The Tiger King by Kalki
INTRODUCTION
Kalki takes his readers to the days of autocratic and eccentric kings. These kings lived under the thumb rule of Britishers, hence they fear them. In order to make the story mysterious Kalki has added supernatural element in the story. The haughty king disapproved the prophecy made by the astrologer about his death, but his death from the wooden tiger(100th tiger) approved it.
Kalki takes his readers to the days of autocratic and eccentric kings. These kings lived under the thumb rule of Britishers, hence they fear them. In order to make the story mysterious Kalki has added supernatural element in the story. The haughty king disapproved the prophecy made by the astrologer about his death, but his death from the wooden tiger(100th tiger) approved it.
The
story ‘The Tiger King’ is satire on the conceit of 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 foolish pursuits. Even the
coteries who surround these power centers are interested in taking advantage of
the proximity for their own welfare. This is a story about transience-of life,
of power and reverberates the maxim: “Too many slips between a cup and a lip.”
Justification
of Title
“The Tiger King” is a very
appropriate title for the story for several reasons. First of all, the king is
crazy about tiger hunting so much that he marries a princess whose father’s
kingdom has a sizeable tiger population. He kills one hundred tigers just to
fulfill his vow. Secondly, the king with all his frenzy, anger and ruthlessness
is as ferocious as a tiger. Thirdly, he dies of a silver prick received from a
wooden toy tiger. Finally, the prediction that a tiger would cause the king’s
death also comes true. Since the story revolves round the king and the hundred
tigers that he kills, it could not be better titled than “The Tiger King”.
Irony
and Satire in ‘The Tiger King’
‘The Tiger King’ is replete with
irony that reveals the follies of autocratic and willful rulers who flout all
laws and bend them to suit their selfish interests. The dramatic irony in
the story is sharp when the Tiger King alone is unaware that his bullet had not
killed the hundredth tiger. The other characters and the readers anticipate his
doom as he celebrates his triumph over his destiny. We realize how misplaced
the King’s pride at killing the first tiger was. The astrologers had
prophesied, “You may kill ninety nine tigers like this, but your death will be
brought on by the hundredth tiger.” The King wanted to prove the astrologer
wrong and to save his life. Ironically, to avert death he actually invites it.
The lofty titles used to introduce the Tiger King, suggesting an invincible
ferocity are indeed ironic for he is finally killed by a cheap, crudely made
wooden toy tiger which became the tool of Nature’s revenge. He had killed a
hundred tigers in vain and must be punished for it. Irony is indeed sharp
when the surgeons announce the operation successful and declare the king dead.
Instances
of Satire
Satire employs irony, sarcasm,
ridicule, etc. in exposing and criticizing follies and vices in men. The story
uses humour to criticize self-seeking Kings who willfully exploit both nature
and their subjects for sefish interests.
- When the
Maharaja of Pratibandhpuram was told that he would be killed by a tiger,
he could never imagine the twist in fate where a toy tiger could be fatal.
Because of his conceit, he was unprepared for such surprises flung by life
at him.
- The grandeur
associated with a king’s life proves a mockery. The news of the king’s
ailment invited not one, but three surgeons. They got so tied up in
technicalities that they declared the operation successful even though the
king died.
- The story also
satirizes the corrupting influence of power. Just because the Tiger King
had power, he felt he could browbeat his subjects and even defeat fate. He
neglected his responsibility as a ruler. He neglected the
welfare of his subjects, his family, increased and reduced taxes at will
and sacked his officers. They feared him or else he would have learnt the
truth.
- When we see
the king gloating over his bravery after killing the hundredth old,
weak tiger, we notice that Kalki is satirizing the notions of cowardice
and bravery. There is no heroism in fighting an unequal battle. The King’s
cowardice was obvious when he justifies that one may kill even a cow in
self defense.
- Kalki is also
criticizing the King’s men and subjects who pander to his whims out of
fear or like the shopkeeper manipulate and fool him.
Light
humour in the Tiger King
- The instance
of the Stuka bomber
- The king’s
offer of mouse hunt etc
- The incoherent
blabbering by the Dewan and the Chief Astrologer
- The Dewan procuring
an old tiger from people’s park and its stubborn refusal to get off the
car and the description of its waiting in humble supplication to be shot.
- The shopkeeper
quoting three hundred rupees for a cheap two annas and a quarter toy
tiger
What is the author’s indirect comment on subjecting innocent
animals to the wilfulness of human beings?
Ans. Through this satirical story the author has rightly portrayed how
human beings have subjected innocent animals to untold torture and death,
merely to fulfill their own whims and fancies. The maharaja’s indiscriminate
killing of tigers led to their extinction in some states, but the maharaja was
oblivious to the grave consequences his action was leading to. In order to
prove an astrologer wrong the maharaja went on a killing spree proving his
dominance over the hapless animals.
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. Maharaja’s minions were subservient and sycophantic. Most of them were
scared of Maharaja and tried to keep him in good humour by obeying his orders.
They did not dare to disobey him as his displeasure could mean loss of their
job or even loss of their lives.
The
astrologer was afraid of predicting his death , till Maharaja told him to “
speak without fear”. Dewan who should have advised the king not to kill the
tigers did not dare to go against his wishes and aided his marriage to a
princess whose father’s kingdom possessed a large number of tigers. Being
afraid of losing his job, he presented an old tiger to satisfy the whims of his
Maharaja. Likewise , the hunters chose not to inform him of the survival of the
100th tiger and instead killed it themselves fearing that
they might lose their jobs. Even the shopkeeper, who sold the king a cheap
wooden toy tiger, quoted a higher price lest he should be punished under the
rules of emergency.
So
,it is evident that the king’s minions were driven by fear rather than any
feelings of sincerity towards their ruler.
Today’s
political order is no different— we know too well that many of the people in
power are not there because of their ability but because of their influence and
power. Moreover, others pander to them for their own vested interests rather
than for the good of the country.
ADDITIONAL
QUESTIONS SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS
Q1 Why do you think, the author goes into detailed identification of
the Tiger King through a variety of titles ? Does he really mean to humour him
?
Answer : Kalki, the author of the story , has no intention of praising
the king. In fact, immediately after addressing him with a variety of titles,
he brings an anticlimax by telling his readers that his name is shortened to “
Tiger King “ .
Q2 How did the tiger king acquire his name? (2009)
Ans. The Tiger King was Maharaja of Pratibandapuram. He came to be known as
tiger king as at his birth it was predicted by the royal astrologer that he
would be killed by a tiger .And to disprove this prediction he started killing
the tigers indiscriminately and killed 99 tigers.. Moreover , he was ferocious
like a tiger.
Q3.What do you understand by “threat of a Stuka bomber”?
Ans. Stuka Bomber was a German ground attack aircraft which was known
for its high accuracy in hitting its target and terrorizing sound it emitted.
Through
the reference of Stuka Bomber , the author wants to convey that he intends to
tell why Maharaja of Pratibandapuram came to be known as Tiger King and nothing
,not even horrifying Stuka Bomber could compel him to digress from the topic.
Q4 What was the miracle that took place in the royal palace?
Ans. When the Maharaja was a 10 day old infant, he spoke and asked
intelligent questions about his death. After knowing that he would be killed by
a tiger he uttered saying “Let tigers beware.”
Q5 What
predictions did the astrologers make at the birth of the tiger king?
Ans:
The astrologers predicted that the newly born prince will grow up to become the
hero of heroes, brave of the bravest and a great warrior. He also predicted
that the baby was born in the hour of the bull. The bull and tiger were
enemies. Therefore, he would die because of the tiger.
Q6 What led Maharaja to set on tiger hunt?
Q7 What justification did the tiger king give before he started out
on tiger hunt?
(
Believes in the saying ‘You may kill a cow in self defence’
Had
no objection in killing tigers in self defence)
Q8 What did the State astrologer say he would do ‘if the hundredth
tiger were also killed’?
Ans. The State astrologer was so sure of his prediction that he
announced that he would cut off his ceremonial tuft, crop his hair short and
become an insurance agent in case the king was able to kill the 100th tiger, too. He was sure that the Maharaja’s death
would be caused by the 100th tiger.
Q9. What did the high-ranking British officer wish to do? Was his wish
fulfilled?
Ans. The high-ranking British officer wanted to kill a tiger. When he
was denied the permission for hunting, he sent a word to the king that he would
be happy if he was allowed to get photographed with the dead body of a tiger
killed by the king. However, his wish remained unfulfilled.
Q10 What did the British officer’s secretary tell the Maharaja? Why
did the Maharaja refuse permission?
Q11 How did the Maharaja manage to save his throne?
Ans. The Maharaja had annoyed the visiting senior British officer over
the issue of tiger-hunting and ‘stood in danger of losing his kingdom itself’.
So, the Maharaja and the Dewan decided to placate and pacify the officer
through bribe by sending gifts of expensive diamond rings to the ‘duraisani”,
the wife of the British officer. Thus he managed to save his throne.
Q12 How did the ‘duraisani’ behave on receiving the gifts?
Ans. Some fifty samples of expensive diamond rings were sent to the
duraisani and it was expected that she would select one or two and return the
rest. But the lady proved to be greedy as she retained all of them and merely
sent a letter of thanks.
Q13. What unforeseen hurdle brought the tiger hunt to a standstill?
Ans. Within ten years Maharaja’s tiger hunting had resulted in the
killing of seventy tigers. However his tiger killing mission came to a sudden
standstill because the tiger population became extinct in the forest of
Pratibandapuram.
Q14 Why did the Maharaja suddenly decide to marry? Whom did he wish to
marry?
Ans. The Maharaja suddenly decided to marry because firstly, he was of
marriageable age and secondly, he wanted to kill thirty more tigers in his father-in-law’s
state in order to complete the tally of hundred tigers .For this reason he
wished to marry a girl in the royal family of a state with a large tiger
population.
Q15 Why did Maharaja order the dewan to double the tax?
Ans. The Maharaja called the dewan and ordered him to immediately
double the tax of the villagers who had informed him of a tiger in the forest
because despite his best efforts he was unable to locate the beast. This
infuriated the Maharaja.
Q16.Why did the Dewan decide to give up his own tiger to be killed by the
Maharaja?
Answer
: The dewan had hidden in his house an old tiger which had been brought from
the People’s Park in Madras . He feared that if the Maharaja did not get a
tiger to hunt, the result would be catastrophic and he would lose his job.
Q17 What was Dewan’s tiger like? How did he take it into the forest?
- weak, senile
- Dewan arranged the tiger from The People’s
Park
- at midnight dragged the tiger and shoved him
into the car, went to the forest, hauled the beast out of the car, and
pushed him to the ground near Maharaja’s camp
Q18 How the 100th tiger was finally found & killed?
Ans. The Dewan took the 100th tiger which he
had brought from people’s park in Madras. The tiger wondered into Maharaja’s presence.
The king shot it but it was not killed; the hunters killed to escape from
king’s anger.
Q19 Why was the Maharaja overcome with elation when he thought he had
killed the hundredth tiger?
Answer
: The Maharaja was overcome with elation on having killed the hundredth tiger
because his vow had been fulfilled. By killing the hundredth tiger, he thought
the prophecy about his death had been disproved. On his command , the dead body
of the hundredth tiger was taken in grand a procession through the town and
buried . A tomb was erected over it.
Q20 What did the Maharaja buy as a birthday gift for his son?
Ans. The Maharaja wished to give his son a very special gift on his
birthday and he bought a wooden toy tiger as a perfect birthday gift for his
son.
Q21.Why does the author say the hundredth tiger took its final revenge?
LONG
ANSWER QUESTIONS
1. How did the Tiger King meet his end? What is ironical about his death?
The
wooden toy tiger the king had got as a birthday present for his son had been
carved by an unskilled carpenter. It had a rough surface with tiny slivers of
wood standing up like quills all over it. One of those slivers pierced the
Maharaja’s right hand and although the king pulled it, his arm got infected. In
four days, it developed into a suppurating sore and spread all over the arm.
The king died while being operated upon.
The
king’s death is ironical but not surprising for the reader who is, in fact,
looking forward to it. Having ‘killed’ the 100th tiger, the king
is jubilant for he has fulfilled his vow and disproved the prediction of the
royal astrologer. He is now at ease for he thinks he cannot die of a tiger’s
attack. No wonder, he orders the ‘dead’ tiger to be taken in a procession
through the town and gets a tomb erected over it. All this while he does not
know that the 100th victim was not killed by him but by other hunters.
That is indeed quite ironical. Death is lurking around him and the king is
unaware of it. Again, it is ironical that a king who has killed 99 tigers and
is bold and fearless dies of a mere ‘sliver’ on the body of a wooden tiger.
Thus, ironically death does come to him from a tiger.
Q2 “The operation is successful.
The maharaja is dead.”
comment on the irony of the situation.
- The three
famous surgeons were called from Madras to treat the Maharaja.
- The whole
incident is a satire on the life of rich and people in power.
- Everything in
their life should be grand be it a disease, purchases or treatment.
- So when
the Maharaja got hurt by a wooden splinter, specialist from Madras were
called
- The surgeons
discussed and debated for some time and decided to operate
- At the end of
the operation they said the operation was successful but theMaharaja was dead.
- As if the
procedure was important to them but life had no meaning for them.
- The job of
doctors is to save people and not highlight the technicalities of the
treatment.
- But here it
was just that, poor Maharaja was relegated to a nonentity whose life was not of much
consequences to them.
Q3 . Discuss the title of the story ‘The Tiger King’.
Ans.
The Tiger King is an appropriate title for the story for several reasons. First
of all, the king
is
very involved with tiger hunting so much so that he marries a princess whose
father’s
kingdom
has a sizable population. He kills hundred tigers just to fulfill his vows.
Secondly,
the
king with all his frenzy, anger and ruthlessness is as ferocious as a tiger.
Thirdly, he
dies
of a silver prick received from a wooden tiger toy. Finally the prediction that
a tiger
would
cause the king’s death also comes true. Since the story revolves round the king
and
the hundred tigers he kills, the title could not be more apt
Q Bring out satire in the chapter.
- Satire on young princes and maharajas of
native Indian states having long names and descriptive titles
- satirizes the upbringing and education
of crown princes of Indian States. Ridicules the attitude of Indian
princes who emulate Britishers
- Criticizes Indian who considered
Britishers as Gods and Goddesses (durai ,duraisani)
- Satirises the conceit and whims of those
in power
Q6*.
“The king was capricious, arbitrary and whimsical” Do you agree? Give a
reasoned answer
GIST
OF THE LESSON
The
Maharaja Sir Jilani Jung Jung Bhadur was called “Tiger King”.
When
he was just 10 days old he asked intelligent questions to the
astrologers and was told that he would be killed by a tiger. He uttered “Let
tigers beware!”
No
other miracle took place, the child grew like any other Royal child drinking
white cow’s milk, taught by an English tutor, looked after by an English nanny
and watched English films.
When
he was 20, he was crowned as king. It was then the prediction of his death by
the tiger reached the Maharaja’s ear and he in turn to safe
guard himself killed a tiger and being thrilled he told the astrologer who
replied that he can kill 99 tigers but should be careful with the 100th.
From
then on he started killing tiger and none was allowed to hunt tigers. A
high-ranking British officer visited the state that was fond of hunting tiger
and his wish was declined.
The
officer requested for getting a photograph with a tiger killed by Maharaja and
this request was rejected.
So to
please the officer’s wife he sent 50 diamond rings expecting that she
would take 1 or 2 instead she kept all the rings costing 3 lakh rupees and sent
‘thanks’ to the Maharaja. But his state was secured.
In 10
years he killed 70 tiger and didn’t find any in Pratibandapuram so he
decided to marry a girl from royal state which had more tigers to complete his
target.
Whenever
he visited his in-laws he killed 5-6 tigers. So he killed 99 tigers
and was feverishly anxious to kill the 100th but couldn’t find.
News
about the presence of a tiger near a village proved disappointing.
Now
the Dewan was warned of his danger so he visited ‘People’s Park in Madras’ and
brought an old tiger and placed it in the forest and informed the Maharaja.
The
Maharaja took great care and shot the tiger and left the place with great
triumph.
The
bullet did not hit the tiger but out of fear the tiger had collapsed.
Now the staff killed the tiger and brought it in grand procession.
It
was the 3rd birthday of the Maharaja’s son and he wanted to buy a
present from the toyshop. He bought a wooden tiger which was poorly
carved.
While
the Maharaja was playing with the prince a tiny sliver of the wooden tiger
pierced his right hand which later on caused his death. Thus the hundredth
tiger takes his final revenge upon the “Tiger King”.
NCERT
QUESTIONS
Q1.
“The story is a satire on the conceit of those in power”. How does the author employ
the literary device of dramatic irony in the story?
The
story – a satire on the conceits, whims & fancies of people in power. The
king’s arrogance, obstinacy & anger are of very high dimension – All his
minions tremble when he calls them
(Dramatic
irony involves a situation in which the readers shares with the author
knowledge of which a character is ignorant.)
Examples:
King
didn’t know the 100th tiger was brought by dewan , but readers knew
King
did not know that the actual cost of the toy tiger was 2 annas
When
the king had shot the tiger ,he thought he killed the 100th tiger. But the
readers as well as king’s officers and minions knew that it was not killed ,
but only fainted.
King
was not aware that the prediction of the astrologer proved correct and he was
killed by 100th tiger (i.e. toy tiger)
Q2 What
is the author’s indirect comment on subjecting innocent animals to the
wilfulness of human beings?
Ans. Through
this satirical story the author has rightly portrayed how human beings have
subjected innocent animals to untold torture and death, merely to fulfill their
own whims and fancies. The maharaja’s indiscriminate killing of tigers led to
their extinction in some states, but the maharaja was oblivious to the grave
consequences his action was leading to. In order to prove an astrologer wrong
the maharaja went on a killing spree proving his dominance over the hapless
animals.
Q3.
How would you describe the behaviour of the Maharaja’s minions towards him? Do
you find them truly sincere towards him or are they driven by fear when they
obey him? Do we find a similarity in today’s political order?
Ans.
Maharaja’s minions were subservient and sycophantic. Most of them were scared
of Maharaja and tried to keep him in good humour by obeying his orders. They
did not dare to disobey him as his displeasure could mean loss of their job or
even loss of their lives.
The
astrologer was afraid of predicting his death , till Maharaja told him to “
speak without fear”. Dewan who should have advised the king not to kill the
tigers did not dare to go against his wishes and aided his marriage to a
princess whose father’s kingdom possessed a large number of tigers. Being afraid
of losing his job, he presented an old tiger to satisfy the whims of his
Maharaja. Likewise , the hunters chose not to inform him of the survival of the
100th tiger and instead killed it themselves fearing that they might lose
their jobs. Even the shopkeeper, who sold the king a cheap wooden toy tiger,
quoted a higher price lest he should be punished under the rules of emergency.
So
,it is evident that the king’s minions were driven by fear rather than any
feelings of sincerity towards their ruler.
Today’s
political order is no different--- we know too well that many of the people in
power are not there because of their ability but because of their influence and
power. Moreover, others pander to them for their own vested interests rather
than for the good of the country.
ADDITIONAL
QUESTIONS SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS
Q1 Why
do you think, the author goes into detailed identification of the Tiger King
through a variety of titles ? Does he really mean to humour him ?
Answer :
Kalki, the author of the story , has no intention of praising the king. In
fact, immediately after addressing him with a variety of titles, he brings an
anticlimax by telling his readers that his name is shortened to “ Tiger King “
.
Q2 How
did the tiger king acquire his name? (2009)
Ans.
The Tiger King was Maharaja of Pratibandapuram. He came to be known as tiger
king as at his birth it was predicted by the royal astrologer that he would be
killed by a tiger .And to disprove this prediction he started killing the
tigers indiscriminately and killed 99 tigers.. Moreover , he was ferocious like
a tiger.
Q3.What
do you understand by “threat of a Stuka bomber”?
Ans. Stuka
Bomber was a German ground attack aircraft which was known for its high
accuracy in hitting its target and terrorizing sound it emitted.
Through
the reference of Stuka Bomber , the author wants to convey that he intends to
tell why Maharaja of Pratibandapuram came to be known as Tiger King and nothing
,not even horrifying Stuka Bomber could compel him to digress from the topic.
Q4 What
was the miracle that took place in the royal palace?
Ans. When
the Maharaja was a 10 day old infant, he spoke and asked intelligent questions
about his death. After knowing that he would be killed by a tiger he uttered
saying “Let tigers beware.”
Q5 What
predictions did the astrologers make at the birth of the tiger king?
Ans:
The astrologers predicted that the newly born prince will grow up to become the
hero of heroes, brave of the bravest and a great warrior. He also predicted
that the baby was born in the hour of the bull. The bull and tiger were
enemies. Therefore, he would die because of the tiger
Q6 What
led Maharaja to set on tiger hunt?
Q7 What
justification did the tiger king give before he started out on tiger hunt?
(
Believes in the saying ‘You may kill a cow in self defence’
Had
no objection in killing tigers in self defence)
Q8 What
did the State astrologer say he would do ‘if the hundredth tiger were also
killed’?
Ans. The
State astrologer was so sure of his prediction that he announced that he would
cut off his ceremonial tuft, crop his hair short and become an insurance agent
in case the king was able to kill the 100th tiger, too. He was sure that
the Maharaja’s death would be caused by the 100th tiger.
Q9.
What did the high-ranking British officer wish to do? Was his wish fulfilled?
Ans. The
high-ranking British officer wanted to kill a tiger. When he was denied the
permission for hunting, he sent a word to the king that he would be happy if he
was allowed to get photographed with the dead body of a tiger killed by the
king. However, his wish remained unfulfilled.
Q10 What
did the British officer’s secretary tell the Maharaja? Why did the Maharaja
refuse permission?
Q11 How
did the Maharaja manage to save his throne?
Ans. The
Maharaja had annoyed the visiting senior British officer over the issue of
tiger-hunting and ‘stood in danger of losing his kingdom itself’. So, the
Maharaja and the Dewan decided to placate and pacify the officer through bribe
by sending gifts of expensive diamond rings to the ‘duraisani”, the wife of the
British officer. Thus he managed to save his throne.
Q12 How
did the ‘duraisani’ behave on receiving the gifts?
Ans.
Some fifty samples of expensive diamond rings were sent to the duraisani and it
was expected that she would select one or two and return the rest. But the lady
proved to be greedy as she retained all of them and merely sent a letter of
thanks.
Q13.
What unforeseen hurdle brought the tiger hunt to a standstill?
Ans. Within
ten years Maharaja’s tiger hunting had resulted in the killing of seventy
tigers. However his tiger killing mission came to a sudden standstill because
the tiger population became extinct in the forest of Pratibandapuram.
Q14 Why
did the Maharaja suddenly decide to marry? Whom did he wish to marry?
Ans. The
Maharaja suddenly decided to marry because firstly, he was of marriageable age
and secondly, he wanted to kill thirty more tigers in his father-in-law’s state
in order to complete the tally of hundred tigers .For this reason he wished to
marry a girl in the royal family of a state with a large tiger population.
Q15 Why
did Maharaja order the dewan to double the tax?
Ans. The
Maharaja called the dewan and ordered him to immediately double the tax of the
villagers who had informed him of a tiger in the forest because despite his
best efforts he was unable to locate the beast. This infuriated the Maharaja.
Q16.Why
did the Dewan decide to give up his own tiger to be killed by the Maharaja?
Answer
: The dewan had hidden in his house an old tiger which had been brought from
the People’s Park in Madras . He feared that if the Maharaja did not get a
tiger to hunt, the result would be catastrophic and he would lose his job.
Q17 What
was Dewan’s tiger like? How did he take it into the forest?
weak,
senile
Dewan
arranged the tiger from The People’s Park
at
midnight dragged the tiger and shoved him into the car, went to the forest,
hauled the beast out of the car, and pushed him to the ground near Maharaja’s
camp
Q18 How
the 100th tiger was finally found & killed?
Ans.
The Dewan took the 100th tiger which he had brought from people’s park in
Madras. The tiger wondered into Maharaja’s presence. The king shot it but it
was not killed; the hunters killed to escape from king’s anger.
Q19 Why
was the Maharaja overcome with elation when he thought he had killed the
hundredth tiger?
Answer
: The Maharaja was overcome with elation on having killed the hundredth tiger
because his vow had been fulfilled. By killing the hundredth tiger, he thought
the prophecy about his death had been disproved. On his command , the dead body
of the hundredth tiger was taken in grand a procession through the town and
buried . A tomb was erected over it.
Q20 What
did the Maharaja buy as a birthday gift for his son?
Ans. The
Maharaja wished to give his son a very special gift on his birthday and he
bought a wooden toy tiger as a perfect birthday gift for his son.
Q21.Why
does the author say the hundredth tiger took its final revenge?
LONG
ANSWER QUESTIONS
1.
How did the Tiger King meet his end? What is ironical about his death?
The
wooden toy tiger the king had got as a birthday present for his son had been
carved by an unskilled carpenter. It had a rough surface with tiny slivers of
wood standing up like quills all over it. One of those slivers pierced the
Maharaja’s right hand and although the king pulled it, his arm got infected. In
four days, it developed into a suppurating sore and spread all over the arm. The
king died while being operated upon.
The
king’s death is ironical but not surprising for the reader who is, in fact,
looking forward to it. Having ‘killed’ the 100th tiger, the king is
jubilant for he has fulfilled his vow and disproved the prediction of the royal
astrologer. He is now at ease for he thinks he cannot die of a tiger’s attack.
No wonder, he orders the ‘dead’ tiger to be taken in a procession through the
town and gets a tomb erected over it. All this while he does not know that the
100th victim was not killed by him but by other hunters. That is indeed
quite ironical. Death is lurking around him and the king is unaware of it.
Again, it is ironical that a king who has killed 99 tigers and is bold and
fearless dies of a mere ‘sliver’ on the body of a wooden tiger. Thus,
ironically death does come to him from a tiger.
Q2 “The operation is successful.
The maharaja is dead.” comment on the irony of the situation.
The
three famous surgeons were called from Madras to treat the Maharaja.
The
whole incident is a satire on the life of rich and people in power.
Everything
in their life should be grand be it a disease, purchases or treatment.
So
when the Maharaja got hurt by a wooden splinter, specialist from
Madras were called
The
surgeons discussed and debated for some time and decided to operate
At
the end of the operation they said the operation was
successful but theMaharaja was dead.
As if
the procedure was important to them but life had no meaning for them.
The
job of doctors is to save people and not highlight the technicalities of the
treatment.
But
here it was just that, poor Maharaja was relegated to a nonentity
whose life was not of much consequences to them.
Q3 .
Discuss the title of the story ‘The Tiger King’.
Ans.
The Tiger King is an appropriate title for the story for several reasons. First
of all, the king
is
very involved with tiger hunting so much so that he marries a princess whose
father’s
kingdom
has a sizable population. He kills hundred tigers just to fulfill his vows.
Secondly,
the king
with all his frenzy, anger and ruthlessness is as ferocious as a tiger.
Thirdly, he
dies
of a silver prick received from a wooden tiger toy. Finally the prediction that
a tiger
would
cause the king’s death also comes true. Since the story revolves round the king
and
the hundred tigers he kills, the title could not be more apt
Q4.
‘The Tiger King’ can be seen as Kalki’s comment on the British influence on the
feudal
lords and the reason for their alienation from their own culture and people.
Discuss.
Ans.
The Tiger King comes across as a person who was given to understand that
everything
belonging
to the English was worth emulating and everything Indian was useless. So
much
so that the milk given to the young prince was from an English cow. He was
brought
up by an English nanny, tutored in English by an Englishman and if he ever saw
movies
they were English films. This lifestyle was not peculiar to the king’s family
alone
but
it was the case of most of the feudal lords all over India. This resulted in the
lopsided
development
of these rulers and was the main cause of their alienation from their culture,
environmental
needs of their kingdom. In their attempts to please the Britishers they had
different
set of norms for their own subjects. Hence, where compassion was required
they
showed ruthlessness and brutality.
Q5 Bring
out satire in the chapter.
Satire
on young princes and maharajas of native Indian states having long names and
descriptive titles
satirizes
the upbringing and education of crown princes of Indian States. Ridicules the
attitude of Indian princes who emulate Britishers
Criticizes
Indian who considered Britishers as Gods and Goddesses (durai ,duraisani)
Satirises
the conceit and whims of those in power
Q6*.
“The king was capricious, arbitrary and whimsical” Do you agree? Give a
reasoned answer
Q7.The
story` Tiger King` reflects `the whims and fancies of people in power’
Elucidate
Q8.Describe
the efforts made by the Tiger King to achieve his target of killing a hundred
tigers? (2
Q.9.
What prediction was made by the astrologers about the Tiger King? How did it
come true?
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