Read and Find Out
Q1: Who is the Tiger King? Why does he get that name?
Ans: Jilani Jung Jung Bahadur, the ruler of Pratibandapuram, is called the Tiger King. At his birth the astrologers predicted that he would one day die, and when the ten-day-old prince demanded to know how, the chief astrologer declared that his death would come from a tiger. The infant reacted by growling and defying the omen, and vowed to kill one hundred tigers. This vow, and his lifelong obsession with killing tigers in order to disprove the prediction, earned him the name Tiger King.
Q2: What did the royal infant grow up to be?
Ans: The royal infant grew up to be the king of Pratibandapuram who became utterly obsessed with killing one hundred tigers. He pursued this ambition to disprove the astrologer's prediction and, in doing so, exterminated the local tiger population. To achieve his aim he took decisions-such as arranging a marriage for strategic access to more tigers-that showed how single-minded and consumed he had become. His reputation and rule were defined by this relentless pursuit.
Q3: What will the Maharaja do to find the required number of tigers to kill?
Ans: Because his own state had no tigers left, the Maharaja instructed his dewan to arrange a marriage with a princess from a tiger-rich province. By marrying into that family he expected access to new hunting grounds and therefore hoped to reach his target of one hundred tigers.
Q4. How will the Maharaja prepare himself for the hundredth tiger which was supposed to decide his fate?
Ans: The Maharaja prepared for the hundredth tiger with great care and caution. He planned the hunt meticulously and took careful aim when he believed the hundredth tiger appeared. After firing and seeing the animal collapse, he was overjoyed and left the scene confident that he had defeated the omen and secured his fate.
Q5: What will now happen to the astrologer? Do you think the prophecy was indisputably disproved?
Ans: The astrologer dies before the Maharaja of Pratibandapuram achieves his goal of killing one hundred tigers. Disproving the prophecy seems to be the Maharaja's sole driving motive, and he arranges his life around that aim. However, the prophecy cannot be said to be indisputably disproved. Although the Maharaja believes he has shot and killed the hundredth tiger, the emaciated animal only faints and is later taken away by the hunters. Ironically, the king's death is caused indirectly by a sliver from a small wooden toy tiger bought in the market; that splinter pierces him and fulfils the astrologer's prediction. Thus the prophecy stands vindicated, even though its fulfilment is unexpected and not delivered by a living tiger.
Reading with Insight
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?
Ans: Kalki's narrative "The Tiger King" is a clear example of dramatic irony. The ruler behaves and decides as if he can control his fate, while events actually move against his expectations. Kalki uses dramatic irony to show the gap between the king's perception and reality. After the king kills the first tiger, he parades the carcass before the astrologer to prove his superiority, yet the astrologer cautions him to be careful with the hundredth tiger. Determined to disprove the prediction, the king relentlessly seeks out tigers and believes, after shooting an old, weakened animal, that he has slain the hundredth. Those who witness the scene assume the same, but the reader learns-through the ironic twist-that the tiger only fainted and was not killed by the shot. Ultimately, a tiny splinter from the wooden tiger's body causes the king's death. The prediction is therefore fulfilled in a way the king never imagined, which sharpens the satirical critique of his pride and folly.
Q2: What is the author's indirect comment on subjecting innocent animals to the willfulness of human beings?
Ans: Through satire, Kalki criticises human vanity and the desire for domination that lead to cruelty against animals. The Maharaja's relentless hunting drives local tiger populations towards extinction, showing how personal whims and reckless power can cause irreversible damage to wildlife. The narrative condemns senseless killing and exposes the moral cost of treating animals as trophies rather than living beings deserving protection.
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? A
ns: The Maharaja's minions are largely subservient and sycophantic. They obey out of fear of losing office or of incurring punishment, not out of genuine loyalty or principle. The astrologer only speaks when urged to "speak without fear." The Dewan, who could have advised restraint, instead helps arrange the marriage that will supply more tigers. Officers conceal the truth about the survival of the so-called hundredth tiger because they fear the Maharaja's displeasure. Even the shopkeeper inflates the price of a wooden toy tiger, mindful of the emergency rules. These actions show obedience founded on self-interest and fear rather than sincerity. A similar pattern is often visible in modern power structures, where flatterers and opportunists surround those in authority and decisions are driven by influence and advantage rather than merit or public good.
Q4: Can you relate instances of game-hunting among the rich and the powerful in the present times that illustrate the callousness of human beings towards wildlife?
Ans: Yes. Notable examples include the Salman Khan Black Buck poaching case and the Nawab Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi antelope case. Such incidents show how people with influence have, at times, treated wildlife callously-placing sport, prestige, or personal desire above conservation laws and the protection of vulnerable species.
Q5: We need a new system for the age of ecology - a system which is embedded in the care of all people and also in the care of the earth and all life upon it. Discuss.
Ans: Human activity has placed the environment under severe strain: deforestation, pollution, habitat loss and overexploitation are undermining the balance of nature. To safeguard life on Earth we need a new ecological system that embeds care for people and for the natural world. Such a system would emphasise sustainable resource use, strict protection for habitats and species, environmental education, and legal accountability for actions that damage ecosystems. It would also recognise the interdependence of biological and non-biological factors that sustain life. By discouraging destructive practices-such as indiscriminate hunting, reckless deforestation and wasteful use of water-and by enforcing conservation measures, society can work to restore and preserve the ecological balance essential for human survival.
