Q1.Who is the hero of the story ‘The Tiger King’ ? How may he be identified?

Ans. The Maharaja of Pratibandapuram is the hero of this story. He may be

identified as His Highness Jamedar-General, Khiledar-Major, Sata Vyaghra Samhari,
Maharajadhiraja Visva Bhuvana Samrat, Sir Jilani Jung Jung Bahadur, M.A.D.,
A.C.T.C., or C.R.C.K. This name is often shortened to the Tiger King.

Q2.What does the author consider imperative right at the start?

Ans. Author considers it imperative to disclose a matter of vital importance about the
Tiger King. He was a man of indomitable courage. Eveiyone who reads of him will
have a natural desire to meet him face-to-face. But there is no chance of its fulfilment
as the Tiger King is dead.

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

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

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

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

Q6. Why did the Maharaja order the dewan to double the land tax? [All India
2014]
Ans. Maharaja went out on an expedition to find the hundredth tiger. The tiger could
not be found. That is why in anger he ordered the dewan to double the land tax.

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

Q8. How did the crown prince Jung Jung Bahadur grow up?
Ans. The infant had an uneventful childhood. He grew up just like other royal princes
of Indian states during the British rule. The prince grew taller and stronger day by
day. The boy drank the milk of an English cow. He was brought up by an English
nanny and tutored in English by an Englishman. He saw nothing but English films.
Q9. How does the author satirise the upbringing and education of crown
princes of Indian states?
Ans. The author makes us laugh by pointing out the excessive love of the Indian
kings and queens for English education and English way of fife. They seemed so
enamoured of everything English that the crown princes drank the milk of English
cows, were brought up by English nannies and tutored in English by Englishmen.
They saw only English films. Thus, they were Indians only in flesh and blood, but
aped Englishmen in culture and manners.

Q10. Why did the Maharaja ban tiger hunting in the state? [Delhi 2014]
Ans. Maharaja banned the tiger hunting in the state. Because he wanted to prove
the predictions of state astrologer wrong that he would be killed by the hundredth
tiger. That is why he put a ban on the hunting of tigers on all the tiger-rich forest of
Pratibandapuram.

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

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

Who is the Tiger King? Why does he get that name?

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

What will the Maharaja do to find the required number of tigers to kill?
Ans. Within ten years the Maharaja was able to kill seventy tigers. Then the tiger population
became extinct in the forests of Pratibandapuram. One day the Maharaja sent for the dewan
and asked him if he was aware of the fact that thirty tigers still remained to be shot down by
his gun. The dewan shuddered with fear. The Maharaja told him that he had decided to get
married. He asked the dewan to draw up statistics of tiger populations in different native
states. Then he was to investigate if there was a girl he could marry in the royal family of a
state with a large tiger population. This plan was put into practice. The dewan found the right
girl from a state which possessed a large number of tigers. The Maharaja killed five or six
tigers each time he visited his father-in-law. Thus, he was able to find the required number of
tigers to kill. He shot ninety-nine tigers.
What will now happen to the astrologer? Do you think the prophecy was indisputably
disproved?
Ans. In order to save his skin, the dewan got an old tiger brought from the People’s Park in
Madras. It was kept hidden in his house. One midnight with the help of his aged wife, he
dragged the tiger to the car and shoved it into the seat. He himself drove the car straight to
the forest where the Maharaja was hunting. The dewan hauled the beast out of the car and
pushed it down to the ground. Next day, the same old tiger wandered into the Maharaja’s
presence. The Maharaja was overjoyed. He took careful aim at the beast. The tiger fell down
in a crumpled heap. The Maharaja was extremely happy that he had killed the hundredth
tiger.
The hunters found that the old tiger was not dead. It had only fainted on hearing the sound
of the bullet. They did not want the Maharaja to know this fact and lose their jobs. iSo one of
them shot at it and killed it. The dead tiger was taken in procession through the town and
buried there. A tomb was erected over it.
The prophecy was not disproved as the king met his death with the infection caused by the
sliver of a wooden tiger. The astrologer was already dead. He could not be punished or
rewarded.

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

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