The Tiger King | Extra Question Answer English & Notes

The Tiger King Extra Question Answer English edumantra.net

In this post, we’ll share The Tiger King Extra Question Answer English & Notes. We have used very simple language to explain answers. This will help you to understand The Tiger King chapter.  

Extra Questions, Notes, Assignment and study material for Class 12th as Per CBSE Syllabus

Chapter- 2  The Tiger King

By- Kalki

Kalki – A Short BiographyThe Tiger King

Kalki – A Short Biography - The Tiger King

 Kalki Krishnamurthy (1899 —1954), better known by his pen name Kalki, was a Tamil writer, journalist, poet, critic and Indian independence activist.

 His writings include over 120 short stories, 10 novelettes, 5 novels, 3 historical romances, editorial and political writings, biographies, travelogues and hundreds of film and music reviews. Kalki has the skill to take the reader into the times of the story.

Theme / Central Idea of the Lesson. Analysis of The Tiger King

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The story ‘The Tiger King’ is a satire on those in power. Most of the time the rulers are not interested in serving the people or work for the welfare of the public; instead, they spend their time in foolish pursuits. This is a story about the transience of life. The story is about crime and punishment. Kalki has used humour, irony and conversational narrative style to bring out the theme.

Theme of the Lesson – The Tiger King (2) :

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The Tiger King’ is a story about the transience of life and power. It is a satire on the conduct of the people in power. It is found that most of the time, the rulers are not interested and bothered about working for public welfare. Rather, they spend their time in foolish things. Most of the people, who surround these powerful people, are also interested in taking advantage of the proximity for their own welfare.

Justify the title of The Tiger King

title of The Tiger King

“The Tiger King” is a very appropriate title for the story for several reasons. First of all, the king is crazy about tiger hunting and he marries a princess whose father’s kingdom has a sizeable tiger population. He kills one hundred tigers just to fulfil his vow. Secondly, the king with all his frenzy, anger and ruthlessness is as ferocious as a tiger. Thirdly, he dies of a sliver prick received from a wooden toy tiger. The prediction that a tiger would cause the king’s death also comes true. Since the story revolves around the king and the hundred tigers that he kills, it could not be better titled than “The Tiger King”.

Moral/ Message of the lesson – The Tiger King

Moral/ Message of the lesson - The Tiger King

Through this satirical story, the author has rightly portrayed how human beings have subjected innocent animals to untold torture and death, merely to fulfil their own whims and fancies. The Maharaja’s indiscriminate killing of tigers led to their extinction in some states, but the Maharaja was oblivious of the grave consequences his action was leading to. The author strikes home the message that the ruler’s primary duty should be the welfare of the citizens.

Chapter Nutshell of the Lesson – The Tiger King

1.Satire on the conceit of those in power.

2.A comment on politicians who put personal gratification, fulfilment of their own whims and fancies above the good of the masses or even good governance.

3. Pride has a fall, self-destructive nature of man.

4.The need for conservation of wildlife.




Content of the Lesson – The Tiger King

1.Astrologers’ prediction about the tiger king: Astrologers predicted at his birth that since the prince was born in the hour of the bull, the bull and the tiger are enemies hence death would come to him from a tiger.

2. Ten-day-old spoke asked intelligent questions.

3. Once he grew up started tiger hunt, state astrologer predicted he may kill 99 tigers but the hundredth would spell danger.

4.The king’s obsession with tigers.

 (i) the state banned tiger hunting by anyone except the king, proclamation-if anyone dared fling even a stone at a tiger, his wealth and property would be confiscated.

(ii) vowed to attend to all other matters only after killing a hundred tigers.

 (iii) came close to losing his throne when he denied permission to a high ranking British officer to hunt, appeased him with expensive diamond rings, lost three lakh rupees.

(iv) marries a girl from a family of a state with a large tiger population.

(v) 3-year exemption from all taxes for the village where sheep reported missing, ordered land tax to be doubled when not tiger spotted.




Dramatic twist in the ending

1. The king pleased with himself at having proved all astrologers wrong by killing a hundred tigers, gets a wooden tiger for his son’s birthday.

2. Silver pierces his right hand, gets infected, surgeons unable to save his life.

Character sketch of the tiger king

1. Self-centred (decides to deal with matters of the state only when the threat to his life is removed and the 100 tigers are killed).

2.Egoistic (he thinks he can challenge fate, the astrologers and hunt down all the tigers, gloats when he feels he’s succeeded by buying the wooden tiger as a present for his son; likes flatterers, fires anyone who disobeys his orders.

3.Whimsical and irrational (three-year exemption from all taxes, doubles the land tax according to his changing moods).




 Irony In the lesson

 The fact that one can’t defy destiny or fate, the tiger king spends his life in a single-minded pursuit of tigers but finally killed, not by a live tiger but a wooden toy.

Characters of the Lesson – The Tiger King

 The Maharaja or The Tiger King: The Tiger King is a typical royal personality. He was born into a royal family and grew up into a strong young man who at the age of 20 was crowned to be the king of Pratibandapuram. At this time, he came to know about a prophecy relating to his death to be caused by a tiger. He decided to kill all the 100 tigers before a tiger could dare to kill him.

The Tiger King symbolises a ruler having power and authority but none of it is directed to the welfare of the state. He behaves like a dictator and his ministers bow before him in mortal fear. They become a party to his ruthless killing of tigers. He is whimsical and goes to extremes. For example, when he is happy, there are processions, exemption of taxes, etc. but when he is angry, taxes are doubled, punishments become severe. The entire state machinery is misused and manipulated in his pursuit of killing tigers.

Tiger King seems to be crazy, eccentric and inhumane. He starts killing tigers just to prove the prediction wrong. Though he exhibits his valour by killing tigers, he is very coward at heart and is scared of death.




Dewan: The Dewan is a senior courtier but, in reality, holds no authority. He is very scared of the Tiger King and survives at his mercy. Though he is sensible and experienced but is never listened to or given any respect by the king. His practical knowledge helped the king to save his kingdom. When the tiger king refused the British officer to hunt the tiger, it was Dewan’s idea of gifting diamond rings to his wife to save the kingdom from the wrath of the British officer.

 Dewan’s efforts to locate and present the hundredth tiger are very comical. When he got an ultimatum from the King, he brought an old tiger from the circus and placed it in the forest. The Tiger King shoots this tiger and gets the satisfaction of killing the hundredth tiger. Though at times, Dewan appears to be foolish, he is practical enough to save himself.




Short and Simple Summary of the lesson in English- The Tiger King/ Summary in simple Words/ Critical appreciation of the lesson – The Tiger King

Take a look at the following summary example to better understand the chapter “‘The Tiger King,” crafted through careful summary writing.

When Maharaja Jilani Jung Jung Bahadur was born, the astrologers had foretold that One day the king would die. The ten-day-old Jilani Jung Jung Bahadur started speaking; he told them that all those born would have to die one day. He asked the astrologers to tell the manner of his death. Everyone was stunned. An infant born just ten days ago was talking in such a manner. The chief astrologer told the Prince that he was born in the hour of the bull. As bull and tiger were enemies so his death would come from the tiger. The royal arrogance surfaces when the infant pronounces “Let tigers beware!”

The Maharaja grew stronger and took to tiger hunting. He was overjoyed when he killed the first tiger. When he told the chief astrologer about it, the chief astrologer told him that he may kill 99 tigers but he must be careful with the hundredth one. In ten years he killed 70 tigers. He banned the killing of tigers in Pratibandhpuram. The tiger population became extinct at Pratibandhpuram. So the Maharaja, on the advice of the dewan married a princess of a state where the tiger population was large. He would hunt tigers during his visits to his father-in-law. He managed to kill 99 tigers but one was still left. There was no sign of tigers anywhere. The Maharaja could not bear it any more. He raised the land tax and also dismissed some of his men.

Finally, the dewan arranged for a tiger which was brought from the ‘People’s Park in Madras’. It was dragged and driven to the forest and left where it would be spotted by the Maharaja. The Maharaja had taken his men for hunting. He shot the tiger and it dropped dead. The elated Maharaja did not notice that the weak and emaciated tiger had fainted from the shock of the bullet shot. Maharaja’s men knew it but they feared that if they revealed this fact, then they would surely lose their jobs. So they killed the tiger. The Maharaja did not know that he still has one tiger left to be killed.

Maharaja had to attend his three-year-old son’s birthday. He gifted him a wooden tiger. The tiger was made by an unskilled man. Its surface was rough. A wood sliver pierced into the Maharaja’s hand. Next day the infection spread into his whole hand and three surgeons performed the operation but failed to save the king’s life.

Thus the fateful hundredth tiger, though a wooden one, was the cause of the Maharaja’s death and proved the prediction of the astrologer correct.

Summary of the lesson in English- The Tiger King (2)

Here is the Hindi story summary of the chapter “The Tiger King Class 12,” designed to give you a clear understanding of its essential ideas in Hindi.

The Tiger King’ describes the Maharaja Sir Jilani Jung Jung Bahadur of Pratibandapuram. When the king was just 10 days old, astrologers predicted that he would be killed by a tiger. At this, the 10 days old prince, for a surprise to all, uttered, ‘Let tigers beware!’. The child grew like any other royal child, drinking the milk of a white cow looked after by an English nanny and watching English movies.

 At the age of 20, he was crowned as the king and came to know about the prediction relating to his death. From then, he started killing tigers and banned the tiger hunt by any other person in the state. As per the astrologer he needed to be careful with the hundredth tiger even if he had killed ninety-nine tigers.

Once a high ranking British officer visited his state and wanted to go for tiger hunting. But his wish was declined and in order to secure his state from the wrath of the British officer, the Maharaja sent 50 diamond rings worth Rs3 lakh to the officer’s wife.

The Maharaja killed seventy tigers in ten years and there was no tiger left in Pratibandapuram. In order 10 achieve his target of killing a hundred tigers, the Maharaja decided to marry a girl from a royal state which had more tigers to complete his target. Every time, when he used to visit his in-laws, he used to kill 5-6 tigers. In this way, he could kill ninety-nine tigers but couldn’t find the hundredth tiger. The Maharaja got furious for not finding the hundredth tiger and threatened the Dewan who in order to save himself got an old tiger from the circus and with great difficulty placed it in the forest.

The Maharaja shot this tiger and felt happy and victorious. But, in fact, the bullet did not hit the tiger. The tiger collapsed out of fear. But none of the staff wanted to take the risk of telling the truth to the Maharaja. So they killed it and brought it in a grand procession.

  Finally, Tiger King was happy and satisfied. On the third birthday of his son, he bought a wooden tiger for his as a gift. This was so poorly carved that while playing with it, a tiny sliver of the wood pierced the king’s apt hand which later on developed an infection. He was operated upon and during this, he died. Thus, ironically the hundredth tiger, i.e. the wooden tiger, took its revenge and killed the tiger king.

Multiple Choice Questions of the lesson – The Tiger King

1.Kalki, the author of ‘The Tiger King’ has used as a background, days of———- kings dominating their subjects.

(a) just                     (b) brave                  (c) eccentric                      (d) gullible

2.In the story, The Tiger King’ proves to be all powerful———-

 (a) strength of character                       (b) destiny

(c) willpower                                          (d) authority

3.The Maharaja of———- is the hero of the story.

(a) Ramnagar                                   (b) Pratibandapuram

(c) Paltipuram                                 (d) Preetamgarh

4.Band informs the readers in the beginning that the Tiger King is ————

 (a) mortal                                      (b) gullible

(c) eccentric                                  (d) immortal

5.How old was the Prince when he ridiculed the astrologer?

(a) 10 days                               (b) 10 weeks

(c) 10 months                         (d) 10 years

6.The astrologer told the Tiger King that death would come from a tiger because he was born in the hour of the————

 (a) snake                                (b) lion

(c) deer                                  (d) bull

7.What character trait of the prince is revealed when he utters the words, ‘Let Tigers Beware’?

(a) Humility                         (b) Arrogance

(c) Pride                              (d) Will-power

8.The Tiger King was crowned at the age of———-

 (a) 10                               (b) 14

(c) 20                               (d) 24

9.The state astrologer predicted that no harm would come to the Tiger King till the killing of——— tigers

 (a) 89                             (b) 99

(c) 79                            (d) 100

10.The Tiger King’s upbringing was very English. He was given milk of an English cow, watched English movies and ——-

(a) was looked after by an English nanny

 (b) his clothes went to England to be washed

(c) he lived in England

 (d) he loved Indian food

11. The astrologer stated that he would——— if the king killed the 100th tiger

(a) leave the state                       (b) kill himself 

(c) cut his hair                          (d) denounce the world

12.The state———- tiger killing

(a) protected                          (b) encouraged

(c) restricted                         (d) banned

13.A high ranking British officer wished to go on

(a) a tiger hunting expedition

(b) to the jungle

 (c) and investigate the decrease in tiger population

 (d) and remove the Tiger King

14.The Tiger King rejected the British Officer’s request

 (a) for fifty diamond rings               (b) of getting photographed with a tiger

(c) visiting his kingdom                   (d) for killing a tiger

15. ———- became the King’s main occupation

 (a) English (b) Justice (c) Governance (d) Tiger hunting

16.The Tiger King sometimes killed the tiger———–

(a) with bare hands                          (b) without taking aim

 (c) with the help of Dewan            (d) with the help of British Official

17.Maharaja and Dewan——– the British Officer to save the kingdom

(a) entertained                                       (b) bribed

(c) pacified                                           (d) confronted

18.The diamond rings cost the king———

 (a) 3 lakh rupees                          (b) 13 lakh rupees

(c) 18 lakh rupees                       (d) 23 lakh rupees

19. In 10 years of hunting expeditions, the Maharaja killed ———tigers

 (a) 30                                       (b) 50

(c) 70                                       (d) 90

20.——— were left in the kingdom

(a) 30 tigers                           (b) No tigers

(c) A few tigers                     (d) Many tigers

21. Each time the Maharaja visited his father-in-law, he killed——— tigers

 (a) 1-2                                  (b) 5-6

(c) 9-10                                (d) 12-13

22.The Maharaja was sunk in gloom because

(a) there were no tigers to kill

(b) the British officer was angry

 (c) he had not purchased his son’s birthday present

(d) the British officer’s wife accepted all the rings

23.Maharaja on not finding the last tiger———

(a) went to the Madras zoo

 (b) terminated the services of many officers

(c) went to live in the jungle

(d) gave up the idea completely

24.The King thought of——– the land tax.

(a) reducing                          (b) abolishing

(c) doubling                         (d) imposing

25.The frustrated Tiger King asked the Dewan——–

(a) to resign

 (b) to go to far off places in search of a tiger

(c) to invite the British Officer

 (d) to get a tiger from the Madras zoo

26.The old tiger was kept——–

 (a) in the state jail                            (b) hidden in the Dewan’s house

(c) tied to a tree in the jungle         (d) hidden in a car

27.The old tiger had been brought from———-

(a) Calcutta Park                          (b) Business Park

(c) Leisure Park                          (d) People’s Park

28.The Tiger Ring was——- when he thought he had shot the final tiger

(a) related                              (b) sad

(c) stoic                              (d) relieved

29.The 100th tiger had——-

 (a) been shot dead              (b) fainted

(c) disappeared                   (d) been set free

30.Who shot the 100th tiger?

(a) The Tiger King               (b) The Dewan

(c) One of the hunters      (d) The British officer

31.How old was the King’s son?

 (a) One year old              (b) Three years old

(c) Five years old           (d) Seven years old

32.What present did the king buy for his son?

(a) A real tiger             (b) A toy car

(c) A toy tiger             (d) An air gun

33.The original cost of the present was

(a) 2 annas and a quarter        (b) 2 annas and a half

(c) One and a half annas         (d) 3 annas

34. The shopkeeper sold it to the Tiger King for——

(a) 30 rupees                       (b) 60 rupees

(c) 120 rupees                    (d) 300 rupees

35.The wooden tiger was carved by

(a) A master craftsman            (b) An unskilled carpenter

(c) The shopkeeper himself    (d) A British carpenter

36.———stood out of the wooden tiger

(a)Tiny slivers                       (b) Gems             

(c) Engravings of ivory       (d) Chains of silver

37.Identify the literary device in ‘like quills all over it’.

(a) Metaphor                     (b) Simile

(c) Alliteration                  (d) Personification

38. While playing with the prince, the king got hurt when a tiny sliver pierce his

(a) right hand                (b) left hand

(c) right elbow              (d) left the ankle

39.How many surgeons were summoned to attend the king?

(a) 3                (b) 7

(c) 9              (d) 13

40.Where were the surgeons summoned from?

(a) Delhi                   (b) Bombay

(c) Calcutta             (d) Madras

ANSWERS

1.(c) eccentric                        2. (b) destiny                   

3. (b) Pratibandapuram       4.(a) mortal                          

5. (a) 10 days                       6.(d) Bull

7.(b) arrogance                  8. (c) 20                           

 9. (b) 99                           10.(a) was looked after by an English nanny           

11. (c) cut his hair              12.(d) banned               

 13. (a) a tiger hunting expedition      14.(b) of getting photographed with a tiger          

15. (d) Tiger hunting         16.(a) with bare hands             

17. (b) bribed                    18. (a) 3 lakh rupees

19.(c) 70                             20. (b) No tigers

21. (b) 5-6                        22.(a) there were no tigers to kill

23.(b) terminated the services of many officers

24.(c) doubling                                25. (a) to resign

26.(b) hidden in the Dewan’s house  27.(d) People’s Park

28.(a) elated                                        29. (b) fainted

30.(c) One of the hunters                          31.(b) Three years old

32. (c) A toy tiger                                      33.(a) 2 annas and a quarter

34. (d) 300 rupees                                    35.(b) an unskilled carpenter

36. (a) Tiny slivers                               37. (b) Simile (a) right hand

39. (a) 3                                             40. (d) Madras

 Short Answer Type Questions of the lesson – The Tiger King

Q1.What is the matter of vital importance the author wants to disclose at the beginning of the story? Why?

Ans. The author wants to disclose in the very beginning, the fact that the Tiger King has reached the final abode of all living creatures, i.e. the king is dead. The author wants to clarify this matter because he is sure that everyone who reads about him would naturally want to meet this man of indomitable courage face to face.

Q2. What did the astrologers predict about the child when he was born?

Ans. The astrologers predicted that the child would grow to become the warrior of warriors, the hero of heroes, champion of champions. They also foretold that the child born under this star would one day have to meet its death.

Q3. What was the miracle that happened when the astrologers predicted about the death of the born child?

Ans. The newborn ten-day-old child uttered a phrase after hearing the astrologer’s prediction. The phrase shocked and surprised and everyone. The child said, ‘O Wise Prophets!’. When everyone was stunned into shock d silence, the baby said again `O Wise Prophets! It was I who spoke.’

 Q4. Why did the chief astrologer put his finger on his nose in wonder?

Ans. The chief astrologer reacted thus because a baby barely ten days old could open its lips in speech and not only that, it raised intelligent questions. This was incredible and rather like the bulletins issued by the war office.

 Q5. What reason did the astrologer give in support of his answers?

Ans. The astrologer fixed his eyes upon the little prince and explained that the prince was born in the hour of the Bull. The Bull and the Tiger were enemies; therefore, death would come from the tiger.

Q6. What happened when the chief astrologer said that the death would come from a tiger?

Ans. As soon as the crown prince Jung Jung Bahadur heard the word ‘Tiger’, he did not get thrown into a quake. He only gave a deep growl and terrifying words `Let Tigers Beware’, emerged from his lips.

Q7. What was the reply of the astrologer, when the Tiger King asked the astrologer what he would do if the hundredth tiger were killed?

Ans. The astrologer replied that he would tear all his books on astrology, set fire to them and cut off his tuft, crop his hair short and become an insurance agent.

 Q8. What did the Maharaja do to realize his ambition of killing a hundred tigers?

Ans. The State banned tiger hunting by anyone except the Maharaja. Anyone defying this order would lose all his wealth and property. The Maharaja vowed he would attend to all other matters only after killing a hundred tigers. He fired many of his officers for not getting him tigers. He even stayed in the forest for many days. He had married a princess whose father’s kingdom had a large tiger population. The Tiger King had to spend three lakh rupees to impress the British official and discourage him from killing the tigers.

Q9. Why did the Maharaja and dewan do to avoid the danger of losing the throne?

Ans. The Maharaja and dewan connived to get samples of expensive diamond rings of different designs from a famous British Company of jewellers in Calcutta. About fifty rings arrived and were sent to the British Officer’s wife as a gift. They expected her to choose one or two rings and send the rest back. But she kept all the rings and sent back a thank you note. The Maharaja had to pay a bill of three lakhs but was happy that he could save his throne.

 Q10. Why did the Maharaja not agree to the proposal of the British officer’s secretary?

Ans. The British Officer’s secretary had brought the proposal that the officer (Durai) could only take a photograph of himself holding the gun and standing over the tiger’s carcass. The actual killing could be done by the Maharaja. The Maharaja did not agree to say that if he relented, what would he do if other British officers turned up for tiger hunts.

Q11. Why did the Maharaja decide to marry a girl of the royal family from a neighbouring state?

Ans. The Maharaja decided to do this so that he could be allowed to hunt tigers from the state of his father-in-law because in his own state he had killed all the tigers available. He wanted to marry a girl from a state with a large tiger population.

Q12. What did the dewan do on hearing the Maharaja’s threat?

Ans. The dewan and his wife took the tiger which had been brought from the People’s Park in Madras and dragged it to the car and shoved it into the seat. They left the tiger with great difficulty and ensured that it should wander into the Raja’s presence. Everything happened according to their plan. The Maharaja took careful aim at the beast and killed it.

Q13. What was special about the gift the Maharaja had given to the crown prince on his third birthday?

Ans. The Maharaja had decided to give a special gift to the crown prince on his third birthday. He searched for a suitable gift and finally spotted a wooden tiger in a toy shop and decided it was a perfect gift. He paid three hundred rupees to the shopkeeper who convinced him that it was an extremely rare example of craftsmanship. On the contrary, it was rough, carved by an unskilled carpenter and had tiny slivers of wood all over it.

 Q14. How was the Maharaja hurt and what was the result of the wound?

Ans. One of the sharp slivers of wood pierced the Maharaja’s hand. He pulled it out with his left hand and continued to play with the prince. Infection flared in his hand the next day and in four days, it developed into a big sore which spread all over the arm. Despite the operation conducted on him by three famous surgeons, he died. The hundredth tiger had taken its final revenge on him.

Q15. How does the author satirize the upbringing and education of crown princes of Indian States?

Ans. The author satirizes the attitude of Indian royalty during the pre-partition days. The kings wanted to impress the British and believed that all things connected with the British were good. The author ridicules the upbringing of the princes when he says the Tiger King was brought up by an English nanny, tutored in English by an Englishman. He was given the milk of an English cow and watched only English movies.

Q16. Do you agree with the Maharaja’s statement, ‘You may kill even a cow in self-defence’?

Ans. The Maharaja killed the Tigers, not in self-defence but to change his destiny as predicted by the astrologers. He went in search of tigers with the intention of killing a hundred of them. This statement of the Maharaja is not justified by his actions.

Q17. What were the two restricting outside forces that checked the kings in those days from doing exactly what they wished?

Ans. The eccentric kings of pre-partition India were afraid of two things. Firstly the British Officers. They could lose their kingdom if they annoyed the Britishers. Secondly, if the subjects were unhappy the rulers feared they would follow the Indian National Congress. Q18. ‘The bullet had missed it’. How did the hundredth tiger die? Bring out the irony of the situation.

Q19. Why did the Maharaja ban tiger hunting in the state?

Ans. The Maharaja wanted to prove the predictions of the state astrologer wrong regarding his death. The prediction was that he would be killed by the hundredth tiger. In order to hunt a hundred tigers, the Maharaja put a ban on the hunting of tigers by anyone except the Maharaja himself.

 Q20. Why did the Maharaja double the land tax?

 Ans. Ninety-nine tigers had been successfully killed but the hundredth tiger could not be found. News of a tiger being spotted at a hillside village came but it was false. The Maharaja doubled the land tax in anger in order to teach the villagers a lesson.

Q21. What sort of hunts did the Maharaja offer to organise for the high ranking British officer? What trait of the officer does it reveal?

Ans. The Maharaja offered to organise any other hunt in place of the tiger hunt. He offered a boar-hunt. A mouse-hunt could be conducted. The state was ready even for a mosquito hunt.

The officer comes across as vain and shallow.

Q22. What led the Maharaja to start out on a tiger hunt?

Ans. The Maharaja wanted to prove the predictions of state astrologer wrong that he would be killed by the hundredth tiger. In order to save his own life and prove the astrological prediction as incorrect, he started tiger hunting.

 Q23. How did the Maharaja get the name ‘Tiger King’?

Ans. At the time of the birth of the Maharaja of Pratibandapuram, the astrologers declared that the prince would have to die one day. The ten-day-old prince spoke miraculously. He asked the astrologers to reveal the manner of his death. The chief astrologer replied that death would come from a tiger. The young prince growled and uttered the terrifying words: ‘Let tigers beware!’ He later decided to kill a hundred tigers and got the name Tiger king.

Q24. Why was the Maharaja once in danger of losing his kingdom? [Delhi 2017]

Ans. In his quest of procuring the hundredth tiger, the tiger king imposed a ban on tiger hunting in Pratibandhpuram. A British official asked his permission to allow him tiger hunting and subsequently, a photo session with the dead tiger. The king refused and thus ran the risk of losing his kingdom as in those days the British annexed Indian kingdoms on trivial pretexts.

Q25. Why did the Maharaja have to pay a bill of three lakh rupees to the British jewellers? [Delhi 2017]

Ans. At one time the Maharaja was in danger of losing his throne as he had refused a high ranking British officer to hunt tigers in Pratibandapuram. He was very fond of hunting tigers and being photographed with them. Now the Maharaja stood in danger of losing his kingdom itself. To appease the British officer, the Maharaja sent 50 expensive rings to the British officer’s good lady who kept the whole lot. Thus the Maharaja lost three lakh of rupees.

Q26. Why did the Maharaja decide to get married? [All India 2017]

Ans. The Maharaja had exhausted the tiger population in Pratibandhapuram but he still had thirty more to kill, so he asked his dewan to draw up figures of tiger populations in the different native states. He would marry in a royal family with a large tiger population. The dewan found out the right girl. The Maharaja killed five or six tigers each time he visited his father-in-law.

 Q27. Which problem did the Maharaja face when he had killed seventy tigers? How did he solve it? [All India 2017]

Ans. Within ten years of the prediction, The Tiger King was able to kill seventy tigers. Then an unforeseen hurdle brought his mission to a halt as the tiger population became extinct in the forests of Pratibandapuram The Maharaja asked his dewan to draw up figures of tiger populations in the different native states so that could marry into a royal family with a large tiger population. The dewan found out the right girl. The Maharaja used to kill five or six tigers each time he visited his father-in-law. Ultimately, he was able to kill 99 tigers in all.

Q28. When did the Maharaja decide to double the land tax for a village? [All India 2017]

Ans. The hundredth tiger, essential to disprove the prophecy, could not be located. The Maharaja’s anger and desperation were at a height. He called the dewan and arbitrarily ordered him to double the land-tax forthwith. The dewan warned him that the people would rise in revolt. Then their state too would fall prey to the Indian National Congress but the king didn’t relent.

 29. What sort of hunts did the Maharaja offer to organise for the high-ranking British officer? What trait of the officer does it reveal?  

Ans. The Maharaja offered any other hunt except tiger for the high-ranking British officer. He offered a boar hunt, a mouse hunt or even a mosquito hunt. This shows that the officer was very fond of the tiger hunt. Moreover, when he agreed to just get a photograph with the dead tiger, it became evident that he wanted to show himself to be a great hunter in front of others.

30. When and why did the Maharaja decide to get married?

 Ans. The Maharaja had killed all the tigers available in and around his kingdom. Even then thirty more tigers were required to complete his mission to kill a hundred tigers. So he decided to marry a girl from a royal family whose state had a large tiger population.

31. Why did the Maharaja ban tiger hunting in the state?

 Ans. When the Maharaja came to know after killing his first tiger that he had the threat of life from the hundredth tiger, he resolved to kill a hundred tigers. To accomplish his mission, he banned tiger hunting in the state. A proclamation was issued to the effect that if anyone dared to fling so much as a stone at a tiger, all his wealth and property would be confiscated.

32. How did the Dewan manage to get the 100th tiger for the Maharaja?

 Ans. The Maharaja was so determined to kill the hundredth tiger that in his anger, he ordered the Dewan to find the tiger otherwise be prepared to face his wrath. To save his life, the Dewan bought an old tiger from a circus in Madras and hid it in his house. At night, he took the tiger in the car to the forest and left it there ready to be killed by the Maharaja.

33. Why did the Maharaja order the Dewan to double the land tax?

Ans. When the Maharaja could not find the 100th tiger, he grew very angry and frustrated. In his attempt to vent his anger, he ordered the Dewan to double the land tax and let poor the people suffer. Though the Dewan knew that it was unreasonable, he couldn’t do anything.

34. How did the Tiger King become the victim of the hundredth tiger?

 Ans. The hundredth tiger, which caused Tiger King’s death, was a toy tiger. On his son’s third birthday, the Maharaja bought a wooden toy tiger for his son as a gift. One day while playing with this toy with his son, one of its slivers, pierced his right hand. He pulled it out and continued playing. Next day, the infection flared in the Maharaja’s right hand and in four days it spread all over his arm. The Maharaja was operated upon but succumbed to the injury.

35. What gave astrologers the greatest surprise of their life while they were studying the horoscope of the ten-day-old prince?

 Ans. While the astrologers were studying the horoscope of the ten-day-old prince, they told that one day the Tiger King would have to die. At this moment, a great miracle took place. The ten-day-old infant spoke to the astrologers very clearly. This came as a surprise to everyone and the astrologers stood transfixed in stupefaction to hear an infant speaking in such clear language.

36. What made the chief astrologer place his finger on his nose?

Ans. The ten-day-old infant, Jilani Jung Jung Bahadur, addressed the astrologers in a clear voice, using appropriate language. Moreover, the infant asked the manner in which he would die. It was an astonishing thing for the chief astrologer as a ten-day-old baby barely opens its lips in speech. But this baby not only spoke but also raised intelligent questions. So out of surprise, the chief astrologer placed his finger on his nose.

37. How did the Tiger King manage to retain his kingdom?

 Ans. A British officer, while visiting Pratibandapuram wanted to go for tiger hunt. But the Tiger King refused permission to him. So in order to save his king from the wrath of the British officer, the Maharaja bribed the British officer. He sent a gift of expensive diamond rings to his wife expecting that she would choose one or two rings. She kept all the rings and sent a note of thanks to the Maharaja. So the Maharaja spent three lakh rupees to save his kingdom.

38. How did the Tiger King kill the hundredth tiger?                                                        

 Ans. The hundredth tiger was an old tiger brought by the Dewan from the People’s Park Circus, Madras. This tiger was very agile. When it came in front of the Maharaja, he shot at it. The Maharaja had taken a careful aim at the tiger and shot. The tiger crumbled down. The Maharaja got elated with joy and left the place. Later on, it was found that the bullet missed the tiger and it fainted.

39. Why did the Tiger King decide to get married?

 Ans. The Tiger King killed 70 tigers in ten years. There was not even a single tiger left in his state. He had to complete the target of a hundred tigers. So he decided too many a girl from a royal family, whose state had a large tiger population so that he could complete his mission of killing a hundred tigers.

40. When was the Tiger King in danger of losing his throne?

 Ans. A British officer visited Pratibandapuram. He was very fond of tiger hunt and wanted to hunt the tiger in Pratibandapuram. But tiger King didn’t permit him to do so. It was at this point that the king was in danger of losing his throne due to the anger of the British officer. He had to bribe the officer by sending diamond rings worth Rs3 lakh for his wife to save his throne.

41. The manner of the Tiger King’s death is a matter of extraordinary interest. Comment.

Ans. The Tiger King was proclaimed to die of a tiger so he killed a hundred tigers to prove the proclamation wrong. But, in fact, it was a wooden tiger which caused his death. He had bought a wooden toy tiger for his son and while playing with it, one of its slivers pierced his hand which later on got infected. The infection spread in the entire arm and the Maharaja succumbed to his injury. Thus, his death is a matter of extraordinary interest.

42. How did the wooden tiger lead to the death of the Tiger King?

 Ans. The King had bought a wooden tiger for his son as his birthday gift. One day, while playing with this toy tiger, one of the slivers of the toy, pierced his hand which developed an infection. Within four days, the infection got spread in the entire arm. The Tiger King lost his life on an operating table while being operated upon.

43. How did the Tiger King acquire his name?

 Ans. The Tiger King was the king of Pratibandapuram. At the time of his birth, a prediction was made by the chief astrologer that he would meet his end from a tiger. When the infant grew and became the king, he decided to kill a hundred tigers. In order to accomplish his mission, he started killing the tigers and so got the name ‘Tiger King’.

44. What was the Dewan’s tiger-like? How did he take it to the forest?

Ans. The Dewan had bought an old tiger from the People’s Park in Madras. It was a very old tiger. At night the Dewan and his wife dragged the tiger to the car and shoved it into the seat. He drove the car to the forest where the Maharaja was hunting and pulled the tiger out of the car with great effort.

45. What happened to the tiger Provided by the Dewan?

 Ans. The tiger which was provided by the Dewan came in front of the Maharaja and stood in humble supplication. The Maharaja took a careful aim at the tiger and it fell in a crumpled heap. In fact, the bullet had missed it and the tiger fainted from the shock of the bullet whizzing past. Finally, it was killed by the Maharaja’s officers.

46. How did the Tiger King celebrate his victory over the killing of the 100th tiger?

Ans. The Tiger King was overwhelmed with elation when he killed the hundredth tiger. He was feeling satisfied to have fulfilled his vow. He ordered to bring the dead tiger in a grand procession it was buried and a tomb was erected at the burial place.

Important Long/ Detailed Answer Type Questions- to be answered in about 100 -150 words each Value-based questions – The Tiger King

Q1. The story is a satire on the conceit of those in power. Discuss.

Ans. The story satirizes the concept of people in power. They refuse to take no for an answer and their whims become laws for their subjects. This is aptly illustrated by the eccentric behaviour of the Tiger King who wished to disprove an astrologer’s prediction about his death.

The Tiger King banned tiger hunting in his state. Only the Maharaja could kill the tigers. He went out on a hunting spree and made it his main occupation. After killing seventy tigers, its population became extinct. He married a princess in a neighbouring kingdom with a large tiger population. The author satirizes the rulers using humour as a tool. The British Officer wanted to be photographed with a tiger as it was a status symbol. The story exposed the fondness of officials in pre-partition days for portraying themselves as brave.

 The Tiger King’s eccentricity made him whimsical and conceited. He felt happy when he was informed about the presence of tiger that would have completed his mission of killing the hundredth tiger. He immediately announced a three-year exemption from all taxes. When the tiger was not traced for a few days, the king decided to double the taxes, many officers also lost their jobs.

Thus in pre-partition days, though India rulers were scared of the British officers, in their own state, they behaved like autocrats.

Q2. How did the Tiger King meet his end? What is ironical about his death?

Ans. It had been predicted by astrologers that the hundredth tiger would prove to be fatal for the Tiger King. He then set out to hunt all the tigers. He vowed he would attend to all other matters only after he had realized his aim. He managed to kill ninety-nine but the Maharaja’s bullet missed the hundredth tiger who had fainted from the shock of the bullet. The ignorant king was jubilant. It is ironical that the brave king did not know that the hundredth tiger had fainted and had been killed by a hunter.

The wooden toy tiger the king got as a birthday present for his son was the cause of his death. It is ironical that the king who killed many tigers with his bare hands died of a ‘sliver’ from the body of the toy tiger. The sliver caused infection and developed a suppurating sore. The Tiger King died while being operating upon. In this way destiny took its final revenge upon the Tiger King and death ironically came to him from a tiger.

Q3. Give an account of the Maharaja’s encounter with the hundredth tiger and his subsequent death.

Ans. The Maharaja was keen to kill the hundredth tiger. All the tigers seemed to have been killed. The Tiger King left for the forest when the villagers informed him of the activities of a tiger near the hillside. Many officers lost their jobs. Even the dewan was asked to resign.

 The wise old dewan got an old tiger from the People’s Park in Madras. He released it at night in the forest near the Maharaja’s camp. In the morning, the infirm tiger wandered into the Maharaja’s presence and stood before him as if in humble supplication. The Maharaja took careful aim at the beast. It fell down in a crumpled heap. It had fainted from the shock of the bullet whizzing past. One of the hunters fearing the Maharaja’s wrath took aim and shot the tiger dead. The Maharaja could not kill the hundredth Tiger.

It was a wooden tiger from a toy shop that became the cause of the Maharaja’s death. One of the slivers of the badly carved wooden toy pierced the Maharaja’s right hand. The prick developed into a suppurating sore. A surgical operation was performed on his hand, but the king died. The narrator comments that the hundredth tiger (although a toy one) took its final revenge upon the Tiger King.

4. Even today so many among us believe in superstitions. An astrologer predicted about the Tiger King that he would be killed by a tiger. He ‘killed’ one hundred tigers, yet was himself ‘killed’ by a tiger. How did the superstitious belief prevail?

 Ans. The entire story is about an astrological prediction that the tiger king is destined to die of a tiger. The king takes it as a mission to kill a hundred tigers. He kills ninety-nine tigers but misses the target while killing the hundredth tiger. Due to fear of losing their jobs, the hunters didn’t tell him fact and killed the tiger themselves. At this point, the king thought that he had proved the prediction wrong. But the death of the Maharaja due to a wooden tiger again substantiates the superstitious belief by making the prophecy come true.

5. Giving a bribe is an evil practice. How did the Tiger King bribe the British officer to save his kingdom? How do you view this act of his?

 Ans. A British officer had come to visit Pratibandapuram and wanted to go for tiger hunting but the Maharaja did not permit him. He didn’t permit him even to be photographed with a dead tiger so as to stop other officers from getting attracted. There was a fear of a disastrous reaction from this British officer due to the refusal. He could lose his kingdom. So in order to save his kingdom, the Maharaja sent expensive diamond rings to his wife as a bribe. It cost him three lakh rupees.

This shows that the king was, in fact, scared of the British official though he pretended to be very powerful. He was whimsical and selfish.

6. How did the Tiger King achieve his target of killing a hundred tigers?

Ans. In order to achieve his target of killing a hundred tigers, the king issued a proclamation that anyone who dared to fling even a stone at a tiger would lose his wealth and property. The tiger hunt was banned in his state except for the king. He started killing the tigers and killed seventy tigers in ten years. By this time, the tiger became extinct in his state. Then he married a girl of a royal family whose kingdom had maximum tiger population. He killed all the tigers in his father-in-law’s state. He had killed ninety-nine tigers. Finding the hundredth tiger was a big problem. But his Dewan brought an old tiger from People’s Park, Madras, and placed it in the forest. The Maharaja shot at this tiger and fulfilled his mission of killing a hundred tigers.

7. Justify the title of the story ‘Tiger King’.

Ans. The story ‘The Tiger King’ revolves around the king of Pratibandapuram who is given this title due to his obsession for the tiger hunt. From the beginning, it is evident when the royal infant utters first few words, “Let tigers beware.” It was predicted by the astrologers that a tiger would be the cause of his death. When the royal prince was made the king at the age of twenty, he decided to kill a hundred tigers to prove this prediction wrong. All-State work was put away. A marriage of the Tiger king was given priority so that more tigers could be found. The entire story is a narrative of the stupid and inhumane mission of the Maharaja who in order to prevent his death, killed a hundred innocent animals. But, ironically, he died thanks to a tiger only though it was a wooden one.

8. Do you think tiger king’s life would have taken a different course if he had not heard the prophecy about his future? What kind of a king would he have proved to be?

Ans. The Tiger King was brought up and provided with all the privileges of a royal family. He was given the best education. He was well mannered, cultured and sophisticated. He was a strong young man. Like any other crown prince of the Indian state, he was brought up by an English nanny, tutored in English by an Englishman, saw nothing but English films. Had he not heard the prophecy, he would have been a very great and just king. He would have done a lot for the improvement and upliftment of his state. But due to this prediction, he lost all his interest in the matters of the state and devoted himself to the fulfilment of his mission to kill a hundred tigers. The king was a brave and intelligent one but due to this prophecy, all his might and wits are used just to kill the tigers and not for the development of his state.

Value Based Questions and Answers of The Tiger King

1. The story ‘Tiger King’ gives a strong message to preserve wildlife. It is the callous attitude of those in power to plunder natural resources which have led to the miserable condition of Mother Earth. Write an article on the topic.

Ans.                                                  Preservation of Nature—Need of the hour

 Nature—the creator, the mother, the giver, the protector. No doubt nature is the essence of our existence on the earth. It is nature which nourishes us and relieves us from the miseries of life. The beautiful flowers, tall green trees, water streams valleys, birds, insects, animals—all these are part of nature. Nature is a perfect example of balance. But we human beings have no regard for it. With our relentless step, we are destroying nature which has resulted in lots of catastrophic — earthquakes, floods, famine, etc. all due to the prevailing imbalance in nature. The cause of this imbalance is the careless attitude and ruthless destruction of flora and fauna by human beings. It is high time we understood the importance of preservation of nature for the sustenance of human species on the earth.

2. Astrology is considered to be a science which is logical and rational. But the predictions made by astrologers about the Tiger King and its aftereffects seem to be highly irrational. It has brought disastrous effect on Nature. Write a speech to be delivered in the morning assembly on the topic.

Ans.                                                   Rational thinking—Need of the hour

Respected principal, teacher and dear friends,

We are living in an era of scientific and technical development. The twenty-first century is the time when the entire world is coming closer with the use of latest technologies. At this time, the need of the hour is to think rationally. The advancement has raised a lot of issue like environmental pollution, population explosion, unemployment, global warming etc. At this time, we need to be logical in our actions. This is the time when we have to ponder over the consequences of our actions and beliefs. We need to understand the fact that superstitions and blind beliefs can bring disasters and we have to be cautious about it. We need to protect our mother nature for our own survival and for that, we should think and act rationally. Ruthless destruction of flora and fauna will ultimately result in our own destruction.

Thus, I would request all of you to be logical and rational before taking any decision in your life.

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