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The Tiger King by Kalki

 

The Tiger King by Kalki  - answer prepared by Mr. Rupjyoti Goswami


1. Who is the tiger king? Why does the Tiger King get his name?  HS-2023
Ans:- The Tiger King is actually the Maharaja of Pratibandapuram. The Chief Astrologer predicts that the king is born in the hour of the Bull which makes him vulnerable to the  threat from tigers. As stated by the astrologer, the hundredth tiger will kill him. So, the Tiger King goes on killing tigers until he gets killed by the hundredth tiger. Due to his lifelong association with tigers, he gets that name.

2. What did the Chief astrologer predict about the Tiger King?
Ans: The Chief astrologer predicted that the Tiger King was born in the hour of the Bull which exposed him to the threat from tigers. He cautioned him to beware of the hundredth tiger that was sure to kill him.He also promised to burn all his books on astrology if the prediction failed to materialize.

3. How did the Tiger King celebrate his victory over the killing of the hundredth tiger?
Ans:- The Tiger King was sure that he had killed the hundredth tiger whereas, in reality, his bullet had narrowly missed the mark. He ordered that the carcass of the tiger must be brought to the capital in grand procession. It was buried and a tomb was erected over it.

4. What does the Chief astrologer tell to be the cause of the Maharaja's death?
(OR) What explanation was given by the Chief astrologer to the query of the little Tiger King?
Ans:- The royal infant was not worried over the prediction of his death as death befalls everyone. Rather he was curious to know the cause of his death. The astrologer told him that he was born in the hour of the Bull which made him vulnerable to the threat from tigers. He cautioned him to beware of the hundredth tiger that was sure to kill him.

5. What miracle took place when the astrologer foretold about the death of Tiger King? Why did the miracle astound the people?
Ans:- When Tiger King was ten day old, the Chief astrologer foretold that the child would grow up to become a great warrior, hero of heroes, but would one day have to meet his death. As soon as he said this, the infant surprised everyone by speaking words of philosophical significance. He declared that all those who are born,must die one day. It was really difficult for people to believe how a ten day old infant could understand and speak.

6. Why did the Dewan decide to give up his own tiger to be killed by the Maharaja?
Ans:- The Maharaja was worried over the prophecy cautioning him against the hundredth tiger that might take his life. Having killed 99 tigers, the Maharaja fell short of one tiger. This made him so angry that he asked the Dewan to double land tax. The Dewan was not willing to invite public grievance and gave up his own tiger to be killed by the Maharaja.

7. What was the Dewan's tiger like? How did he take it into the forest?
Ans:- The Dewan's tiger was very weak and emaciated. He was too weak to come out of the car.Being exhausted in his efforts to get the beast out of the car, he pushed him out of the car.

8. Why did the Tiger King decide to get married?
Ans:- Having killed seventy tigers in ten years, the Tiger King faced a scarcity of tigers to complete his mission of killing hundred tigers. So he decided to marry a princess of the state with the largest tiger population. Accordingly he asked the dewan to draw up statistics of tiger populations in the different native states.

9. How was at one time the Maharaja in danger of losing his throne?
(OR) Why was Maharaja once in danger of losing his kingdom?

Ans:- Once a high ranking British officer visited the Maharaja's kingdom and expressed a desire to hunt tigers, apart from being photographed with them. The Maharaja refused him permission to hunt tigers and asked him to take part in hunting boar, mouse or mosquito. Humiliating a British officer at that time meant inviting dethronement and thus the Maharaja was in danger of losing his kingdom.

10. How did the hundredth tiger take its revenge upon the Tiger King?  HS-2024
(OR) How did the prophecy of the Chief astrologer come true?

Ans:- Having finished the spree of tiger hunting, the Tiger King decided to celebrate the third birthday and bought a wooden toy-tiger as a gift. One day, while he was playing with that wooden tiger,one of the slivers pierced the king's right hand. It caused infection all over the arm. The surgeons performed an operation but failed to save him.Thus the hundredth tiger took its revenge upon the king.

11. Why didn't the hunters tell the Maharaja that tiger was not dead?
Ans:- The Maharaja was satisfied with the illusion of killing the hundredth tiger. He was unaware of the fact that the bullet had missed its mark. The beast was killed not by him but by one of the hunters. They kept it a secret, in fear of losing their jobs if the Maharaja knew the truth.

12.Why did the dewan warn the Maharaja not to double the land tax forthwith? What was the reaction of the Maharaja?
Ans:- Having killed seventy tigers in ten years, the Maharaja faced a serious dearth of tigers to complete the mission of killing hundred tigers. So, he was very angry at the inability to locate the hundred tiger and asked the Dewan to double the land tax forthwith. The dewan warned him against the possibility of public uprising. The Maharaja didn't relent. He told the dewan to leave his job if he felt so.

13. Even though the Maharaja lost Rs 3 lakh, he was still happy. Why?
(OR) Why did the Maharaja have to pay a bill of three lakh rupees to the British jewellers?

Ans:- Once a high ranking British officer visited the king and expressed his desire to hunt tigers,apart from being photographed with them. The Maharaja refused him permission and stood in danger of losing his kingdom. So, he decided to propitiate the king's wife with expensive gifts of diamond rings worth rupees three lakh. Thus he managed to save his kingdom.

14. What did the Maharaja decide to do when he remembered the astrologer's prediction?
Ans:- The chief astrologer made a prediction concerning the death of the Maharaja and cautioned him to beware of the hundredth tiger. When the king remembered this, he decided to kill hundred tigers, putting aside the matters of his kingdom.

15. Describe the upbringing of the royal infant.
(OR)What kind of life was enjoyed by the crowned prince till he reached the age of twenty?

Ans:- The crowned prince led a glamorous life. Everything he got was English in taste and flavour. He drank the milk of an English cow. He was brought up by an English governess. He was imparted education in English by an Englishman. He watched only English films. He shouldered the rule of the state at the age of twenty.

16. How did the astrologer react when the Tiger King showed him the first tiger killed by him?
(OR) How did the astrologer react when the Tiger King expressed satisfaction after killing the first tiger?

Ans:- The Tiger King's joy was beyond measure when he killed the first tiger. He sent for the astrologer to express his opinion. The astrologer told him that he might kill ninety nine tigers in the same manner, but the hundredth tiger would take his life. The astrologer promised to spoil and burn his books on astrology and cut off his tuft if he could kill the hundredth tiger.

17. Draw a character sketch of the Tiger King in your own words. HS-2024 (Marks-7)
Ans:- The Maharaja of Pratibandapuram had many names. But he was more popularly known as the 'Tiger King' due to his lifelong association with tigers. When he was ten day old,the Chief astrologer predicted that he was vulnerable to the threat from tigers. At that moment, the infant took everyone by surprise, when he started speaking.
      The Tiger King was brought up and educated in an English environment. At the age of twenty, he took the reign of his kingdom. The Tiger king was a very superstitious person. When he remembered the astrologer's prediction, he began a spree of tiger hunting. Having killed 70 tigers in ten years, he faced a scarcity of tigers and so, he tried to sort it out by marrying the princess of that state which had the highest tiger population. He could do anything for the sake of defying a prophecy.
      The Tiger King was power mongering person totally indifferent to the affairs of the state and welfare of the people. He wasted a sum of three lakh rupees to propitiate the wife of a British officer so that he could save his throne. He decided to double land tax when he fell short of the hundredth tiger. However, he knew well how to take work from his minions and took advantage of their weaknesses. It is quite ironical that the hundredth tiger that took revenge upon him, was nothing but a wooden toy-tiger.

18. '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 story 'The Tiger King' is a satire on the conceit of those in power. The Tiger King tried to frustrate what was written in his fate. The Chief astrologer predicted that the Tiger King was vulnerable to the threat from tigers and he was supposed to be killed by the hundredth tiger.
    The proud Maharaja banned tiger hunting in the state by anyone except himself. If anybody dared even to throw a stone at a tiger, his wealth and property would be confiscated. The Maharaja left no stone unturned to realize his ambition. Somehow, he managed to kill 99 tigers, but fell short of one tiger to consummate his mission.
    The author employs the literary device of dramatic irony in the story. The Maharaja is satisfied with the illusion of killing hundred tigers. He doesn't know that the hundredth tiger didn't die of his bullet, but survived. It was killed by one of the hunters and it was kept a secret. Ironically the hundredth tiger that caused the death of Tiger King was not a tiger of flesh and blood, but a wooden toy-tiger.

19. What did astrologers foretell when Tiger King was born?  HS-2022

Ans:- The most fantastic aspect of his demise was that as soon as he was born, astrologers had foretold that one day the Tiger King would actually have to die. “The child will grow up to become the warrior of warriors, hero of heroes, champion of champions.


Syllabus of HS Second year English (Prose)

 

Syllabus of HS Second year English (Poetry)


Syllabus of HS Second year English (Supplementary Reader : Vistas)



Mr. Rupjyoti Goswami
Post Graduate Teacher (English)
Bhogeswar Hazarika Girls' Higher Secondary School, Bebejia, Nagaon, Assam.
Email: rupjyotigoswami983@gmail.com
Mobile: 9864425896.
Contact us (whatsapp no-7020477396) for free notes on English, Political Science, Logic & Philosophy, MIL Assamese, Advanced Assamese, Swadesh Adhyayan, Economics, Education, History.
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1 Comments:

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Mini S
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August 29, 2022 at 9:13 AM ×

Thank you is not enough to express my gratitude,sir.

Congrats bro Mini S you got PERTAMAX...! hehehehe...
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