Class 12 English Vistas Chapter 2 — The Tiger King by Kalki
Welcome to HSLC Guru — your one-stop resource for ASSEB (Assam State Board of Secondary Education) Higher Secondary Second Year (Class 12) English study materials. This page brings you a complete and detailed solution of “The Tiger King”, the second supplementary reader chapter from Vistas, prescribed for HS 2nd Year (Class 12) English under the ASSEB / AHSEC syllabus.
“The Tiger King” is a brilliant satirical short story written by Kalki — the pen name of the celebrated Tamil author R. Krishnamurthy (1899-1954). The story is a sharp, witty critique of the autocratic rulers of pre-independence India and a mordant comment on the vanity, arrogance and ecological insensitivity of those in power. Through the absurd story of the Maharaja of Pratibandapuram — also known as Jung Jung Bahadur or the “Tiger King” — Kalki exposes how power corrupts judgment, how flatterers surround the powerful, and how the very forces a person tries to defy can engineer his downfall in the most ironic way. This study guide presents the chapter’s plot summary, character sketches, themes, all NCERT textbook questions, additional short and long answer questions, MCQs and extract-based questions, perfectly aligned with the AHSEC / ASSEB Class 12 English examination pattern.
About the Author — Kalki (R. Krishnamurthy)
Kalki Krishnamurthy (9 September 1899 – 5 December 1954), born Ramaswamy Krishnamurthy, was one of the most influential Tamil writers and journalists of the twentieth century. He wrote under the pen name “Kalki”. A freedom fighter, a social reformer and a versatile man of letters, Kalki was associated with the Indian National Movement and was actively involved in Mahatma Gandhi’s non-cooperation movement. He was even imprisoned by the British in 1922 and again in 1930 for his role in the freedom struggle.
Kalki founded the Tamil weekly magazine Kalki in 1941, in which most of his celebrated novels and short stories first appeared as serials. His major works include the historical novels Parthiban Kanavu, Sivagamiyin Sabadham, and the magnum opus Ponniyin Selvan, along with social novels like Thyaga Bhoomi and Alai Osai (the last won him the Sahitya Akademi Award posthumously in 1956). Kalki’s short stories — including “The Tiger King” — are characterised by sharp satire, gentle humour, lucid storytelling and a strong moral undercurrent. He is widely regarded as a pioneer of modern Tamil prose fiction.
Summary of “The Tiger King”
“The Tiger King” is a satirical story narrated in a mock-heroic tone. The story tells us about the Maharaja of Pratibandapuram, also known as Sir His Highness Jamedar-General Khiledar-Major Sahib Bahadur Maharajadhiraja Visva Bhuvana Samrat Sir Jilani Jung Jung Bahadur, popularly remembered as the “Tiger King”. The narrator informs the reader at the very beginning that the Tiger King is dead — and the rest of the story unfolds the strange chain of events that led to his death.
At the time of his birth, the Crown Prince of Pratibandapuram amazed the astrologers and physicians by speaking like an adult and asking them to disclose his future. The chief astrologer prophesied that, although he was born in the auspicious hour of the Bull, the Bull and the Tiger were enemies and therefore the prince’s death would come from a tiger. The infant prince responded fearlessly with the dramatic words, “Let tigers beware!”
The prince was brought up by an English nanny, taught English by an Englishman, watched only English films, and grew into a tall, strong young man who became the Maharaja of Pratibandapuram at the age of twenty. The moment he ascended the throne, he remembered the prophecy and decided to kill all the tigers in the kingdom in order to defy fate. He went on his first tiger hunt, killed his first tiger, and rushing to the State astrologer, demanded a fresh prophecy. The astrologer warned him to be very careful with the hundredth tiger.
The Maharaja issued a royal proclamation banning everyone except himself from hunting tigers in his state, declaring that anyone who dared to throw even a stone at a tiger would have all his property confiscated. Tiger hunting became his sole occupation. He killed seventy tigers in his own state in ten years, but the tiger population was wiped out. At this point a high-ranking British officer expressed his desire to hunt a tiger in Pratibandapuram. The Maharaja refused permission, fearing he would lose his throne. The officer asked merely that he be photographed with a tiger killed by the Maharaja. Even this was refused. To save his throne, the Maharaja sent a fifty-thousand-rupee gift of three dozen rings of the costliest diamonds to the officer’s wife, expecting her to choose one or two. To his astonishment, she kept all of them and sent a thank-you note. The Maharaja paid three lakhs of rupees but happily kept his kingdom.
Since the kingdom of Pratibandapuram had no tigers left, the Maharaja married a princess from a kingdom with a large tiger population. Whenever he went to visit his father-in-law, he killed five or six tigers, and so his tally went up. Within a few years he had killed ninety-nine tigers; he was desperate to find the hundredth. Tigers had become extinct even in his father-in-law’s state. The Maharaja’s anxiety grew so great that the dewan, fearing for his job, brought an old tiger from the People’s Park in Madras and had it released in the forest at night.
The Maharaja shot at the tiger and was overjoyed at having finally killed his hundredth tiger. The carcass was paraded through town in procession. However, the truth was that the Maharaja’s bullet had merely missed and the old tiger had only fainted out of the shock of the gunshot. The hunters, afraid of losing their jobs, secretly shot the tiger dead and never told the Maharaja the truth.
On the third birthday of his little son, the Maharaja went to a toy-shop and bought a wooden tiger as a present. The toy was crudely carved and its surface was rough with tiny slivers of wood. When the Maharaja was playing with his son, one of these wooden slivers pierced the Maharaja’s right hand. Within a few days the wound flared into a suppurating sore that spread all over his arm. Three famous surgeons performed an operation but their efforts were in vain — the Maharaja died. Thus, the prophecy was fulfilled in the most ironic way: the hundredth tiger — a wooden tiger — finally took its revenge upon the Tiger King. The story ends with this powerful dramatic irony, reminding readers of the futility of human pride and arrogance against the will of destiny.
সাৰাংশ (Summary in Assamese)
“The Tiger King” এখন তামিল ভাষাৰ প্ৰখ্যাত লেখক কালকি কৃষ্ণমূৰ্তিৰ লিখনিৰে এক ব্যংগাত্মক চুটি গল্প। গল্পটোৱে প্ৰতিবন্ধপুৰমৰ মহাৰাজা জিলানি জুং জুং বাহাদুৰ — যাক “টাইগাৰ কিং” বুলি কোৱা হয় — তেওঁৰ জীৱনৰ এক বিষাদময় কাহিনীৰ বৰ্ণনা দিছে। গল্পৰ আৰম্ভণিতে কথকজনে কয় যে টাইগাৰ কিং মৰি গৈছে।
মহাৰাজাৰ জন্মৰ সময়তে জ্যোতিষীয়ে ভৱিষ্যতবাণী কৰিছিল যে এদিন এজনী বাঘে তেওঁৰ মৃত্যুৰ কাৰণ হ’ব। সদ্যজাত শিশুটোৱে আচৰিত ধৰণে কথা পাতি বাঘবোৰক সাৱধান হবলৈ ক’লে। ২০ বছৰ বয়সত ৰাজা হৈ মহাৰাজাই ভাগ্যক প্ৰত্যাহ্বান জনাবলৈ ১০০ বাঘ মাৰিবলৈ শপত খালে। নিজৰ ৰাজ্যত ৭০টা বাঘ মাৰি পেলোৱাৰ পাছত যেতিয়া বাঘ বিচাৰি পোৱা টান হ’ল, তেওঁ এজন বাঘ-অৰণ্য থকা ৰাজ্যৰ ৰাজকুমাৰীক বিয়া কৰাই বাঘ চিকাৰ অব্যাহত ৰাখিলে।
এজন উচ্চপদস্থ ব্ৰিটিশ বিষয়াৰ চিকাৰৰ অনুৰোধ অস্বীকাৰ কৰাৰ পাছত মহাৰাজাই তেওঁৰ পত্নীক ৩৬টা মূল্যৱান হীৰাৰ আঙঠি (৫০ হেজাৰ টকা মূল্যৰ এটা ভাবি) উপহাৰ পঠালে; কিন্তু পত্নীয়ে সকলোবোৰ ৰাখিলে আৰু মহাৰাজাই তিনি লাখ টকা পাৰিশ্ৰমিক ভৰিবলগীয়া হ’ল। ৯৯টা বাঘ মৰাৰ পাছত শতম বাঘটো বিচাৰি নাপালে। দেৱানজনে মাদ্ৰাজৰ পিপুলছ পাৰ্কৰ পৰা এটা বুঢ়া বাঘ আনি অৰণ্যত এৰি দিলে।
মহাৰাজাই গুলী চলালে আৰু ভাবিলে যে শতম বাঘ মাৰিলে — কিন্তু প্ৰকৃততে গুলী লক্ষ্যচ্যুত হৈছিল আৰু বাঘটো ভয়ত মূৰ্ছা গৈছিল। চিকাৰীসকলে চাকৰি হেৰোৱাৰ ভয়ত গোপনে বাঘটো মাৰি পেলালে। কিছুদিন পাছত নিজ পুত্ৰৰ তৃতীয় জন্মদিনত মহাৰাজাই কিনি দিয়া কাঠৰ বাঘ পুতলাৰ এটা সৰু কাঠৰ ফণিয়ে তেওঁৰ সোঁ-হাতত বিন্ধি ধৰিলে। ক্ষতটো বিষাক্ত হৈ বহল হ’ল আৰু তিনিজন প্ৰখ্যাত ডাক্তৰৰ অপাৰেচনতো ফল নাপালে — মহাৰাজাৰ মৃত্যু হ’ল। এনেদৰে শতম “বাঘ” — কাঠৰ বাঘে — টাইগাৰ কিংৰ পৰা প্ৰতিশোধ ল’লে। গল্পটোৱে গৰ্ব, অহংকাৰ আৰু পৰিৱেশ-ধ্বংসৰ বিৰুদ্ধে এক তীক্ষ্ণ ব্যংগাত্মক বাৰ্তা প্ৰদান কৰে।
Plot Summary — Step by Step
- The narrator opens with the announcement that the Tiger King — Maharaja Sir Jilani Jung Jung Bahadur of Pratibandapuram — is dead.
- At his birth, the infant prince spoke and asked the astrologers about his future; they predicted death by a tiger.
- The baby fearlessly replied, “Let tigers beware,” foreshadowing his obsession with hunting them.
- He was raised in English fashion — by an English nanny, English tutor, English films — and crowned at twenty.
- Determined to disprove the prophecy, he set out to kill 100 tigers.
- After his first kill, the State astrologer warned him to fear the hundredth tiger most.
- A royal proclamation banned all other tiger-hunting; tiger hunting became the Maharaja’s exclusive privilege.
- He killed 70 tigers in Pratibandapuram in ten years; the tiger population was exhausted.
- A British officer asked to hunt or be photographed with a tiger; the Maharaja refused both, fearing for his throne.
- The Maharaja sent 50,000 rupees worth of diamond rings to the officer’s wife; she kept them all, costing him three lakhs but saving his crown.
- To find more tigers, the Maharaja married a princess from a tiger-populated kingdom; he killed 5-6 tigers each time he visited his father-in-law.
- His count rose to 99; the hundredth tiger could not be found anywhere.
- The dewan brought an old tiger from the People’s Park in Madras and released it in the forest at night.
- The Maharaja shot at the tiger; the bullet missed; the tiger fainted from shock.
- The hunters secretly killed the tiger and the Maharaja celebrated his hundredth kill, never knowing the truth.
- On his son’s third birthday, the Maharaja bought a poorly carved wooden tiger toy.
- A tiny wooden sliver pierced his right hand; infection spread up the arm.
- Three surgeons operated unsuccessfully; the Maharaja died — killed by the hundredth (wooden) tiger, fulfilling the astrologer’s prophecy with bitter irony.
Character Sketches
1. The Tiger King — Maharaja Jilani Jung Jung Bahadur
The Maharaja of Pratibandapuram is the central character — a man defined by colossal vanity, arrogance and a stubborn refusal to accept any limit upon his power. Even at birth he speaks like an adult, foreshadowing the unnatural confidence that will define his life. He is brave, well-built, an excellent shot, and a tireless hunter. Yet his courage is tainted by superstition, ego and cruelty. He kills tigers not out of necessity but to defeat a prophecy, willing to wipe out an entire species in his selfish struggle with fate. He is also pliable to flattery, surrounded by sycophants, and ready to misuse public money — paying three lakhs in diamond rings to keep his throne. His refusal to acknowledge his own mortality leads to dramatic irony: the very tiger he could not kill — a wooden one — kills him at last.
2. The Chief / State Astrologer
The astrologer is a sharp foil to the Maharaja’s blind self-confidence. He represents fate, prophecy and the limits of human power. Bold and uncompromising, he tells the infant prince exactly what awaits him — death by a tiger — and even predicts that the hundredth tiger will be the most dangerous. He is so confident in his calculations that he vows to burn his books and shave off his tuft and crop his hair if his words prove wrong. His role is symbolic: he stands for the inescapable working of destiny that the Maharaja tries vainly to deny.
3. The Dewan
The dewan is the typical sycophantic minister of an autocratic court — clever, pragmatic and primarily interested in self-preservation. When the Maharaja cannot find his hundredth tiger, the dewan secretly brings an old tiger from the People’s Park in Madras and lugs it himself, with his wife’s help, in the back of an old car. Driven not by loyalty but by fear of losing his post, he typifies the courtiers who keep tyrants pleased through deceit and indulgence rather than honest counsel.
4. The British Officer
The unnamed high-ranking British officer represents colonial vanity. He desires not merely to hunt a tiger but to be photographed holding a gun beside a tiger — a trophy of imperial prestige. His refusal to accept any animal but the one he hunts himself, combined with his wife’s greed for diamond rings, exposes the corrupt and self-serving nature of colonial authority. He stands as a satirical mirror to the Maharaja: both men are equally ego-driven, separated only by the size of their thrones.
Themes
- Irony of Fate: The Tiger King kills 99 real tigers and unknowingly never kills the hundredth — yet the prophecy comes true through a wooden toy tiger. Fate cannot be defeated by force.
- Vanity and Arrogance of Power: The Maharaja’s belief that he can control fate, ban subjects from hunting, and bribe officers reveals the pride that comes with absolute power.
- Ecological Satire and Cruelty to Animals: Hundreds of tigers are slaughtered to satisfy a single man’s superstition. The story is a sharp early warning against species extinction and the abuse of nature.
- Sycophancy and Corruption in Royal Courts: The dewan, hunters and ministers all lie and manipulate to keep their jobs. Truth is sacrificed at the altar of royal ego.
- Colonial Greed: The British officer and his wife symbolise the imperial culture of trophy-collection and the demand for tribute disguised as gift-giving.
- Dramatic Irony: Throughout the story, the reader senses the absurdity of the Maharaja’s mission. The wooden tiger’s revenge is the perfect ironic climax.
- Satire on Autocratic Rulers: Kalki uses exaggeration, mock-heroic titles and absurd plotting to ridicule the princely states and the autocratic monarchies of pre-independence India.
Understanding the Text (NCERT Reading with Insight)
1. 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?
Answer: Dramatic irony arises when the audience knows something the character does not. Kalki uses this device throughout “The Tiger King” to ridicule the Maharaja’s self-importance. The Maharaja believes he has cheated fate by killing the hundredth tiger; the reader, however, knows that his bullet missed and that the hunters secretly killed the fainted animal. Thus, when the Maharaja celebrates triumph over his fate, the reader sees only delusion. The final, crowning irony comes when the Maharaja — the slayer of a hundred tigers — is killed by a tiny wooden splinter from a cheap wooden tiger toy bought for his son. The author’s clever play between what the Maharaja believes and what is really true makes the reader laugh at, and pity, the conceit of those in power.
2. What is the author’s indirect comment on subjecting innocent animals to the willfulness of human beings?
Answer: Without ever delivering a direct sermon, Kalki shows the reader the cruelty and folly of human beings who use innocent animals to feed their egos. Tigers are slaughtered by the hundred, not because they threaten human life, but to satisfy one ruler’s superstition. The Maharaja issues proclamations, marries strategically, bribes British officers and wipes out two entire forests of tigers — all to defeat a prophecy. The author’s silent comment is that animals pay the price for human vanity, and the resulting ecological imbalance comes back to haunt humanity. The wooden tiger that finally kills the Maharaja is the natural world’s revenge — a poetic warning that cruelty against innocent creatures never goes unpunished.
3. 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?
Answer: The Maharaja’s ministers, hunters and officers are not sincere — they are driven entirely by fear and self-interest. The dewan secretly drags an old tiger from the People’s Park to satisfy the Maharaja’s obsession because he fears losing his post. The hunters quietly shoot the fainted hundredth tiger and tell the Maharaja he killed it, terrified of dismissal. Even the cabinet servant who reports the dramatic news of the Maharaja’s first tiger-kill is nervous lest the news displease his master. Yes, this pattern is very common in modern political life. Around powerful leaders, one always finds groups of yes-men who flatter, hide failures and feed only good news, prioritising personal benefit over honest service. The story reminds us that fear-based loyalty corrupts both the leader and the institution.
4. Can you relate instances of game-hunting among the rich and the powerful in our own contemporary society? What is the conservation law in our country?
Answer: Despite strict laws, game-hunting continues among the rich and powerful of contemporary society. Several high-profile cases — for example, the celebrated black-buck poaching cases involving popular film personalities — have shown that wealth and power are sometimes used to escape conservation laws. The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 is the principal law in India that protects wild animals, birds and plants. Hunting of wild animals included in Schedule I and Schedule II of the Act is strictly prohibited; offenders face imprisonment up to seven years and heavy fines. The Project Tiger (1973) and Project Elephant programmes, along with notified national parks, sanctuaries and tiger reserves, further protect endangered species. The Tiger King, written long ago, remains painfully relevant.
5. We need a new system for the age of ecology — a system which is embedded in the care of all kinds of life. Discuss with reference to the story.
Answer: “The Tiger King” delivers a powerful message about ecological imbalance long before climate change became a daily headline. The Maharaja’s reckless killing of tigers wipes them out from two entire kingdoms. Such destruction breaks the food chain, threatens biodiversity, and damages the environment in ways that hurt humans too. The ecological vision the world urgently needs must rest on three principles: first, every form of life — predator or prey — has a place in the web of nature; second, no human privilege of birth or power justifies the destruction of other species; third, environmental policy must be enforced firmly enough that the rich and powerful obey it. The story warns that any society which allows the strong to harm the weak — whether other humans or animals — is ultimately fragile, like the proud Tiger King who falls to a splinter of wood.
Talking About the Text
1. Discuss in pairs or small groups: Man’s greed for material things has resulted in ecological imbalance.
Answer: Human beings, blinded by the desire for wealth, comfort and prestige, have continuously exploited natural resources without thought for renewal. Forests are cleared for timber and agriculture; rivers are polluted by industries; wildlife is hunted for skins, horns and trophies. As a result, ecological imbalances such as global warming, soil erosion, species extinction and changing rainfall patterns now threaten human life itself. “The Tiger King” provides a vivid example: the Maharaja’s selfish desire to defy a prophecy wipes out an entire tiger population. In our own world, similar greed has pushed many species — from the Bengal tiger to the Asian elephant — towards endangerment. Sustainable development, conservation laws and environmental ethics are essential if human civilisation is to survive.
2. Astrologers’ prediction influences the lives of people. Do you think astrology is a science or just a superstition?
Answer: Astrology has been part of Indian cultural and intellectual tradition for thousands of years and is taken seriously by many people. Some argue that the position of stars and planets at birth gives broad indications of personality, but no controlled scientific experiment has ever proven that planetary positions can predict specific events such as marriage dates, job offers or — as in the story — death by a particular animal. Modern science treats astrology as a pseudo-science. In “The Tiger King” the prophecy is fulfilled, but only ironically through a wooden tiger; the story may be read either as proof of fate or as a satire on how superstition controls weak minds. A balanced view would be that astrology may guide self-reflection, but it should not control rational decisions.
3. People in power lose their balance of mind. Do you agree?
Answer: Yes, history repeatedly shows that absolute power often leads to imbalance of mind. The Maharaja in “The Tiger King” is a perfect illustration. Surrounded by flatterers and obeyed at every command, he loses the ability to distinguish between healthy ambition and obsessive cruelty. He misuses public money, alienates his subjects, threatens dancers, and kills hundreds of innocent animals — all to satisfy his private fear. Many real-life rulers from history — Roman emperors, medieval kings, modern dictators — exhibit a similar pattern: power isolates the powerful from reality. The lesson of the story is that power must be balanced by wisdom, accountability and humility.
Working with Words
1. The story is written in a satirical style. Notice the following phrases. What do they mean?
| Phrase | Meaning in the Story |
|---|---|
| indomitable courage | Unconquerable / fearless courage — exaggerated bravery attributed to the prince. |
| military expertise | Skill in warfare and weapons — used mockingly because the Maharaja showed it only against tigers, not enemies. |
| devout worshipper | One who worships sincerely — used ironically; the Maharaja “worships” his own ego rather than any god. |
| lasting words of wisdom | Memorable, profound advice — said sarcastically about a baby’s first words. |
| the merciful Lord | God shown as compassionate — humorously suggesting divine mercy is reserved for tigers, not the Maharaja. |
| a frightened look in their eyes | Fearful look — refers to courtiers who fear the Maharaja, not the tigers. |
| thumping his chest | Boasting proudly — the Maharaja’s exaggerated self-congratulation. |
2. Now look at these examples from the text. What do the phrases in italics suggest?
- “He thought it would not be safe to leave the matter at that” — the Maharaja was suspicious and wanted further reassurance from the astrologers.
- “He felt enraged at this affront” — he viewed the British officer’s request as an insult to his royal pride.
- “His Highness’s most worthy heir” — said sarcastically about the spoiled child whose toy ironically kills his father.
- “They might have to lose their jobs” — fear of dismissal explains the hunters’ deceitful conduct.
Additional Short Answer Questions (2-3 marks)
Q1. Who was the Tiger King? Why was he so called?
Answer: The Tiger King was Maharaja Sir Jilani Jung Jung Bahadur of Pratibandapuram. He was so called because he had vowed to kill one hundred tigers in order to defeat the prophecy that he would be killed by a tiger. He successfully killed ninety-nine tigers and believed he had killed the hundredth too.
Q2. What was unusual about the birth of the Crown Prince of Pratibandapuram?
Answer: The unusual feature was that the new-born infant astonished everyone by speaking like an adult immediately after birth. He asked the astrologers and physicians to disclose his future, which is impossible for a real new-born baby. This dramatic device introduces the satirical and exaggerated tone of the story.
Q3. What did the chief astrologer prophesy about the prince?
Answer: The chief astrologer prophesied that the prince was born in the auspicious hour of the Bull, but since the Bull and the Tiger were enemies in the celestial scheme, his death would come from a tiger. This prediction shaped the entire course of the prince’s life.
Q4. How did the prince react to the astrologer’s prophecy?
Answer: The prince was unafraid. He spoke fearlessly and said, “Let tigers beware!” These dramatic, defiant words foreshadowed his lifelong obsession with killing tigers and his attempt to defeat fate.
Q5. What kind of upbringing did the Maharaja receive?
Answer: The Maharaja was brought up entirely in English fashion. An English nanny tended him, an Englishman tutored him, he learnt English, and he watched only English films. Such an upbringing reflected the colonial influence on Indian princely states of the time.
Q6. What was the royal proclamation issued by the Maharaja?
Answer: The Maharaja proclaimed that anyone except himself who hunted tigers in his kingdom would have all their property confiscated. The proclamation made tiger-hunting his exclusive royal privilege and reflected his autocratic nature.
Q7. Why did the Maharaja refuse the British officer’s request?
Answer: The Maharaja refused because he wanted to keep the privilege of tiger hunting strictly for himself. If he allowed a British officer to hunt or even be photographed with a tiger he had killed, other officers would demand the same favour, and he feared losing his throne.
Q8. Why did the Maharaja send diamond rings to the officer’s wife?
Answer: Since he had refused the officer’s request, the Maharaja feared he might lose his kingdom. To pacify the British officer, he sent three dozen diamond rings worth around fifty thousand rupees as a gift to his wife, expecting her to choose only one or two. To his surprise she kept all of them, and the bill came to three lakhs.
Q9. Why did the Maharaja decide to marry?
Answer: All the tigers in his own kingdom were dead, and his count had reached only seventy. He decided to marry a princess from a kingdom with a large tiger population so that he could continue tiger hunting whenever he visited his father-in-law and complete the count of one hundred.
Q10. How did the Maharaja’s hunters deceive him about the hundredth tiger?
Answer: When the Maharaja shot at the old tiger brought from the People’s Park, the bullet missed and the tiger fainted from shock. Fearing dismissal, the hunters secretly killed the tiger and assured the Maharaja that he had killed the hundredth tiger himself.
Q11. How did the Maharaja celebrate the hundredth tiger?
Answer: The Maharaja was overjoyed at completing his vow. He ordered a grand procession through the town with the tiger’s body, and asked the State astrologer to be brought before him so he could prove his triumph over fate.
Q12. What gift did the Maharaja buy for his son’s third birthday?
Answer: On his son’s third birthday, the Maharaja went to a toy-shop in Pratibandapuram and bought a wooden tiger as a gift. The toy was crudely carved and rough, with sharp little wooden slivers on its surface.
Q13. How did the Maharaja die?
Answer: While playing with his son, a tiny sliver from the wooden tiger pierced the Maharaja’s right hand. The wound became infected and a suppurating sore spread up his arm. Three famous surgeons operated on him, but in vain — the Maharaja died, fulfilling the astrologer’s prophecy in an ironic way.
Q14. What is the irony in the death of the Tiger King?
Answer: The Maharaja, who had killed ninety-nine real tigers and believed he had killed the hundredth, was finally killed by a wooden tiger. The “tiger” that took his life was not a beast at all but a small toy. Fate fulfilled its prediction in the most ironic and unexpected way.
Q15. What does the Tiger King’s life teach us about pride and arrogance?
Answer: The story teaches that excessive pride and arrogance can blind a person to truth and reality. The Maharaja’s belief that he could control fate by force led him to acts of cruelty and misuse of power. In the end, fate had the last laugh, reminding us that humility, wisdom and compassion are far more valuable than authority.
Long Answer Questions (5-8 marks)
Q1. “The Tiger King is a satire on the conceit of those in power.” Discuss with reference to the story.
Answer: Kalki’s “The Tiger King” is one of the finest political satires in modern Indian short fiction. It mocks the autocratic princes of pre-independence India, showing how their unchecked power, exaggerated titles and superstitious habits made them ridiculous. The Maharaja of Pratibandapuram bears a comically long title — Sir His Highness Jamedar-General Khiledar-Major Sahib Bahadur Maharajadhiraja Visva Bhuvana Samrat Sir Jilani Jung Jung Bahadur — which itself ridicules the inflated self-importance of such rulers. He believes he can defeat fate, control nature, bribe the British and override the will of the people. He bans tiger hunting for everyone except himself, marries strategically to find more tigers and sacrifices animals, ministers, and money on the altar of his ego. The author exposes this conceit through dramatic irony — the man who killed ninety-nine tigers cannot truly kill even the hundredth, and is finally killed by a wooden splinter. Kalki’s satire is gentle but sharp, his humour mock-heroic, and his message timeless: power without wisdom or humility always ends in absurd downfall.
Q2. Examine the role of dramatic irony in “The Tiger King”.
Answer: Dramatic irony lies at the heart of “The Tiger King”. From the very first line — “The Tiger King is dead” — the reader knows the destination of the story; only the path remains to be told. As the Maharaja eagerly counts each tiger, the reader senses the pointlessness of his struggle against fate. When his hunters secretly kill the fainted hundredth tiger, the Maharaja celebrates a victory he has not actually won; the reader knows the truth, the King does not. The crowning irony comes at the end: the Maharaja is killed by a tiny sliver of a wooden tiger toy bought for his own son. The man who made it his life’s mission to kill a hundred tigers cannot save himself from a wooden one. In this single image, dramatic irony reaches perfection — the boastful man, his rituals, his proclamations, his marriage and his hundred kills are all reduced to a wooden splinter and a quiet, undignified death. Kalki uses dramatic irony not just for humour but for moral instruction — to remind us that no human power outwits fate.
Q3. “The Tiger King contains a strong ecological message.” Discuss.
Answer: Long before “ecology” became a popular term, Kalki used “The Tiger King” to deliver a powerful environmental message. The Maharaja’s reckless slaughter of tigers wipes them out from his own kingdom and from his father-in-law’s kingdom too. Hundreds of innocent animals are killed not for survival or food, but for the satisfaction of one man’s superstition. The story shows three ecological truths: first, ruthless hunting can drive an entire species to local extinction; second, ecological imbalance disrupts the natural order between predator and prey; third, animals exist in nature for their own sake, not for human entertainment. The Maharaja’s death by a wooden tiger can be read as nature’s final, symbolic revenge — a reminder that humanity cannot escape the consequences of its cruelty. The story prepares the reader to value wildlife protection, conservation laws and ecological balance. In the age of climate change and species extinction, Kalki’s nearly hundred-year-old story reads like a fresh warning.
Q4. Sketch the character of the Maharaja of Pratibandapuram.
Answer: The Maharaja of Pratibandapuram, popularly known as the “Tiger King”, is one of the most memorable comic-tragic characters in Indian English short fiction. He is brave, well-built, an accurate marksman, fluent in English and trained in royal ways. Yet his bravery is corrupted by superstition. From the moment the prophecy is uttered at his birth, his life becomes one long battle against fate. He kills tigers obsessively, bans others from hunting, misuses state finances by sending diamond rings worth three lakhs, and even chooses his marriage partner to keep his hunting going. He is autocratic, vain and surrounded by sycophants. Yet beneath the bluster, he is also pitiable — a man who never knew childhood freedom from fear, who dies imagining he had defeated fate, and whose only true human feeling is the love that prompts him to buy a toy tiger for his son. That very love kills him. He is at once tyrant and victim, conqueror and clown — a character through whom Kalki critiques the entire feudal-colonial order of pre-independence India.
Q5. The story shows how those in power surround themselves with flatterers. Explain.
Answer: Kalki’s story is a sharp study of court flattery. The Maharaja is surrounded by people whose first concern is to keep him pleased. The dewan, fearing dismissal, secretly hauls an old tiger from the People’s Park in Madras and releases it in the forest. The hunters, fearful for their jobs, secretly kill the fainted hundredth tiger and lie to the Maharaja. The shopkeeper sells him an overpriced wooden tiger because the Maharaja is the customer. The British officer’s wife, exploiting the Maharaja’s anxiety, keeps three lakhs’ worth of diamond rings instead of one. None of these people offer the truth. They feed the Maharaja’s illusions because the truth would cost them their position. Kalki’s lesson is that absolute power isolates the powerful; surrounded by yes-men, they lose touch with reality and march unknowingly to their downfall. The pattern remains relevant in every age of history.
Q6. How is the Maharaja’s encounter with the British officer significant in the story?
Answer: The Maharaja’s encounter with the British officer is a small but pointed episode that reveals two evils at once — colonial vanity and royal weakness. The high-ranking British officer wants to hunt a tiger in Pratibandapuram simply because hunting tigers was a colonial trophy custom. When refused, he settles for being photographed beside a tiger killed by the Maharaja, which is itself an exercise in colonial showing-off. The Maharaja in turn refuses even this, fearing loss of his throne, and finally bribes the officer’s wife with three dozen diamond rings worth fifty thousand rupees per ring. She keeps all of them; the bill rises to three lakhs. The episode satirises both sides — the British greed for trophies and tribute, and the Indian prince’s spinelessness in throwing away public money to protect his crown. Together, the encounter shows how the colonial-feudal alliance fed on each other’s vanity at the cost of the people.
Q7. Discuss the title “The Tiger King” — how is it ironic?
Answer: On the surface, the title “The Tiger King” sounds majestic — a king over tigers, a slayer of one hundred of them, a man so feared by big cats that they dare not attack him. The reality, however, is the opposite of every word. He is no real king of tigers; he kills them not in fair contest but with rifles from elephant-back, and the hundredth one is brought to him already drugged and defeated. He is, in fact, a king afraid of tigers, who lives his entire adult life in dread of one. The crowning irony is that the man who killed ninety-nine tigers is killed at last by a wooden tiger. Thus, the title is heavily ironic: it suggests royal command over an animal kingdom, but the story reveals a king mastered by his own superstition. The irony of the title sets the tone for the entire satire.
Q8. Who do you think is responsible for the Maharaja’s death — the wooden tiger, the toy-shop owner, the Maharaja himself, or fate? Justify.
Answer: Strictly speaking, the Maharaja’s death is caused by an infection from a wooden splinter. But the deeper responsibility lies with the Maharaja himself. His life-long obsession with the prophecy made him pursue tigers obsessively; that obsession produced the very situation in which a wooden tiger toy could be the agent of his death. The toy-shop owner is at most an indirect cause — he sold a poorly carved toy at a high price, but he did not intend any harm. The doctors did their best but failed. Fate, in the language of the story, simply weaves all these tiny incidents into one inevitable end. The story suggests that the Maharaja sealed his own destiny by refusing to accept any limit upon his power. Pride, arrogance and an inflated sense of importance produced the very chain of events that destroyed him. The lesson is that individuals are largely responsible for the destinies they create through their own choices.
Q9. The story is rich in humour. Comment on Kalki’s use of humour and exaggeration.
Answer: Kalki’s humour is gentle, mocking and pointed. The story opens with a baby talking like a philosopher; the Maharaja’s titles run on for a paragraph; the dewan personally drags a tiger across town in his old car; the British officer’s wife happily keeps three dozen diamond rings; and the great tiger-slaying hero finally dies of a splinter. These exaggerations are part of the mock-heroic style, which celebrates trivial things in grand language and grand things in trivial language. Kalki uses humour not just to entertain but to expose folly. By laughing at the Maharaja, the reader laughs at the entire tradition of feudal pride and colonial flattery. Behind the humour, however, lies a serious moral: power without wisdom destroys both the holder of power and the world around him. Kalki’s gentle laughter is one of the most powerful weapons in Indian literary satire.
Q10. What lessons does “The Tiger King” teach us about life?
Answer: “The Tiger King” teaches several lasting life lessons. First, no human can outwit fate by force; humility before the unknown is wiser than defiance. Second, power must be balanced by responsibility; without it, kings, ministers and modern leaders alike fall into vanity and cruelty. Third, animals are not toys for human ego; ecological balance demands their protection. Fourth, flattery destroys both flatterers and flattered, because it removes truth from public life. Fifth, pride goes before a fall — the Maharaja’s death by a splinter is the perfect illustration of this proverb. Finally, the story urges us to see ourselves clearly and not be carried away by titles, possessions and prophecies. Through the absurd, almost comic life of the Tiger King, Kalki delivers a moral message that remains as fresh today as when it was written.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
1. Who is the author of “The Tiger King”?
(a) R. K. Narayan
(b) Kalki Krishnamurthy
(c) Mulk Raj Anand
(d) Khushwant Singh
Answer: (b) Kalki Krishnamurthy
2. “Kalki” is the pen name of —
(a) C. Rajagopalachari
(b) R. Krishnamurthy
(c) Kamala Subramaniam
(d) Sujatha Rangarajan
Answer: (b) R. Krishnamurthy
3. The Maharaja of Pratibandapuram is also known as —
(a) Lion King
(b) Tiger King
(c) Elephant King
(d) Bull King
Answer: (b) Tiger King
4. The astrologer predicted the prince would die because of —
(a) a snake
(b) a tiger
(c) an elephant
(d) a horse
Answer: (b) a tiger
5. The prince was born under the sign of —
(a) the Tiger
(b) the Lion
(c) the Bull
(d) the Snake
Answer: (c) the Bull
6. The Crown Prince was unusual at birth because —
(a) he was very tall
(b) he had a tiger mark
(c) he could speak like an adult
(d) he refused to drink milk
Answer: (c) he could speak like an adult
7. The first words of the infant prince were —
(a) “Tigers will rule”
(b) “Let tigers beware”
(c) “I am the king”
(d) “Bring my crown”
Answer: (b) “Let tigers beware”
8. The prince was brought up by —
(a) a Tamil nanny
(b) an English nanny
(c) the Queen Mother
(d) a Brahmin priest
Answer: (b) an English nanny
9. At what age did the prince become Maharaja?
(a) 16
(b) 18
(c) 20
(d) 25
Answer: (c) 20
10. How many tigers did the Maharaja vow to kill?
(a) 50
(b) 75
(c) 100
(d) 200
Answer: (c) 100
11. According to the State astrologer, which tiger should the Maharaja be most careful with?
(a) the first
(b) the fiftieth
(c) the ninety-ninth
(d) the hundredth
Answer: (d) the hundredth
12. The Maharaja banned tiger-hunting for everyone except —
(a) British officers
(b) himself
(c) the dewan
(d) his hunters
Answer: (b) himself
13. What did the Maharaja send to the British officer’s wife?
(a) a tiger skin
(b) gold coins
(c) three dozen diamond rings
(d) a wooden tiger
Answer: (c) three dozen diamond rings
14. How much did the rings finally cost the Maharaja?
(a) Rs. 50,000
(b) Rs. 1,00,000
(c) Rs. 3,00,000
(d) Rs. 5,00,000
Answer: (c) Rs. 3,00,000
15. Why did the Maharaja decide to marry?
(a) to gain wealth
(b) to find more tigers in his father-in-law’s state
(c) to please his dewan
(d) to become more powerful
Answer: (b) to find more tigers in his father-in-law’s state
16. How many tigers had the Maharaja killed before the hundredth?
(a) 70
(b) 90
(c) 99
(d) 100
Answer: (c) 99
17. Where was the old tiger that became the “hundredth” originally kept?
(a) Mysore Zoo
(b) People’s Park in Madras
(c) Calcutta Zoo
(d) Bombay Park
Answer: (b) People’s Park in Madras
18. What actually happened when the Maharaja “shot” the hundredth tiger?
(a) he killed it instantly
(b) the bullet missed; the tiger fainted
(c) the tiger ran away
(d) he was wounded
Answer: (b) the bullet missed; the tiger fainted
19. Why did the hunters secretly kill the fainted tiger?
(a) for sport
(b) for money
(c) for fear of losing their jobs
(d) on the dewan’s order
Answer: (c) for fear of losing their jobs
20. What gift did the Maharaja buy for his son’s third birthday?
(a) a real tiger cub
(b) a wooden tiger
(c) a toy gun
(d) a horse
Answer: (b) a wooden tiger
21. What was wrong with the wooden tiger toy?
(a) it was too heavy
(b) it had a sharp painted face
(c) its surface had tiny rough wooden slivers
(d) it was too expensive
Answer: (c) its surface had tiny rough wooden slivers
22. Where did the wooden sliver enter the Maharaja’s body?
(a) left foot
(b) right hand
(c) chest
(d) neck
Answer: (b) right hand
23. What was the cause of the Maharaja’s death?
(a) a tiger attack
(b) infection from a wooden splinter
(c) poisoning
(d) heart attack
Answer: (b) infection from a wooden splinter
24. The literary device most prominent in the story is —
(a) alliteration
(b) dramatic irony
(c) onomatopoeia
(d) personification
Answer: (b) dramatic irony
25. The main theme of “The Tiger King” is —
(a) loyalty in friendship
(b) the futility of human pride against fate
(c) the joys of hunting
(d) royal romance
Answer: (b) the futility of human pride against fate
Extract-Based Questions
Extract 1
“The Maharaja was furious. He gave strict orders that all tiger hunting was forbidden, and that anyone who killed tigers in his state would have all their wealth and possessions confiscated.”
(i) Why was the Maharaja furious?
Answer: Because the tiger population in his kingdom was being hunted by others and he wanted to keep the privilege of killing tigers strictly for himself.
(ii) What does the order reveal about the Maharaja’s nature?
Answer: It shows that he is autocratic, possessive, and obsessed with controlling everything — including the lives of innocent animals — to fulfill his vow.
(iii) What kind of punishment did he announce?
Answer: Anyone who hunted tigers in his state would have all their wealth and possessions confiscated.
(iv) Choose the word from the extract that means “officially declared not to be allowed”.
Answer: “forbidden”.
Extract 2
“In no time the Maharaja was in danger of losing his throne. The famous astrologer had predicted… but the Maharaja was even more anxious about the hundredth tiger.”
(i) Why was the Maharaja in danger of losing his throne?
Answer: Because he had refused permission to a high-ranking British officer to hunt a tiger in his state, fearing that other officers would also demand the same favour.
(ii) Why was he most anxious about the hundredth tiger?
Answer: The State astrologer had warned that he must be most careful with the hundredth tiger, since it could fulfil the prophecy of his death.
(iii) What does the extract reveal about royal life of the time?
Answer: It shows how Indian princes lived under the constant pressure of pleasing British officers, and how superstition controlled royal decisions.
Extract 3
“The infection spread all over his arm. Three famous surgeons were brought from Madras. After holding a long consultation, they decided to operate. The operation was performed. The three surgeons came out of the theatre and announced that the operation was successful. Then they declared that the Maharaja was dead.”
(i) What caused the infection?
Answer: A tiny sliver of wood from the cheap wooden tiger toy bought for his son’s third birthday pierced the Maharaja’s right hand.
(ii) Why is the surgeons’ statement ironic?
Answer: They declare the operation a success and the patient dead in the same breath. The contradiction highlights the dramatic irony that runs throughout the story.
(iii) How does this extract complete the prophecy?
Answer: The hundredth “tiger” — a wooden one — finally takes its revenge on the Tiger King, fulfilling the astrologer’s prediction in a deeply ironic manner.
(iv) Pick out a word from the extract that means “discussion among experts”.
Answer: “consultation”.
Extract 4
“The Tiger King is dead.”
(i) Whose death is referred to?
Answer: The death of the Maharaja of Pratibandapuram, who was popularly called the “Tiger King”.
(ii) Why does the author begin the story with this line?
Answer: Beginning with the death creates curiosity and dramatic irony — the reader knows the destination from the start, and the rest of the story builds toward this end.
(iii) What does the line foreshadow?
Answer: It foreshadows the inevitable triumph of fate over human arrogance.
Important Vocabulary from the Lesson
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Pratibandapuram | The fictional kingdom ruled by the Tiger King. |
| Astrologer | One who predicts the future from stars and planets. |
| Prophecy | A prediction about the future. |
| Indomitable | Impossible to subdue or defeat; unconquerable. |
| Proclamation | A public, official announcement. |
| Confiscate | To take or seize someone’s property by authority. |
| Dewan | The chief minister of an Indian princely state. |
| Sliver | A small thin piece of wood broken off a larger piece. |
| Suppurating | Forming pus; festering. |
| Affront | An insult or offence. |
| Sycophant | A person who flatters someone in power for personal gain. |
| Mock-heroic | A literary style that treats trivial subjects with grand language. |
| Dramatic Irony | A situation where the audience knows what the character does not. |
Conclusion
“The Tiger King” by Kalki is a brilliant satirical short story prescribed in Vistas for ASSEB / AHSEC Class 12 students. Through the absurd and ironic life of the Maharaja of Pratibandapuram, Kalki delivers a sharp critique of vanity, autocratic power, sycophancy and the cruel exploitation of nature. The story reminds the reader that no one — however powerful, well-armed or surrounded by flatterers — can ultimately escape destiny. Its mock-heroic style, dramatic irony and ecological message make it a timeless tale and a favourite in board examinations. We hope this complete HSLC Guru study guide — covering summary, character sketches, themes, NCERT textbook answers, additional short and long questions, MCQs, extract-based questions and vocabulary — helps every Class 12 student of Assam prepare confidently for the AHSEC HS examination.