The Tiger King as a Satire:

The story is a satire on the conceit of those in power. The king is known to be an
extremely conceited person right from the beginning. As a ten-day-old infant, he
pronounced the words, “Let tigers beware!” By challenging the astrologer’s
prediction, he also challenges his death. Moreover, killing seventy tigers within a
period of ten years and bringing the entire species close to extinction, marrying for
the convenience of killing more tigers, exercising his authority to punish or tax people
according to his whims and fancies, flaunting his power and richness in sending
about fifty rings to the British officer’s lady or paying a bill of three lakh rupees,
having a temper that would make other people lose their job or even life etc., are all
part of this conceit. He does nothing for the sake of his people in the capacity of a
king. All this has been highlighted in the story using humor, irony and exaggeration.
Death is an inevitable phenomenon associated to life itself. Challenging death on the
basis of prediction by astrologers is as good as a wasted effort. Even after the
monumental task of killing ninety-nine tigers, the hundredth tiger escaped being
shot by the king’s gun. Unaware of this, he dies merely because of a “tiny little
wooden tiger” and not by any ferocious living creature like tiger. Thus, the dramatic
irony surfaces strongly at the end of the story when the readers realise what the king
never does.
The Tiger King is a social satire with a predominant humour in mocking at the
cruel practices of the people in power. Explain.
1.Satire is a composition that ridicules, generally in a humorous tone, the vices
found in the social, political practices individuals.2. Tiger king lampoons the
practices of the maharajas of the British Raj as well the attitudes of common
people.3.The name “Jung Jung Bahadur…”, by its sheer empty title portrays the
maharaja’s desire for false honour.4.The predictions of the astrologers show the
emptiness of the people who practice astrology. 5.We laugh heartily when they reveal
the “secret” that the king must die one day. 6.The incident relating to the infant
asking questions tells us how myths are created around people.7. The tiger king was
brought up in a created English environment; drinking English cow’s milk. 8.Kalki
tells us that all other princes of the Raj did the same. Banning of tiger king hunt in
the state, 9.Waiving tax and later doubling it. 10.Payment of three lakh rupees to
Duraisani shows the uncaring attitude of the royals of the Raj.11. Maharaja’s
decision to marry. 12.The Dewan’s arrangement of a tiger.13.Taking away a doll as
a gift for the crown prince. 14.These are a few incidents that tell us how the kings
stooped so low to get what they wanted.

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”.
 The Tiger King
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 centres are interested in taking
advantage of the proximity for their own welfare. One of the ways in which
these most powerful people show off their waywardness is through game-
hunting. They are callous and indiscriminately destroy the natural habitat.
The story conveys the message that what is important for today is a new
awareness about ecology i.e. a realization that the earth is not our inherited
property but we have borrowed from our future generations. Conservation of
wild life is therefore very necessary. There is a growing awareness of the
necessity of conservation and preservation of wildlife. Grass root
environment consciousness is also on the increase, and more and more
people are stepping in towards contributing to the conservation of wildlife.
This story arouses a renewed interest in us regarding the preservation of
ecology.

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 fulfil 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
wilful 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 wilfully exploit both nature and their subjects for selfish
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-defence.

 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

1. satirizes the upbringing and education of crown princes of Indian

States. Ridicules the attitude of Indian princes who emulate Britishers
2. Criticizes Indian who considered Britishers as Gods and Goddesses
(durai ,duraisani)
3. Satirizes 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?
Q.9. What prediction was made by the astrologers about the Tiger King?
How did it come true.