THE TIGER KING

READ AND FIND OUT

Q1. Who is the Tiger King? Why does he get that name?
Ans. The Maharaja of Pratibandapuram was called the Tiger King. At the time of
his birth the astrologers declared that the prince would have to die one day. The
ten-day-old prince asked the astrologers to reveal the manner of his death. The
wise men were baffled at this miracle. The chief astrologer said that his death
would come from a tiger. The young prince growled and uttered terrifying words:
‘Let tigers beware!’ He decided to kill one hundred tigers. He, thus, got the name
‘Tiger King’.

Q2. What did the royal infant grow up to be?

Ans. Crown prince Jung Jung Bahadur grew taller and stronger day-by-day. He was
brought up by an English nanny and tutored in English by an Englishman. He got
the control of his state when he came of age at twenty. He decided to kill tigers.
For him it was an act of self-defence, as the astrologers had predicted his death by
a tiger.

Q3. What will the Maharaja do to find the required number of tigers to kill?
Ans. Within ten years the Maharaja was able to kill seventy tigers. Then the tiger
population became extinct in the forests of Pratibandapuram. One day the
Maharaja sent for the dewan and asked him if he was aware of the fact that thirty
tigers still remained to be shot down by his gun. The dewan shuddered with fear.
The Maharaja told him that he had decided to get married. He asked the dewan to
draw up statistics of tiger populations in different native states. Then he was to
investigate if there was a girl, he could marry in the royal family of a state with a
large tiger population. This plan was put into practice. The dewan found the right
girl from a state which possessed a large number of tigers. The Maharaja killed five
or six tigers each time he visited his father-in-law. Thus, he was able to find the
required number of tigers to kill. He shot ninety-nine tigers
.
Q4. How will the Maharaja prepare himself for the hundredth tiger which was
supposed to decide his fate?
Ans. Maharaja’s anxiety reached the highest level of excitement when only one
tiger remained to be killed. He thought of the hundredth tiger during the day and
dreamt of it at night. But tiger farms ran dry even in his father-in-law’s kingdom. It
became impossible to locate tigers anywhere. If he could kill just that one single
beast, the Maharaja would have no fear left. As the late chief astrologer had said
that Maharaja should beware of the hundredth tiger. The Maharaja was sunk in
gloom. Then came a happy news. In his own state sheep began to disappear
frequently from a hillside village. Surely, a tiger was at work. The villagers ran to
inform the Maharaja. The Maharaja announced a three-year exemption from all
taxes for that village. He set out on the hunt at once. But the tiger was not easily
found. The Maharaja continued camping in the forest and waiting for the tiger.

Q5. What will now happen to the astrologer? Do you think the prophecy was
indisputably disproved?
Ans. In order to save his skin, the dewan got an old tiger brought from the People’s
Park in Madras. It was kept hidden in his house. One midnight with the help of his
aged wife, he dragged the tiger to the car and shoved it into the seat. He himself
drove the car straight to the forest where the Maharaja was hunting. The dewan
hauled the beast out of the car and pushed it down to the ground. Next day, the
same old tiger wandered into the Maharaja’s presence. The Maharaja was
overjoyed. He took careful aim at the beast. The tiger fell down in a crumpled heap.
The Maharaja was extremely happy that he had killed the hundredth tiger.
The hunters found that the old tiger was not dead. It had only fainted on hearing
the sound of the bullet. They did not want the Maharaja to know this fact and lose
their jobs. iSo one of them shot at it and killed it. The dead tiger was taken in
procession through the town and buried there. A tomb was erected over it.
The prophecy was not disproved as the king met his death with the infection
caused by the sliver of a wooden tiger. The astrologer was already dead. He could
not be punished or rewarded.

READING WITH INSIGHT

Q1. The story is a satire on the conceit of those in power. How does the author
employ the literary device of dramatic irony in the story?
Ans. On surface level, ‘The Tiger King’ seems to be a simple story about a royal
prince, his growth and exploits as a king. The prophecies at his birth about the
manner of his death make the story interesting by introducing the element of
surprise and suspense.
On a deeper level, the story is a satire on the conceit of those in power. It is usually
seen that those in power have too much pride in themselves and what they do.
Two such specimens in the story are the Tiger King and the British officer. The
author employs dramatic irony and humour to show their faults and weaknesses.
The words of these characters carry an extra meaning. They do not know what is
going to happen. The Tiger King resolves to hunt a hundred tigers to disprove the
prediction of the astrologer. In his stubbornness, he falls prey to a wooden tiger.
The high-ranking British officer is equally vain. He is more interested in photograph
with carcass than hunting itself. The Tiger King offers to organise any other hunt
except tiger-hunt. It may be a boar-hunt, mouse- hunt or a mosquito-hunt. He has
to lose three lakhs of rupees for his refusal. The ego of the British officer is satisfied
when his wife is pleased to get diamond rings sent by the Maharaja.

Q2. What is the author’s indirect comment on subjecting innocent animals to the
wilfulness of human beings?
Ans. For centuries innocent animals have been subjected to the wilfulness of
human beings. Man has been killing animals for sport, meat or organs of body. The
author does not make any direct comment about it in the story. Man advances
strange logic to defend even his unlawful and cruel acts. The Maharaja quotes an
old saying, “You may kill even a cow in self-defence”. Hence, he finds no objection
to kill tigers in self-defence. It reveals not only the callousness of human beings
towards wildlife but their disregard for maintaining ecological balance. The
extinction of tiger species in Pratibandapuram state and the state ruled by the
Maharaja’s father-in-law amply illustrates the result of man’s cruelty towards wild
animals. An old tiger has to be brought from the People’s Park in Madras to satisfy
the king’s whim to kill one hundred tigers.

Q3. How would you describe the behaviour of the Maharaja’s minions towards
him? Do you find them truly sincere towards him or are they driven by fear when
they obey him? Do we find a similarity in today’s political order?
Ans. A minion is an unimportant person in an organisation who has to obey orders.
The Maharaja has many minions or servants. Most of them fear the Maharaja and
obey his orders faithfully. They dare not disobey him or contradict him. The
Maharaja’s displeasure means loss of job or even loss of life. Only a few of them
are truly sincere towards him. One such person is the chief astrologer. He is willing
to bum his books of astrology, cut off his tuft and crop his hair short if his prediction
proves untrue. The others try to keep the Maharaja in good humour. Even the
dewan is no exception. Many officers lose their jobs when the Maharaja’s fury and
obstinacy mount higher. The king’s bullet misses the hundredth tiger. It faints from
the shock and falls as a crumpled heap. The hunters realise the truth, but they
decide not to reveal it to the king. They fear that they might lose their jobs.
In today’s political order, subordinates serve their superior bosses as deaf and
dumb creatures who see only what their masters want them to see. Their self-
interests and fear of elimination make them faithful servants.

Q4. Gan you relate instances of game-hunting among the rich and the powerful
in the present times that illustrate the callousness of human beings towards
wildlife?
Ans. In our times, big game-hunting has been banned by law as so many species of
wildlife have been declared endangered species. Sanctuaries, national parks and
games reserves have been established to preserve wildlife from extinction and
maintain ecological balance in nature. Even then sporadic cases of game-hunting
are reported in newspapers now and then. It is generally noticed that the erstwhile
rulers—kings or nawabs or the rich and powerful persons or famous film stars
indulge in game-hunting. The cases against late M.A.K. Pataudi and Salman Khan
are still pending in courts. Poachers and smugglers too destroy wildlife for skin,
meat or for various organs of body and escape scot-free.

Q5. We need a new system for the age of ecology—a system which is embedded
in the care of all people and also in the care of the Earth and all life upon it.
Discuss.
Ans. Modem age is the age of ecology. A new consciousness has arisen among
human beings. Animals and birds are as much part of nature as human beings. The
destruction or haphazard killing of one species may not only lead to its extinction,
but it will adversely affect the ecological balance. Those animals which serve as
food for the wild animals will increase in large number, if the beasts of prey are
wiped out. Each species, howsoever fierce, deadly, ferocious or poisonous has its
own role in the scheme of things. We must devise a new system. It must focus on
the care of all living beings on the Earth as well as the Earth itself and all life—
vegetative or animal living on it. Steps have to be taken to preserve ecological
balance in nature and prevent environmental pollution. Unpolluted air, water and
food can make all living beings healthy and enable them to enjoy longer fives.

EXTRA QUESTIONS
SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
Q1. Who is the hero of the story ‘The Tiger King’? How may he be identified?
Ans. The Maharaja of Pratibandapuram is the hero of this story. He may be
identified as His Highness Jamedar-General, Khiledar-Major, Sata Vyaghra
Samhari, Maharajadhiraja Visva Bhuvana Samrat, Sir Jilani Jung Jung Bahadur,
M.A.D., A.C.T.C., or C.R.C.K. This name is often shortened to the Tiger King.

Q2. What does the author consider imperative right at the start?
Ans. Author considers it imperative to disclose a matter of vital importance about
the Tiger King. He was a man of indomitable courage. Everyone who reads of him
will have a natural desire to meet him face-to-face. But there is no chance of its
fulfilment as the Tiger King is dead.

Q3. Which matter about the Tiger King is of extraordinary interest?

Ans. The manner of the death of the Tiger King is of extraordinary interest. The
most fantastic aspect of his demise was that as soon as he was born, astrologers
had foretold that one day the Tiger King would actually have to die.

Q4. What was the great miracle that took place? What was its result?
Ans. The astrologers said the child born under that particular star would one day
have to meet its death. At that very moment a great miracle took place. An
astonishing phrase emerged from the lips of the ten-day-old Jilani Jung Jung
Bahadur, “O wise prophets!” Everyone stood motionless with astonishment and
stupidity.

Q5. What did the infant born just ten days ago tell the wise astrologers?
Ans. The infant said that all those who are born will one day have to die. So, he did
not need their predictions to know that. He further said that there would be some
sense in it if they could tell him the manner of his death.

Q6. Why did the Maharaja order the dewan to double the land tax?
Ans. Maharaja went out on an expedition to find the hundredth tiger. The tiger
could not be found. That is why in anger he ordered the dewan to double the land
tax.

Q7. How did the chief astrologer react to the infant prince’s observation?
Ans. The chief astrologer was surprised. He placed his finger on his nose in wonder.
It was incredible that the ten-day-old infant raised intelligent questions. He said
that the prince was born in the hour of the Bull. The Bull and the Tiger are enemies.
Therefore, death comes from the Tiger.

Q8. How did the crown prince Jung Jung Bahadur grow up?
Ans. The infant had an uneventful childhood. He grew up just like other royal
princes of Indian states during the British rule. The prince grew taller and stronger
day by day. The boy drank the milk of an English cow. He was brought up by an
English nanny and tutored in English by an Englishman. He saw nothing but English
films.

Q9. How does the author satirise the upbringing and education of crown princes
of Indian states?
Ans. The author makes us laugh by pointing out the excessive love of the Indian
kings and queens for English education and English way of life. They seemed so
enamoured of everything English that the crown prince drank the milk of English
cows, were brought up by English nannies and tutored in English by Englishmen.
They saw only English films. Thus, they were Indians only in flesh and blood, but
aped Englishmen in culture and manners.

Q10. Why did the Maharaja ban tiger hunting in the state?
Ans. Maharaja banned the tiger hunting in the state. Because he wanted to prove
the predictions of state astrologer wrong that he would be killed by the hundredth
tiger. That is why he put a ban on the hunting of tigers on all the tiger-rich forest
of Pratibandapuram.

Q11. Why, do you think, did the Maharaja send for the State astrologer?
Ans. The Maharaja was excited beyond measure when he killed his first tiger. He
felt proud of his feat. He wanted to show the dead beast to the State astrologer.
So, he sent for him and wanted to know what he said then.

Q12. Sum up in your own words the interview between the Maharaja and the
State astrologer.
Ans. On the orders of the Maharaja, the State astrologer said that his majesty
might kill ninety- nine tigers in exactly the same manner. But he must be careful
with the hundredth tiger. The Maharaja observed that the hundredth tiger might
also be killed. What will happen then? The astrologer said that then he would tear
up all his books on astrology and set fire to them. Moreover, he would cut off his
tuft, crop his hair short and become an insurance agent.

Q13. Point out the irony in the statement: “From that day onwards it was
celebration time for all the tigers inhabiting Pratibandapuram.”
Ans. The state banned tiger hunting by anyone except the Maharaja. An official
statement was issued. If anyone dared to harm a tiger even by flinging a stone at
him, all his wealth and property would be confiscated. The tigers could rejoice that
they would not be killed by the riff-raff. The irony is that they were set to die at the
hands of the Maharaja. The bullets of his gun awaited them.

Q14. How did the Maharaja devote himself to realise his ambition? How far did
he succeed?
Ans. The Maharaja pursued his ambition with single minded devotion. He vowed
that he would attend to all other matters only after killing the hundred tigers. He
bravely faced many dangers to his life from tigers in achieving his mission.
Sometimes he had to fight a tiger with his bare hands. But each time the Maharaja
proved victorious by killing the beast.

Q15. Why, do you think, was the Maharaja in danger of losing his throne?
Ans. The Maharaja had annoyed a high-ranking British officer by refusing him
permission to hunt tigers in Pratibandapuram. The Maharaja did not relent even
when the request was toned down that the durai himself did not have to kill the
tiger. The Maharaja could do the actual killing. The durai wanted only a photograph
of himself holding the gun and standing over the tiger’s carcass. The Maharaja
stood in danger of losing his throne because he prevented a British officer from
fulfilling his desire.

Q16. What traits of the Maharaja and the British officer are exposed and satirised
through the episode of refusal of permission for tiger hunt by the British officer?
Ans. It reveals that the Maharaja was wilful, obstinate and adamant. He had a false
sense of honour. If he had permitted one British officers, others would also turn
up. He is quite unreasonable and shows lack of understanding. Thus, he lacks
practical approach. He would sacrifice diamonds to preserve his throne.
The British officer seems publicity conscious. He is more interested in the
photographs with the dead-tiger than in the tiger-hunt. The costly gift of diamonds
mollifies his hurt ego.

Q17. Would it be proper to call the Maharaja ‘penny-wise, pound foolish’? Give
reasons for your answer.
Ans. The Maharaja insists on restricting tiger-killing in his state to himself. He is
unwilling to compromise in this regard. He would not let any other person be even
photographed with a dead tiger in his state. He has to send a gift of fifty diamond
rings to the British officer’s good lady to placate the injured feelings of the man
and to retain his kingdom. It illustrates that he was penny-wise, pound foolish.

Q18. What sort of hunts did the Maharaja offer to organise for the high-ranking
British officer? What trait of the persons in high position does it reveal?
Ans. The Maharaja offered to organise any other hunt in place of the tiger hunt for
the high- ranking British officer. He might go on a boar-hunt. A mouse-hunt might
be conducted. They were ready even for a’ mosquito-hunt. This shows the vanity
and love of idle pursuits and frivolous pastimes by the persons in high position.

Q19. Comment on the ‘rings episode’ in the story ‘The Tiger King’.
Ans. The Maharaja of Pratibandapuram ordered a famous British company of
jewellers in Calcutta to send samples of expensive diamond rings of different
designs. Some fifty rings arrived. The Maharaja sent the whole lot to the British
officer’s good lady. He expected her to choose one or two rings and send the rest
back. But she simply sent a letter of thanks. The episode reveals human
weaknesses such as vanity, pride, greed, cunningness, flattery and appeasement.
Q20. “…. an unforeseen hurdle brought his mission to a standstill”. What was the
mission and how did it stop? What do you find amusing in the reasons justifying
the ‘hurdle’?
Ans. The Maharaja’s mission was to shoot one hundred tigers. He had killed
seventy tigers within ten years. Then the tiger population became extinct in the
forests of Pratibandapuram. The possible reasons for the absence of tigers are
quite amusing and even ludicrous. Either the tigers practised birth control or they
committed suicide. They might have run away from the state. Perhaps they desired
to be shot by the British hands alone.

Q21. How did the dewan behave when the Maharaja summoned him and
brandished his gun?
Ans. The dewan shuddered at the sight of the gun. He cried out, “Your Majesty! I
am not a tiger!” The Maharaja enquired which idiot would call him a tiger. The
dewan then declared that he was not a gun. The Maharaja became a bit polite.
Addressing him as ‘Dewan Saheb’ he assured him that he was neither tiger nor
gun. He was summoned there for a different purpose.

Q22. How did the dewan react to the Maharaja’s declaration- “I have decided to
get married”?
Ans. The reaction of the dewan is quite funny and amusing. He thinks that the
Maharaja wants to marry him. He says that he has already two wives. The
Maharaja clarifies that he does not want to marry him. He wants a tiger. The dewan
interrupts him saying that his ancestors were married to the sword. He might
marry the gun if he liked. He added that a Tiger King was more than enough for
that state. It did not need a Tiger Queen as well.

Q23. How did the Maharaja make his intentions clear to the dewan? What, do
you think, is his first priority in marriage?
Ans. The Maharaja said that he was not thinking of marrying either a tiger or a gun.
He wanted to marry a girl from the ranks of human beings. He asked the dewan to
collect statistics of tiger population in the different native states. Then he should
find out if there was a girl, he could marry in the royal family of the state with a
large tiger population. Evidently, his first priority is the tiger.

Q24. How did the Maharaja succeed in raising his tiger tally to ninety-nine?
Ans. The Maharaja married a girl from a state which possessed a large number of
tigers. Each time he visited his father-in-law, he killed five or six tigers. In this
manner he raised the tally of tigers killed by him from seventy to ninety-nine.
Q25. Why was the Maharaja so anxious to kill the hundredth tiger?
Ans. The Maharaja had killed ninety-nine tigers. If he could kill just one more tiger,
he would have no fear left. Then he could give up tiger hunting altogether. He
thought of the tiger during the day and dreamt of it at night. Moreover, he had to
be extremely careful with that last tiger. The late chief astrologer had already
warned him.

Q26. “It seemed easier to find tiger’s milk than a live tiger” Why? What does the
contradiction imply?
Ans. As the Maharaja reached near the coveted figure of hundred, his difficulties
also multiplied. He had already killed ninety-nine tigers, but then the tiger farms
ran dry even in his father-in-law’s kingdom. It became impossible to locate tigers
anywhere. The hundredth tiger seemed difficult to find. One can’t get tiger’s milk
without finding the tigress. Yet it is thought easier than finding a live tiger. The
contradiction implies the difficulty in locating a tiger.

Q27. Why was the Maharaja sunk in gloom? Was he able to overpower it? How
/How not?
Ans. Only one tiger remained to be killed by the Maharaja, but it seemed
impossible to locate a tiger. So, the Maharaja was sunk in gloom. Then he got the
happy news. In his own state sheep began to disappear frequently from a hillside
village. It was found out that this was not the work of Khader Mian Saheb or
Virasami Naicker. Both of them could swallow sheep whole. It was then deduced
that it was the work of a tiger. The villagers ran to inform the Maharaja about the
availability of a tiger.

Q28. What aspects of the Maharaja’s nature and conduct does the wait for the
hundredth tiger reveal?
Ans. The wait for the hundredth tiger reveals the royal rage, obstinacy and firm
determination of the Maharaja. He refused to leave the forest until the tiger was
found. Many officers lost their jobs because of his anger. Even the dewan was
asked to resign his post. This shows that the Maharaja was insensitive towards his
employees.

Q29. How, do you think, did the dewan try to help the Maharaja achieve his
mission?
Ans. The aged dewan was very wise. He brought an old tiger from the People’s
Park in Madras. He kept it hidden in his house. Judging the impatience of the
Maharaja to shoot the tiger, he decided to release it near the Maharaja’s camp.
So, at midnight he dragged the tiger to the car with the help of his aged wife and
shoved it into the seat. He drove the car himself straight to the forest and hauled
the beast out of the car and pushed it down to the ground near the Maharaja’s
camp.

Q30. How does the tiger behave towards the dewan, the Maharaja and the
hunters? What does his behaviour show?
Ans. The tiger behaves like a pet animal with the dewan. The dewan and his aged
wife drag the tiger to the car and shove it into the seat. In the forest, the tiger
launches its satyagraha and refuses to get out of the car. The Dewan tries hard to
haul it out of the car and push it down to the ground.
It stands before the Maharaja as if in humble supplication. It falls down in a
crumpled heap as the Maharaja fires the gun. It faints from the shock of the bullet
whizzing past. It looks back at the hunters rolling its eyes in bafflement. This shows
that it is a very old and weak tiger.

Q31. “The bullet had missed it.” “This time he killed it without missing his mark.”
Whose bullet had missed the tiger? How was the beast killed ultimately? Bring
out the irony of the situation.
Ans. The Maharaja’s bullet missed the tiger though he had taken careful aim at the
beast. The shock of the sound of the bullet made it faint. One hunter took aim from
a distance of one foot and shot the tiger dead. It is ridiculous that the Tiger King
who had killed ninety-nine tigers should miss his aim. It is funny that the hunter
takes aim from a hand-shaking distance. The whole situation is ironic.

Q32. How does the hundredth tiger take its final revenge upon the Tiger King?
Ans. The Tiger King could not kill the hundredth tiger. It had merely fainted from
shock of the sound of the bullet. It is the wooden tiger from the toyshop that
becomes the cause of Maharaja’s death. One of the slivers on its body pierces the
Maharaja’s right hand. Infection flares up and the prick develops into a suppurating
sore. The Maharaja dies during the operation.

LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Q1. What do you learn about princes and kings of native Indian states during the
British rule from the story ‘The Tiger King’?
Ans. The story ‘The Tiger King’ presents a fair glimpse of the young princes and the
Maharajas of native Indian states. Their long names with descriptive titles and
decorative honours were more a rule than an exception. They considered
recognition from the British government and its officers a favour. They aped the
Britishers in upbringing, education, manners and behaviour. The Maharajas were
autocrats and their words were the law. They could be benevolent as well as
stubborn. Their minions as well as ministers feared and respected them.
Sometimes their whims proved quite costly to the state coffer.
The Maharaja of Pratibandapuram spends three lakhs of rupees on gift of diamond
rings to retain his kingdom. Marriages with princesses of other states are based on
considerations other than love or virtues of the girl. In short, the Princes and
Maharajas are portrayed as whimsical, stubborn and excitable persons proud of
their virtues and valour.

Q2. What did the astrologers predict about the infant prince? What was the
miracle that baffled them? What did the chief astrologer enlighten the prince
about and how?
Ans. As soon as the prince was born, astrologers predicted that one day the Tiger
King would certainly have to die. It was the influence of the star under which he
was born. At that very moment a great miracle took place. An astonishing phrase
emerged from the lips of the ten-day-old Jilani Jung Jung Bahadur, “O wise
prophets!” Everyone stood motionless with astonishment and stupidity. The infant
said that all those who are born will have to die one day. So, he did not need their
predictions to know that. However, there would be some sense in it if they could
tell him the manner of that death.
The astrologers were baffled that a baby barely ten-day-old has not only opened
his lips in speech but had also raised intelligent questions. It was quite incredible.
The chief astrologer fixed his eyes upon the little prince. He said that the prince
was born in the hour of the Bull. The Bull and the Tiger are enemies. Therefore,
death comes from the Tiger.

Q3. How did the Maharaja try to disprove the prediction of the chief astrologer?
What did the state astrologer assert when the Maharaja summoned him to show
his first kill?
Ans. Since the astrologers had predicted death from Tiger, the Maharaja decided
to kill tigers to defend himself. Hence, he started out on a tiger hunt campaign.
There were enough tigers in the forests of Pratibandapuram state. The Maharaja
was thrilled beyond measure when he killed his first tiger. He sent for the state
astrologer and showed him the dead beast.
The Maharaja asked the astrologer what he said then. The astrologer said that his
majesty might kill ninety-nine tigers in exactly the same manner, but he must be
very careful with the hundredth tiger. Maharaja wanted to know what would
happen if the hundredth tiger was also killed.
The state astrologer said that in that case he would tear up all his books on
astrology and set fire to them. Moreover, he would cut off his tuft, crop his hair
short and become an insurance agent.
Q4. What problems did the Maharaja face in pursuit of his mission? How did he
resolve them?
Ans. The Maharaja started his mission of killing one hundred tigers with single-
minded devotion. He focused all his energy and attention to it. He vowed that he
would attend to all other matters only after killing one hundred tigers. Initially, the
king seemed well set to realise his ambition. Then dangers and difficulties cropped
up. There were times when the bullet missed its mark. The tiger would leap upon
him and he had to fight the wild beast with his bare hands. Luckily, each time the
Maharaja, who had indomitable courage, won.
Once he was in danger of losing his throne because he did not permit a high-
ranking British officer to hunt a tiger in the Pratibandapuram forest. The king did
not accede to his request for being photographed with a gun on the carcass of a
tiger killed by the Maharaja. The Maharaja had to part with a costly gift to placate
his injured feelings and save his kingdom.

Q5. How does the author satirise the hunting instincts of the persons in
authority?
Ans. The story tells us that big game hunting was considered a royal sport. The
Maharaja of Pratibandapuram went to the extent of banning tiger-hunt in his own
kingdom by all others except himself.
Tiger-hunt became an obsession for him. He thought of tiger during the day and
dreamt of it at night. He postponed all affairs of the state and devoted himself only
to tiger-hunt. Thus, a pastime or sport became the only aim of his life. He married
for the sake of tiger. He chose a princess in whose kingdom there were plenty of
tigers. He could undertake any risks for tiger-hunt.
The British officers had also developed a fondness for this royal sport. Perhaps they
considered it a status symbol. They were publicity conscious and wanted to be
photographed with a gun in hand and the carcass of a tiger at feet. Various other
hunts were also prevalent. These included boar-hunt, mouse-hunt and mosquito-
hunt. The descending order of risk and resistance from the victims makes us laugh
at the whims and craziness of the hunters. Thus, the story exposes the fondness of
persons in authority for hunting wild animals.

Q6. How did the Maharaja devise a new avenue to fulfil his ambition to kill one
hundred tigers? How far did he succeed?
Ans. The Tiger King had resolved to kill one hundred tigers. During ten years he
killed seventy tigers in his kingdom. Then the tigers became extinct in the forests
of Pratibandapuram. The Maharaja devised a plan. He decided to get married. He
asked the dewan to collect statistics of tiger population in different native states.
Then he was assigned the job to find out if there was any girl in the royal household
that he could marry. The main criterion for the selection of the princess was that
her father’s kingdom should have a large number of tiger population. The dewan
complied with the orders of the Maharaja. Then the Maharaja married a girl from
a state which possessed a large tiger population. Each time he visited his father-in-
law, he killed five or six tigers. In this way he was successful in killing ninety-nine
tigers.

Q7. Give an account of the Maharaja’s impatience for the hundredth tiger and
the actual encounter. What, do you think, caused the death of the Tiger King?
Ans. The Maharaja was keen to kill the hundredth tiger. If he did so, he would have
no fears left. It became impossible to locate tigers anywhere. When the villagers
informed him of the activities of a tiger near hillside, he went to the forest and
waited there. The tiger seemed to have deliberately hidden himself to defy the
Maharaja’s will.
The wise, aged dewan got an old tiger brought from the People’s Park in Madras.
He released it at night in the forest near the Maharaja’s camp. In the morning, the
same tiger wandered into the Maharaja’s presence and stood their meekly. The
Maharaja took careful aim at the beast. The tiger fell down. Actually, the bullet had
missed it. The old tiger had fainted with the shock of the bullet passing near him.
The Tiger King died due to an infection from a tiny sliver of a wooden tiger. The
prick developed into a sore with pus. A surgical operation was performed on his
arm, but he died. The writer comments that the hundredth tiger took its final
revenge upon the Tiger King.

Q8. Comment on the ending of the story ‘The Tiger King’. Do you find it
convincing? Give reasons.
Ans. The ending of the story ‘The Tiger King’ seems tame, unconvincing and rather
contrived. It seems unnatural and unrealistic. It is beyond comprehension how a
king who has over powered ferocious tigers in single combat with bare hands
succumbs to a prick from the sliver of a wooden tiger.
It is amazing to find how the infection flares in the Maharaja’s right hand. In four
days, the prick develops into a suppurating sore and spreads all over the arm. The
three surgeons perform a successful operation but fail to save the Maharaja. How
is the operation successful then? It seems that the author wants us to believe that
the astrologer was right and the hundredth tiger took its final revenge upon the
Tiger King. This ending may satisfy superstitious readers with orthodox beliefs, but
for the enlightened minds of the age of computers and rockets it is a bitter pill to
swallow.

Q9. Comment on the appropriateness of the title ‘The Tiger King’.

Ans. ‘The Tiger King’ is a quite appropriate and suggestive title. It focuses attention
on the hero of the story—The Maharaja of Pratibandapuram, who is also nick
named the Tiger King. The story spans from his birth to death and covers all the
landmarks connected with his passion—tiger-hunt. For him human relations and
the affairs of the state are secondary. He marries a princess for the sake of a tiger.
When he celebrates the third birthday of the crown prince, he brings a wooden
tiger for him as a gift. It is ironic that the sliver of the wooden tiger causes his death.
The overconfidence and false sense of security of the Tiger King on having killed
the hundredth tiger leads to his doom. The story which begins with the prediction
of death of the Tiger King right at his birth, ends with his death from a tiger. Thus,
the title is quite apt.

Q10.What devices does the author use to make the story ‘The Tiger King’
humorous and interesting?
Ans. The author uses many literary devices to make this story humorous as well as
interesting. He introduces the elements of shock and surprise by making the ten-
day-old baby open his lips to talk and ask intelligent questions. The predictions of
the astrologers convey inevitability of death, but the man of indomitable courage
i.e., the Tiger King faces the agent of death i.e., the tiger many times and comes
out victorious every time.
The description of the education and upbringing of crown princes of Indian states
and their craze for ‘English’ provides lots of fun. The mention of various hunts:
tiger-hunt, boar-hunt, mouse-hunt, mosquito-hunt makes us laugh at the pastimes
of the people in authority at the cost of innocent animals. The last two hunts seem
funny and ridiculous.
The Maharaja’s thought of marrying a girl for the sake of tiger is also amusing. The
behaviour of the high-ranking British officer and that of the Maharaja and his
dewan at different points in the story provoke laughter and maintain the reader’s
interest in the narrative.

MORE EXTRA QUESTIONS

Short Answer Type Questions
Question.1. What gave the astrologers the greatest surprise of their life while
they were studying the horoscope of the ten-day old prince?
Answer. When the astrologers were reading the horoscope of the little prince,
they were taken by surprise when the ten-day old infant asked about the manner
of his death. When the chief astrologer told him that a tiger would be the cause of
his death, the baby retorted with arrogance, “Let the tigers beware!”
Question.2. How did the Maharaja please a high-ranking officer?
Answer. A high-ranking British officer visited the state of Pratibandapuram and
sought permission for tiger hunting from the Maharaja. The Maharaja declined his
request, but as he did not want to upset the officer, he sent fifty diamond rings to
the officer’s wife which cost the king three, lakh rupees.

Question.3. Why did the Maharaja ban tiger hunting in the state?
Answer. As the prince was crowned the king, the astrologer’s prediction regarding
his (the king’s) death by a tiger reached his ears. This prompted the Maharaja to
kill a tiger but the astrologer informed him that he had to successfully kill hundred
tigers to escape the prophecy. Thus, in order to reach that mark, the Maharaja
banned tiger hunting in the state except for himself.

Question.4. Why did the Maharaja decide to get married? OR What is the reason
lor the Tiger King’s sudden decision to marry?
Answer. In order to defeat the astrologer’s prophecy, the Maharaja had to kill a
hundred tigers. He had already killed seventy tigers and the tiger population in his
state neared extinction. For this reason, he wished to marry a girl in the royal family
of a state with a rich tiger population, where he would kill the rest of the tigers.

Question.5. Why did the Maharaja double the land tax?

Answer. The Maharaja had successfully killed ninety-nine tigers but struggled hard
to find the hundredth tiger. Once, there came a news of a tiger being spotted at a
hillside village but it turned out to be untrue. This infuriated the Maharaja, who
ordered the dewan to double the land tax in order to punish the villagers for the
false news.

Question.6. How did the Tiger King become the victim of the hundredth tiger?
OR How did the Tiger King meet his end? What is ironical about his fate?
Answer. The Tiger King met his end through the wooden tiger, which he had
bought as a gift for his son on his third birthday. While he was playing with his son,
a splinter of the poorly made toy tiger pricked the king’s hand. The infection turned
into a sore, which spread all over his arm. In spite of the best surgeons, the king’s
life could not be saved.
The irony is in the fact that in spite of killing nearly all the tigers in the area, he had
to face his death by a toy tiger.

Question.7. What, sort of hunts did the Maharaja offer to organise for the high-
ranking British officer? What trait of the officer does it reveal?
Answer. Tiger hunting was banned in Pratibandapuram. When the British official
came with a tiger hunt request, the Maharaja told him that he may conduct a boar
hunt, a mouse hunt, even a mosquito hunt, but not a tiger hunt. In reply to this,
the British officer said that he only wanted to be photographed holding a gun and
standing ewer the dead body; the tiger could be killed by the Maharaja. This shows
the shallowness of character of the officer.

Question.8. Why was the Maharaja so anxious to kill the hundredth tiger?
Answer. When the Maharaja was barely ten days old, the chief astrologer had
predicted that a tiger would be the cause of his death. When the Maharaja was
twenty, he killed one tiger. When he asked his astrologer, the astrologer said that
he would kill ninety-nine tigers, but he should be fearful of the hundredth tiger.
That was the reason why the Maharaja was so anxious to kill the hundredth tiger.

Question.9. What warning did the astrologer give the Tiger King when he killed
the first tiger? Did the prediction of the astrologer come to be true?
Answer. When the Maharaja boasted about killing the first tiger, the astrologer
said that he may kill ninety-nine tigers, but must be “very careful with the
hundredth tiger.” Yes, the astrologer was absolutely true in this prediction,
because finally the Maharaja was killed by the hundredth tiger.

Question.10. How did the Dewan manage to arrange the hundredth tiger for the
Maharaja?
Answer. The Dewan had brought a tiger from the People’s Park in Madras and kept
it hidden in his house. When the Maharaja threatened him with dire
consequences, he understood that the only way to save himself was to ‘plant’ a
tiger for the kill. So, he and his aged wife dragged the tiger to the forest where the
king was hunting. The king took aim and the beast soon collapsed.

Question.11. Why was the Maharaja sunk in gloom even after having killed
seventy tigers?
Answer. During ten years, the Maharaja had managed to kill seventy tigers. As a
result, the tiger population became extinct in his kingdom. This made the Maharaja
anxious because he thought he would not be able to achieve his target of killing a
hundred tigers and so his life would be in danger.

Question.12. What led the Maharaja to start out on a tiger hunt?

Answer. The Maharaja knew the old saying that killing even a cow in self-defence
was no sin. So, in order to save his own life and prove the astrological prediction
wrong, he started shooting all his enemies, i.e., the tigers he found in the forests
of his state and nearby regions.
Question.13. When did the Tiger King stand in danger of losing his kingdom?
Answer. Once, a high-ranking British officer visited Pratibandapuram. He was very
fond of hunting tigers and being photographed with them. However, the Maharaja
refused to give him permission to hunt tigers because he feared that other British
officers too would turn up with the same request. It was because of his refusal that
the Maharaja stood in danger of losing his kingdom.

Question.14. What happened to the tiger provided by the Dewan Saheb?

Answer. The tiger provided by the Dewan Saheb was very old and stood in
complete submission. The Maharaja look aim and fired, but-actually the bullet
missed the tiger and the tiger only fainted from the sharp sound of the bullet. As
nobody wanted the Maharaja to know about it, one of the hunters himself shot
the tiger later on.

Question.15. Describe the efforts made by the Tiger King to achieve his target of
killing a hundred tigers.
Answer. The Tiger King made numerous efforts to fulfil his target of killing a
hundred tigers. He stayed in the forest for many days. He fired many of his officers
for not getting him tigers. He had to spend a ransom of three lakh rupees to
impress the British official and discourage him from killing the tigers. He even went
to the extent of marrying to kill the population of tigers in the neighbouring state
to meet his target. In a way, he did all he could to achieve his goal, of killing a
hundred tigers.

Question.16. Did the Tiger King shoot the hundredth tiger? Give reasons for your
answer.
Answer. The Tiger King actually did not shoot the hundredth tiger. The tiger being
a weak one, fainted from the shock of a bullet whizzing past him and the ignorant
king celebrated his achievement. Later, when the hunters took a closer look at the
tiger, it woke up as if from a deep slumber.

Question.17. How did the Tiger King celebrate his victory over the killing of the
hundredth tiger?
Answer. When the Maharaja thought that he had killed the hundredth tiger, his
joy knew no bounds. The elated king returned to his capital and ordered his staff
to bring the dead tiger in a grand procession. The tiger was buried and a tomb was
erected over it.
Question.18. What was the Dewan’s tiger like? How did he take it into the forest?
Answer. The Dewan’s tiger was old and had been brought from the People’s Park
in Madras. It was kept hidden in the Dewan’s house. At midnight, the Dewan with
his wife dragged the tiger to his car and thrust it onto the seat. With great difficulty,
the tiger was pushed out of the car and planted in the forest to be shot by the
Maharaja.

Question.19. Why did the Dewan decide to give up his own tiger to be killed by
the Maharaja?
Answer. The Maharaja refused to leave the forest unless he killed the hundredth
tiger that had been sighted by the villagers. The Maharaja was furious and sacked
many officers. He ordered the Dewan to double the land tax of the village and
when the Dewan tried to stop him, the Maharaja asked him to resign. So, to save
his job, the Dewan decided to arrange for a tiger to be killed by the Maharaja.

Long Answer Type Questions

Question.20. How did the Tiger King stand in danger of losing his kingdom? How
was he able to avoid the danger?
Answer. Once a high-ranking British officer visited Pratibandapuram. As he was
fond of hunting tigers, he expressed his wish of tiger hunting to the king but the
king refused permission. Then the British officer requested that he only wanted to
be photographed holding gun and standing over the dead body of the tiger; the
Maharaja could kill the tiger. However, the Maharaja denied him this permission
also, fearing that it would lead to further similar requests from other officers.
As the Maharaja did not want to upset the British officer and risk losing his
kingdom, he sent a fifty diamond rings to the wife of the officer. The lady kept all
the rings and sent him a note of thanks. In this way, the king managed to save his
kingdom.

Question.21. The astrologer’s prediction about the death of the Tiger King came
to be true. Do you agree with this statement?
Answer. I agree with the statement that the astrologer’s prediction about the
death of the Tiger King came to be true. The astrologer had predicted that Tiger
King would be killed by a tiger and he should be wary of the hundredth tiger. This
statement of the astrologer forced the king to go on a killing spree. The hundredth
tiger was not killed by the king himself but by the hunters, who found out that the
old tiger had not died by the bullet of the king but only fainted by the bullet
whizzing past him.
The hundredth tiger was a wooden toy tiger which the king had presented to his
three-year old son. It killed the king merely by a sliver of wood protruding form it
that pierced his right hand. The wound developed pus and it soon spread all over
the arm. The best surgeons failed to save the king and thus, the astrologer’s
prediction about the death of the Tiger King proved to be correct.