The Tiger King | CBE-Questions | NCERT Solution | Board Exam 2024
Updated: Oct 2, 2023
NCERT Questions
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Lesson Architecture
2. Theme
NCERT Official Lecture on Tiger King by Kalki, Part I by Prof. Kriti Kapoor
NCERT Official Lecture on Tiger King by Kalki, Part II by Prof. Kriti Kapoor
Concept Video from Learning with A Difference
NCERT Solution
Q1. Who is the Tiger King? Why does he get that name? (Page 8)
Ans. The Maharaja Sir Jilani Jung Jung Bahadur of Pratibandapuram is known as The Tiger King.
After his birth it was predicted that his death would be caused by a tiger. He could kill ninety-nine tigers, but ended up being killed by a toy tiger. As he was very much occupied with hunting of tigers, therefore, he came to be known as the Tiger King.
Q 2. What did the royal infant grow up to be? (Page 10)
Ans. Crown prince Jung Jung Bahadur grew up to be the king of Pratibandapuram. He got the control of his state when he came of age at twenty. He then made tiger-hunting his mission in life to prove the astrologer’s prediction wrong that he would be killed by the hundredth tiger.
Q3. What will the Maharaja do to find the required number of tigers to kill? (Page 13)
Ans. Maharaja asked Diwan to find out a girl belonging to a royal family from a state which has a large number of tiger population. The Diwan managed to find a girl of a royal lineage from a neighbouring state for Maharaja. The marriage took place and each time Maharaja visited his father-in-law’s place,
the Maharaja killed five or six tigers. Thus he was able to find the required number of tigers to kill.
Q4. How will the Maharaja prepare himself for the hundredth tiger which was supposed to decide his fate? ( Page 14)
Ans. Maharaja’s anxiety reached fever pitch when there was only one tiger left to be killed. He thought of the hundredth tiger day in and day out. But tiger population became extinct even in his father-in-law’s kingdom. If he could kill just that one single beast, the Maharaja would be left with no fear. The Maharaja continued chasing in the forest and waiting for the tiger. But he did not catch a glimpse of any tiger.
The dewan had brought a tiger from the people’s Park in Madras and kept it hidden in his house. When the Maharaja threatened him with dire consequences, he understood that the only way to save himself was to ‘plant’ a tiger for the kill. So he and his aged wife dragged the tiger to the forest, where the king was hunting. Thus Maharaja’s quest for tiger hunting came to an end. But ironically, the tiger got fainted from the loud report of the gun and not from Maharaja’s bullet.
Q5. What will now happen to the astrologer? Do you think the prophecy was indisputably disproved? ( Page 15)
Ans. Nothing will happen to the astrologer as he has died much before Maharaja presumably killed hundred tigers. Therefore, the tiger did not have any opportunity to disprove the prophecy of the astrologer.
The prophecy was not indisputably disproved as Maharaja eventually died from the tiny slivers of a toy tiger. Although it was a toy tiger, but it was the hundredth tiger. As per the prediction his death would be caused by the hundredth tiger. Therefore, Maharaja could not disprove the prediction made by the late Chief astrologer.
Reading With Insight ( Page 17)
CBE Questions
1. 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. The Tiger King is of course a satire on the whims and fancies of those in power. The British officer and Maharaja of Pratibandapuram are the two people representatives of those in power in the story.
Maharaja was very much wilful and the best use of his authority to take arbitrary decisions like doubling the land tax, laying off the employees, threatening the Diwan to fire from the job. All these cruel instances go on to establish the fact that Maharaja exploited his subjects and made bad use of his authority as a king.
Tiger hunting became his sole passion and is an act of willful act for those in power. Whoever came on the way to Maharaja as a stumbling block, he mistreated with him. He wanted to disprove the prediction made by the astrologer. Therefore, he went for the tiger expedition much to the displeasure of animal lovers.
The British official is also another example of misusing power. He has a passion for the photography with the carcass of a tiger. He is not so much interested in hunting as much as being posed with the carcass of a tiger. Maharaja had to pay a price of three lakh rupees in the form of diamond jewelry for refusing the British official to hunt tiger in his kingdom.
With the help of the use of dramatic irony the writer made fun at the characters in the play. For instance, the Dewan made some humourous statements for Maharaja. All this was done with the help of a literary device called dramatic irony. The manner in which the Maharaja got killed merely by a splinter of a wooden tiger justifies the use of dramatic irony. Maharaja may be a king of kings, but with the help of dramatic irony it is shown that he has similar feelings of love and affection for his child like an ordinary person.
2. What is the author’s indirect comment on subjecting innocent animals to the willfulness of human beings?
Ans. Since time immemorial innocent animals have been subjected to the willfulness of human beings. Animals bear the brunt of man’s greed and willfulness. Animals have been an easy target of man leisurely pleasure, meat or organs of body. The trend has been in practice till now.
In the story Maharaja defends his hunter expedition when he said that one can kill even a cow in self-deference. Hence tiger being his enemy, he could afford to kill them in the name of self defense.
The extinction of tiger species in Pratibandapuram state and the state ruled by the Maharaja’s father-in-law amply illustrates the outcome of man’s cruelty towards wild animals.
It is very important to maintain ecological balance. Every living organism has an equal right to live on this earth. But the way animals become victims of poaching and hunting point to man’s callousness towards nature and wild life.
The writer has sensitized us towards preserving wild life and maintain ecological balance as a part of holistic approach to our mother Earth. Therefore, the story has a societal message for all to stop killing the animals and contribute to maintaining a healthy wild life population.
3. 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 all sycophants and scared of him very much. They paid respect to him lest his ego got hurt. They never raise their objections against Maharaja’s willful activities.
For instance, the chief astrologer was initially scared of predicting that Maharaja would die of a tiger.
Secondly, the Dewan did not make any objection when Maharaja wanted to marry a girl from a province which boasted of tiger population.
Thirdly, The Dewan stealthily managed a weak tiger from People’s park in Chennai for the fear of being thrown out by Maharaja from the job.
Fourthly, the hunters themselves killed the ailing tiger and did not dare to inform the tiger king lest his anger reached fever pitch.
They are not sincere towards him. They are driven by fear which goaded them to perform their duties towards Maharaja. They are very much obliging in nature only owing to their underlying fear of Maharaja. The fear stems from the fact that they might lose their jobs or any other harsh imposition on them.
Yes, there is a similarity in today’s political order nowadays. There is widespread sycophancy everywhere. The officials succumb to the political or bureaucratic pressure from above to do the work as dictated by them. Similarly, such fears in the hearts of the Maharaja’s minions caused moral degeneration in public life.
Additional CBE Questions of 5 Marks
Q1. Discuss the irony in the story "Tiger King" regarding the Maharaja's attempts to avoid his predicted death. How do these attempts contribute to his downfall?
Q2. Analyze the role of the chief astrologer in the story. What insights does his character provide about the theme of fate versus free will?
Q3. What symbolic significance does the tiger hold in the story "Tiger King"? How does it relate to the themes of conservation and balance in nature?
Q4. How does the story "Tiger King" reflect the concept of karma and the consequences of one's actions?
Q5. Analyze the symbolic significance of the wooden toy tiger in the story. How does its role as the hundredth tiger add depth to the theme of fate and the consequences of one's actions?
THEME
The writer tries to tell us how kings, not interested in the welfare of the people, circumvented all laws to suit their own selfish interests.
The story is about the Maharaja of Pratibandhpuram about whom the chief astrologer had predicted that the cause of his death would be a tiger
The prophecy of the astrologer proved to be true, despite the king's best efforts to prove it wrong.
The story also stresses at the conservation of wildlife in this age of depleting wild population.
Story At a Glance
The story is about the Maharaja of Pratibandhpuram about whom the chief astrologer had predicted that the cause of his death would be a tiger
Maharaja of Pratibandhpuram was born as an extra-ordinary child.
The family astrologer said that that as the tiger king was born in the hour of the bull which was an enemy of the tiger, hence, the tiger king would die due to a tiger
As soon as the Crown Prince Jung Jang Bahadur heard the name of a tiger he made a deep growing sound and spoke terrifying words. He said that all the tigers should beware.
Crown prince Jung Jung Bahadur grew taller and stronger day by day. No other miracle marked his childhood days apart from the event already described.
The boy drank the milk of an English cow, was brought up by an English nanny, tutored in English by an Englishman, saw nothing but English films — exactly as the crown princes of all the other Indian states did.
At the age of 20, he became the ruler of his state.
The state astrologer’s prediction came to the king’s ears and he started tiger hunt expedition in self-defense.
The Maharaja showed the dead tiger to the astrologer, who warned him to be very careful with the hundredth tiger.
The Maharaja asked what if the hundredth tiger were also killed to which astrologer replied that he would tear up all his books on astrology and set them on fire, cut off his tuft, crop his hair short and become an insurance agent.
The State banned tiger hunting by anyone except the Maharaja. A proclamation was issued to the effect that if anyone dared to fling so much as a stone at a tiger, all his wealth and property would be confiscated.
The Maharaja was able to kill seventy tigers within ten years.
When the tiger population became short in his kingdom of Pratibandapuram, he decided to marry a girl from a Royal family of a state with a lrge tiger population.
The Maharaja Jung Jung Bahadur killed five ofr six tigers every time he visited his father-in-law. In this manner, ninety-nine tiger skins adorned the walls of the reception hall in the Pratibandapuram palace.
The Maharaja’s anxiety reached a fever pitch when there remained just one tiger to achieve his tally of a hundred. He became very anxious and curious to kill the hundredth tiger.
But the tiger population in his father-in-law’s forests also became awfully short.
But soon came the happy news which dispelled that gloom. In his own state sheep began to disappear frequently from a hillside village.
The Maharaja announced a three-year exemption from all taxes for that village and set out on the hunt at once.
He refused to leave the forest until the tiger was found. As the days passed, the Maharaja’s fury and obstinacy mounted alarmingly. Many officers lost their jobs.
One day when his rage was at its height, the Maharaja called the dewan and ordered him to double the land tax immediately.
When the Dewan said that people would be unhappy at his decision, he asked Dewan to resign. You can imagine Maharaja was so impulsive in nature.
The dewan found that the tiger that had been brought from the People's Park in Madras was hidden in his house, he felt relieved.
At midnight when the town slept in peace, the dewan and his aged wife dragged the tiger to the car and shoved it into the seat
The dewan was thoroughly exhausted in his efforts to haul the beast out of the car and push it down to the ground.
The next day Maharaja was very happy to see the hundredth tiger and he aimed at the tiger. The tiger fell down as if it had been shot dead by the king.
He was overjoyed to have killed the hundredth tiger and had fulfilled his wow.
After the Maharaja had left, the hunter discovered that the tiger was alive. The tiger got fainted as a mere shock when the bullet went very close to his body. One of the hunters killed the tiger.
The hunters followed the king’s orders and took the dead tiger to the town in a procession. It was buried and a beautiful tomb was erected on the tiger’s grave.
After a few days, the maharaja’s son’s third birthday was celebrated.
King Jung Jung Bahadur wanted to give a special gift to his son on his birthday and so he went to the shopping centre in Pratibandapuram.
He saw a wooden tiger in a toy shop and considered it to be the perfect gift.
The king was very happy and he said that this was the shop owner’s gift to the Crown Prince. He took the tiger with him.
While playing with his son with the wooden tiger, one of the tiny slivers pierced the maharaja’s right hand.
Three famous surgeons were brought in from Madras. After holding a consultation they decided to operate. The operation took place.
But the Maharaja did not survive. Thus, the wooden tiger, which was actually the hundredth tiger, had killed him.
Therefore, the astrologer’s prediction came true.
Recapitulation
Maharaja Pratibandhpuram born as an extra-ordinary child
Prediction about his death due to a tiger the child was born under bull star bull and tiger are the enemies.
The child was brought up like an English child.
The Prince grew up and became a great king. The king decided to kill a tiger killed the first tiger successfully.
But the chief astrologer warned him that he will be killed by the hundredth tiger.
King became the sole hunter, banned hunting in his estate. The child was brought up like an English child.
He started killing tigers and thus killed seventy tigers.
He married a princess whose kingdom boasted of tigers.
He killed ninety nine tigers. But he was unable to find one more tiger in his father-in-law’s forests.
The Dewan brought an old and feeble tiger from the zoo. The tiger king aimed at it but it fainted. The king thought that he had killed the hundred tigers.
After the king went away the tiger opened its eyes in bafflement. 18 One of the hunters killed it. The tiger was honoured and taken in a procession.
The king purchased a wooden tiger for his son to give him some special gift on his birthday.
Its sliver pierced the hand of the king. Infection flared and developed into suppurating sore.
Three surgeons from Madras operated on the tiger king. But the operation was unsuccessful and the king died.
The astrologer’s prediction came true.
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