the ground. He wandered into the Maharaja's presence
and stood as if in humble supplication. The tiger was kept hidden in Dewan's house. At
midnight when the town slept in peace, the Dewan and his wife dragged the tiger into the car
drove straight to the forest.
Q. 20. Why did the Dewan decide to give up his own tiger to be killed by
the Maharaja ? (CBSE 2008)
Ans. The Maharaja's anxiety had reached a fever pitch. The hundredth tiger was yet to be
killed. The Dewan could lose his job if he couldn't search the tiger. He had brought a tiger
from the People's Park in Madras and kept hidden in his house. He dragged the tiger to the
forest where the Maharaja was hunting.
Q. 21. Why didn't the hunters tell the King that the tiger was not dead ?
Ans. The Maharaja thought that he had killed the hundredth tiger. He didn't know that his
bullet had missed the mark. The beast was killed not by him but by one of the hunters.
However, they kept it a secret. They feared losing their jobs if the Maharaja knew the truth.
Q. 22. Why did the shopkeeper charge three hundred rupees from the Maharaja while
the actual price of the wooden tiger was just two annas and a quarter ?
Ans. The wooden tiger cost only two annas and a quarter. But the shopkeeper feared to quote
such a low price to the Maharaja. He could be punished under the rules of Emergency. So he
presented it as a rare example of craftsmanship. He charged three hundred rupees as its
Price.
Q. 23. How did the hundredth tiger take its revenge upon the Tiger King ? (Imp.)
Ans. The king decided that a wooden toy-tiger was a perfect gift for his son's third birthday.
One day he was playing with that wooden tiger. One of the slivers pierced the Maharaja's
right hand. Infection spread all over the arm. Three surgeons performed an operation but
couldn't save the King. Thus, the hundredth tiger took its revenge upon the King.
LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
Q. 1. Draw a character-sketch of the Tiger King in your own words. (V. Imp.)
Ans. The Maharaja of Pratibandapuram, Sir Jilani Jung Jung Bahadur, had many titles and
sub-names. But he was popular as the Tiger King. The chief astrologer predicted that his
death would come from a tiger.
Crown prince Jung Jung Bahadur grew taller and stronger day by day. He was brought up by
an English governess. He was tutored in English by an Englishman. When he grew to twenty
he took the reign in his hands.
The Maharaja continued his campaign of tiger-hunting with rare singlemindedness. Within a
span of ten years he killed 70 tigers. It was his master strategy to marry a girl of a state
which had a large tiger population. So he was able to kill 99 tigers in all.
The Tiger King could pay any price to maintain his kingdom. He had to give a bribe worth
three lakh rupees to a high ranking British official to retain his kingdom.
The Maharaja knew how to take work from his minions. He used the dewan to find out the
suitable girl for his marriage. He could be hot-headed and doubled the tax on the people. He
also threatened the dewan to dismiss him from his service. It is ironical that the King met his
death by a wooden tiger. At last, the hundredth tiger took revenge upon him.
Q. 2. Why was the Maharaja of Pratibandapuram called the Tiger King ? How did his
campaign of tiger hunting continue ? How was he avenged by the hundredth
tiger ? (Imp.)
Ans. The Maharaja of Pratibandapuram came to be known as the Tiger King because tigers
dominated his life since birth. The Maharaja was forced to start the campaign of killing a
hundred tigers in self-defence. The chief astrologer had predicted that his death would be
caused by a tiger. Particularly, he was advised to be careful with the hundredth tiger. The
Maharaja's campaign was a great success. He could kill seventy tigers in ten years. Then an
unseen obstacle brought his campaign to a halt. The tiger population in the forests of
Pratibandapuram became extinct. The Maharaja adopted a new strategy. The Maharaja
married a girl from a state with a large tiger population. Very soon his tally reached 99, just
one short of the required hundred.
Ironically, the Tiger King's death came from the hundredth tiger. It was a toy-tiger made of
wood. He had presented a wooden tiger to his son on his third birthday. One of the slivers
pierced the Maharaja's right hand. Infection spread all over the arm. Three surgeons operated
on him but couldn't save him from dying. At last the astrologer's prediction came true. The
hundredth tiger took its revenge upon the king.
Q. 3. Kalki's 'The Tiger King' is a satire on the pride and unbridled power and rule of
the stubborn Maharaja of Pratibandapuram. Describe the use of dramatic irony
leading to the death of the Tiger King.                                                                             
(Imp.)
Ans. Kalki's 'The Tiger King' is a satire on the pride and stubbornness of those in power. The
Maharaja of Pratibandapuram tried to belie what was written in his fate. The chief astrologer
had predicted that the cause of his death would be a tiger. Not that the King didn't try his
best to belie the prediction. His campaign of tiger-hunting was very successful. He was
single minded and determined. But the satirical aspect of the whole story is the King's
inability to kill the hundredth tiger. All his strategies and wise plans worked till he killed 99
tigers. But the hundredth tiger eluded him till his death.
The irony of fate brings quite an unexpected end of the Maharaja. The hero who killed
ninety nine tigers couldn't kill the only one that was left. The last tiger he thought to be dead
survived. The King's bullet had missed its mark. Ironically, the hundredth tiger which caused
his death was not a ferocious beast of blood and flesh. It was a wooden tiger. One of the
slivers of wood pierced his right hand and caused infection and a suppurating sore. It
ultimately led to his death.
Q. 4. Why did the Maharaja's anxiety reach a fever pitch ? What steps were taken to
hunt the hundredth tiger ? Could the King disprove the astrologers ?
Or
How was the hundredth tiger found and hunted down ?
Ans. The Maharaja's anxiety reached a fever pitch. One more tiger was to be killed to
achieve his tally of a hundred. By this time the tiger farms had run dry even in his father-in-
law's kingdom. But soon came the happy news that dispelled his gloom. There was a
possibility of a tiger living in a hillside village. The Maharaja announced a three-year
exemption from all taxes for that village. He set out for hunt at once. The tiger was not found
but the Maharaja refused to leave the forest.
The dewan himself was in danger of losing his job. He got a tiger arranged from the People's
Park in Madras. The tiger was left in the forest where the Maharaja was hunting. He took a
careful aim at the beast. The tiger fell down on the ground in a heap. Then came the anti-
climax. The tiger survived. The Maharaja's bullet missed its mark.
Unfortunately, the king didn't know that the hundredth tiger was not killed by him. So the
hundredth tiger caused his death. Ironically, the hundredth tiger that caused his death was
not a ferocious beast. The king died of the deadly infection. A wooden toy-tiger, was the
cause of his death.
 Q. 5.  How did the Tiger King come in the danger of losing his throne and how did he
save his kingdom?
Ans. The state banned tiger hunting by anyone except the king. Once a high ranking British
officer visited Pratibandapuram. He was fond of hunting tigers. He liked to be photographed
with the tigers he had shot. The Maharaja was firm in his resolve. He refused permission. He
was ready to organise any other hunt. The officer could go on a boar hunt but the tiger hunt
was impossible.
The British officer's secretary sent word through the dewan. The Maharaja could do the
actual killing. The officer only wanted to be photographed holding the gun near the dead
tiger. The Maharaja didn't relent. He prevented a British officer from fulfilling his desire.
The Maharaja stood in danger of losing his kingdom itself. He held deliberations over the
issue with the dewan. Samples of expensive diamond rings were ordered. A famous British
company of jewellers in Calcutta sent fifty rings. The Maharaja sent the whole lot to the
British officer's good lady. She was expected to choose one or two rings. The lady kept all
the rings with her. She sent her thanks to the Maharaja for the gifts. The Maharaja was very
happy. Though he had lost three lakh of rupees, he had managed to retain his kingdom.