The Tiger King: Important Questions, Answers & Summary | HS 2nd Year Vistas

The Tiger King: Important Questions, Answers & Summary | HS 2nd Year Vistas

   March 31, 2026       RSC

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Introduction to "The Tiger King"

"The Tiger King" is a satirical story by the celebrated Tamil writer Kalki, which mocks the pride and stubbornness of those in power. The narrative follows the Maharaja of Pratibandhapuram, who spends his entire life trying to disprove a prophecy that he would be killed by a hundredth tiger. To avoid his fate, he ruthlessly hunts down ninety-nine tigers, showing a complete disregard for nature and the law.

Through sharp irony, the author explores themes of political high-handedness and the inevitability of fate, proving that death comes in the most unexpected ways. Ultimately, the story serves as a powerful critique of the "might is right" attitude and the callousness of human beings toward wildlife.

About the Author: Kalki (Ramaswamy Aiyer Krishnamurthy)

Ramaswamy Aiyer Krishnamurthy (1899–1954), better known by his pen name Kalki, was a prolific Tamil writer, journalist, and freedom fighter.He is celebrated for his historical novels and short stories, which often featured sharp social criticism and a unique blend of humor and irony.

Textual Question Answer--

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

Answer--

 The tiger king Sir Jilani Jung Jung Bahadur was the Maharaja of Prtibandhapuram.

 The king got this name because he was born on an astrological foretold. He came to this earth in the hour of Bull. In fact, the bull and the tiger are enemy.It was also foretold that the king would be the hero of the heroes. He would haunt ninety nine tigers but the hundredth tiger would be dangerous for hm. This is how Sir Jilani Jung Jung Bahadur got the name 'The Tiger King.'

2. What did the royal infant grow up to be ?

 Answer-

The royal infant (i,e- Sir Jillani Jung Jung Bahadur) grow up to be stronger. He was brought up under the influence of western culture. He was brought up by an English nanny, tutored in English by an Englishman. He watched nothing but English films. Later on, he took control of the kingdom at the age of 20 years. Very soon he started hunting tiger in the forest of the area. He argued that he killed tiger just for self defence.

3. What will the Maharaja do to find the required number of tiger to kill ?

Answer:

The Maharaja, to find the required number of tiger to kill, banned tiger hunting in his state Pratibandhapuram. But strangely enough this rule was not valid for him; since he was the king. Then within ten years he killed about seventy tigers.

However, when he could not fulfill his goal of killing upto the hundredth tiger, he was in need of a new forest with a huge tiger population. Then he married a royal family princess with a forest in dowry wherein a huge tiger population was there.

 

4. How will the maharaja prepare himself for the hundredth tiger which was supposed to decide his fate ?

Answer--

After the Maharaja was able to kill the ninety nine tiger, he needed one more. Even in his father-in-law's kingdom the number of tiger extinct. He wanted to get over his fear (of the astrologer's prediction0 by killing the last one.

One day his hopes began to rise as he heard that the sheep of a nearby hillside village began to disappear. The king was overwhelmed at the news. Being in a happy mood he announced a three year exemption of all taxes' for the village where there was possibility of tiger.

But it was unfortunate that no tiger was found by the officials. As a result, they had to lose their job. The angry Maharaja even ordered the Dewan to double the land tax.

At last to satisfy the angry king, an old tiger was brought from the people's park in Madras. The crazy king shot at it and assumed that the tiger was dead. Thus he got over his fear of death.

5. What will now happen to the astrologer? Do you think the prophecy was indisputably disproved ?

Answer: The astrologer had already passed away by the time the King "killed" the hundredth tiger, so he faced no consequences. However, the prophecy was not disproved. The hundredth tiger killed by the King was not actually dead (it was later killed by the hunters). Ironically, the King died from an infection caused by a silver of wood from a toy wooden tiger he bought for his son. Thus, the hundredth tiger (the toy) ultimately caused his death, proving the prophecy correct.

Very Short Answer Questions (1 Mark Each)

1. Who is the author of the story "The Tiger King"?

Answer: The author is Ramaswamy Aiyer Krishnamurthy, better known by his pen name Kalki.

2. What was the name of the state the Tiger King ruled? 

Answer: He ruled the state of Pratibandhapuram.

3. At what age did the prince take the throne into his own hands? 

Answer: He took control of the kingdom at the age of twenty (20).

4. How many tigers did the Maharaja kill in his own state before they became extinct?

Answer: He killed seventy (70) tigers in his own kingdom.

5. What gift did the Maharaja buy for his son on his third birthday?

Answer: He bought a wooden toy tiger from a toy shop in the town.

6. Who actually killed the hundredth tiger?

Answer: The hunters killed the hundredth tiger because they realized it had only fainted and they feared losing their jobs if the King found out.

7. Why did the Maharaja decide to marry a girl from a royal family of a different state?

Answer: He married her so he could gain access to the large tiger population in his father-in-law's forests to complete his mission.

8. What was the price of the wooden tiger, and how much did the King actually pay? 

Answer: The actual price was two annas and a quarter, but the King was charged three hundred rupees as the shopkeeper feared punishment.

Short Answer Questions (2 Marks Each)

1. What was the irony in the Tiger King’s death? 

Answer: The irony lies in the fact that after killing ninety-nine real, ferocious tigers, the Maharaja was killed by a poorly carved, wooden toy tiger. A tiny silver of wood from the toy pierced his hand, leading to a fatal infection. Thus, the hundredth tiger took its revenge, and the King could not escape his destiny.

2. How did the Maharaja manage to save his throne from the British officer? 

Answer: A high-ranking British officer wanted to hunt tigers in Pratibandhapuram, but the King refused. To prevent the officer from getting angry and seizing his kingdom, the Maharaja sent fifty expensive diamond rings to the officer's wife. She kept them all, costing the King three lakh rupees, but his throne was saved.

3. Why did the Maharaja double the land tax for a village? 

Answer: The Maharaja was frustrated and angry because the hundredth tiger could not be found. When the villagers mistakenly reported a tiger that later disappeared, his rage peaked. In his stubbornness and fury, he ordered the Dewan to double the land tax to punish the villagers for his own failure to find the prey.

4. How did the Dewan manage to provide the hundredth tiger? 

Answer: Fearing he would lose his job if a tiger wasn't found, the Dewan secretly brought an old, docile tiger from the People’s Park in Madras. He kept it hidden in his house and later hauled it to the forest where the King was hunting, leaving it there for the Maharaja to "find" and shoot.

5. What is the author's message or theme in "The Tiger King"? 

Answer: Kalki uses the story to satirize the vanity and ruthlessness of those in power. The theme highlights that man cannot conquer nature or destiny through force. It also serves as a critique of how rulers often neglect their duties and wildlife conservation just to satisfy their personal whims and egos.