THE TIGER KING

MANISH SRIVASTAVA, B.P.S. BAHRAICH

manishsrivastava49@gmail.com

Q.) What is the matter of vital importance that the

author wants to disclose in 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. 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.
Q.) 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, hero of heroes, champion of
champions. They also foretold that the child born under this
star will one day have to meet its death.
(Q.) What was the miracle that happened when the
astrologers predicted about the death of the new born
child?
(Ans When the astrologer predicted the forthcoming death of
the new born baby he demanded the sages to disclose the
manner of death and uttered an intelligent phrase that
everybody born under the sun will one day have to die and
showed no care for the awaiting end.
(Q.) 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 had not only opened its lips in speech but
also raised intelligent questions. This was incredible and was
rather like the bulletins issued by the war office.
(Q.) 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 are enemies; therefore, death comes from
the tiger.
(Q.) 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.
(Q.) 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
astrology books, set them on fire and cut off his tuft, crop his
hair short and would become an insurance agent.
(Q.) What did the Maharaja do to realize his ambition
of killing 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 that he would attend to all
other matters only after killing hundred tigers.
Q.) What did the Maharaja and dewan do to avoid the
danger of losing the throne?
(Ans) The Maharaja and dewan were convinced to get
samples of expensive diamond rings of different designs from
a famous British Company of jewelers in Calcutta with the
expectation that the duraisani would 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.
Q.) 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 while the actual killing could be done by the
Maharaja himself. The Maharaja did not agree saying that if
he relented, what he would do if other British officers turned
up for tiger hunts.
Q.) Why did the Maharaja decide to marry a girl of 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.
Q.) What was special about the gift which 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 toyshop and
decided it was a perfect gift. The shopkeeper 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.
(Q.) 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.
(Q.) 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 that the Tiger King is brought up by an
English nanny, is tutored in English by an Englishman. He is
given the milk of an English cow and watches English movies
only.
(Q.) The story is a satire on the conceit of those in
power. Discuss.
(Ans) The story satirizes the conceit 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 wishes to disprove
an astrologer’s prediction about his death.
The Tiger King bans the tiger killing in his state. Only the
Maharaja can kill the tigers. He goes out on a hunting spree
and makes it his main occupation. After killing seventy tigers,
its population becomes extinct. He gets married to a princess
from a neighboring kingdom with a large tiger population. The
author satirizes the rulers using humour as a tool when the
British Officer wants to be photographed with a tiger that he
has not killed, as it is a status symbol. The story exposes the
fondness of officials in pre partition days for portraying
themselves as brave.
The Tiger King’s eccentricity makes him whimsical and
conceited. In pre partition days Indian rulers are scared of the
British officers, yet in their own state, they behave like
autocrats.