The Tiger King
By - Kalki
By - Kalki
"The Tiger King" is a satirical story written by Kalki. It highlights human greed for power, pride, and the false belief that man can control destiny. The story revolves around the Maharaja of Pratibandapuram, also called "The Tiger King."
When the king was born, astrologers predicted that he would one day be killed by a tiger. At that moment, the ten-day-old baby spoke in a clear voice, asking about his death. The astrologers were shocked but confirmed that the child would die because of a tiger. From then onwards, the boy grew up with the prophecy in mind.
As he became the ruler, the Maharaja decided to prove the astrologers wrong. He declared that he would kill one hundred tigers to protect himself from death. He even banned tiger hunting by anyone else in his kingdom. He considered himself brave and thought he could control his fate.
The king married a princess from a kingdom that had many tigers, so that he could continue his hunting. One by one, he killed many tigers. By the time he killed ninety-nine, only one tiger remained to complete the hundred. Unfortunately, the hundredth tiger, which he hunted in his own kingdom, did not die from his bullet. His men, afraid of the king’s anger, killed the tiger secretly and presented it as dead.
The king believed he had killed all hundred and was safe from the prophecy. Later, to celebrate his son’s birthday, the king bought a wooden toy tiger as a gift. The toy was badly made, with a rough wooden surface. While playing with his son, a small piece of wood pierced his hand. The wound became infected, and no doctor could save him. Finally, the Maharaja died because of a toy tiger, proving the astrologer’s prediction right.
The story uses irony to show the foolishness of human pride and arrogance. The Maharaja thought he could outsmart fate, but destiny had its own way. His obsession with power, cruelty towards animals, and his ignorance led to his tragic end.
Through this tale, Kalki conveys an important message: man should not be proud of his strength or position. Destiny and nature are always more powerful than human will.
"द टाइगर किंग" एक व्यंग्यात्मक कहानी है, जिसे काल्कि ने लिखा है। यह कहानी मानव की लालच, अहंकार और यह मानने की गलती को दिखाती है कि इंसान अपनी तक़दीर को नियंत्रित कर सकता है। कहानी प्रतिवंदपुरम के महाराजा, जिसे "टाइगर किंग" कहा जाता है, के जीवन के इर्द-गिर्द घूमती है।
जब महाराजा का जन्म हुआ, तो ज्योतिषियों ने भविष्यवाणी की कि वह एक बाघ के कारण मरेगा। दस दिन का शिशु होते हुए भी उसने स्पष्ट आवाज में पूछा कि उसकी मृत्यु कैसे होगी। ज्योतिषियों को यह सुनकर आश्चर्य हुआ, लेकिन उन्होंने भविष्यवाणी सही बताई। इसके बाद से ही वह बच्चा यह सोचकर बड़ा हुआ कि उसकी मौत निश्चित है।
शासन संभालने के बाद, महाराजा ने यह साबित करने का निश्चय किया कि वह अपनी तक़दीर को हरा सकता है। उसने घोषणा की कि वह सौ बाघों का शिकार करेगा। उसने अपने राज्य में किसी और को बाघ मारने की अनुमति नहीं दी। वह अपने आप को बहादुर और अजेय मानता था।
महाराजा ने एक ऐसी राजकुमारी से विवाह किया, जहां बाघ अधिक थे, ताकि वह शिकार कर सके। उसने एक-एक कर कई बाघों को मारा। जब वह अपने शतब्रह्म बाघ यानी सौवें बाघ के पास पहुँचा, तो उसका शिकार उसके गोले से नहीं मरा। उसके सैनिक, डर के कारण, बाघ को चुपचाप मारकर उसके मरा होने का दिखावा कर दिया।
महाराजा ने विश्वास किया कि उसने सभी सौ बाघ मार दिए और वह सुरक्षित है। बाद में, अपने बेटे के जन्मदिन पर उसने उसे एक लकड़ी का खिलौना बाघ गिफ्ट किया। खेलते समय, उस खिलौने की नुकीली लकड़ी उसके हाथ में चुभ गई। यह घाव संक्रमित हो गया और कोई डॉक्टर उसे नहीं बचा सका। अंततः, महाराजा की मृत्यु एक खिलौने के बाघ के कारण हुई, जो ज्योतिषियों की भविष्यवाणी को सच साबित करता है।
कहानी में विडंबना (आयरनी) के माध्यम से दिखाया गया है कि मानव का अहंकार और गर्व कितना मूर्खतापूर्ण होता है। महाराजा ने सोचा कि वह अपनी तक़दीर को मात दे सकता है, लेकिन नियति की अपनी राह थी।
काल्कि इस कहानी के माध्यम से यह संदेश देते हैं कि इंसान को अपनी शक्ति या पद के गर्व में नहीं रहना चाहिए। प्रकृति और नियति हमेशा मानव की इच्छाओं से अधिक शक्तिशाली हैं।
1. What did the astrologers predict about the king at his birth?
a) He would be a great ruler
b) He would be killed by a tiger ✅
c) He would live a long life
d) He would marry a princess
2. How did the king react to the astrologers’ prediction?
a) He ignored it
b) He decided to kill 100 tigers ✅
c) He left the kingdom
d) He consulted another astrologer
3. Why did the Maharaja ban tiger hunting for everyone else?
a) To protect his subjects
b) To conserve wildlife
c) To ensure he alone could kill tigers ✅
d) To celebrate a festival
4. How many tigers did the king actually kill before the last one?
a) 50
b) 75
c) 99 ✅
d) 100
5. Where did the hundredth tiger meet its end?
a) Outside the kingdom
b) In the king’s palace
c) Secretly killed by the king’s men ✅
d) In the forest naturally
6. What gift did the king give his son on his birthday?
a) A live tiger
b) A wooden toy tiger ✅
c) A golden sword
d) A horse
7. How did the king die in the end?
a) From a tiger attack
b) From an infection caused by the toy tiger ✅
c) In a battle
d) Due to old age
8. What is the main theme of the story?
a) Bravery of humans
b) Human greed, pride, and fate ✅
c) Wildlife conservation
d) Royal traditions
9. Which literary device is most evident in the king’s death?
a) Simile
b) Irony ✅
c) Metaphor
d) Alliteration
10. What lesson does Kalki convey through this story?
a) Humans are stronger than nature
b) Power and pride can lead to downfall ✅
c) Hunting is necessary for survival
d) Astrology is unreliable
Q.1 Who is the tiger king ? Why does he get that name ?
Ans : Jilani Jung - Jung Bahadur, the king of Pratibandpuram is known as the tiger king. He gets that name for his skill in killing tigers. When the chief astrologer said that his death would come from the tiger. The Maharaja said 'Let tigers beware'. He decided to kill one hundred tigers.
Q.2 What did the royal infant grow up to be ?
Ans : The royal infant grew up to be the king of Pratibandpuram who decided to kill one hundred tigers. He wanted to do so to disprove to prophecy which said by the astrologer that his death would come from the hundredth tiger.
Q.3 What will the Maharaja do to find the required number of tigers to kill ?
Ans : Maharaja of Pratibandpuram ordered his dewan to select a suitable girl for him to marry to kill the required number of tigers. A suitable girl to marry should not only be from a royal family but also a state with a large tiger population.
Q.4 How will the Maharaja prepare himself for the hundredth tiger which was supposed to decide his fate ?
Ans : The Maharaja had killed ninety nine tigers and he wanted to be much careful while dealing the hundred tiger which was supposed to be reason of his death. On encountering the hundredth, he took a careful aim at the tiger and shot it and left the place.
Q.5 What will now happen to the astrologer ? Do you thing the prophecy was indisputably disproved ?
Ans : When the king has killed last tiger he was very happy and he wanted to call the astrologer and make fun of him but by then the astrologer was already dead.
No, I do not think the prophecy was indisputably disproved because when the king could not kill the hundredth tiger. Ironically the hundredth tiger which was made by wood became the cause of his death.
Q.6 Why did the tiger king decided to get married ?
Ans : When the tiger king did not find any tiger, then he ordered his dewan to find a suitable girl for him to marry. A suitable girl to marry should not only be from a royal family but also a state with a large tiger population.
Q.7 What does the chief astrologer tell to the cause of the Maharaja's death ?
Ans : The chief astrologer tells to the cause of the Maharaja's death that the king is born in the hour of the Bull. The bull and tiger are enemies. There his death will come from the tiger.
Q.8 Why was Maharaja once in danger of losing his kingdom ?
Ans : Once Maharaja was in danger of losing his kingdom because once a British officer wanted to kill tiger or to take photographs with them, but the Maharaja was refused permission to hunt tiger or to take photographs.
Q.9 What did the Maharaja do when he had killed his first tiger ?
Ans : When Maharaja had killed his first tiger, he was very happy and filled with joy. Then he called the astrologer. He showed him the dead tiger and asked what he would say then.
Q.10 What did the state astrologer say when the Maharaja showed him the first tiger he had killed ?
Ans : When the Maharaja showed the state astrologer the first tiger he had killed, the astrologer said that he might kill ninety nine tigers in the same manner, but his death would come from hundredth tiger.
Q.11 What was the dewan's tiger like ? How did he take it into the forest ?
Ans : ;The dewan's tiger was an old tiger. It was not danger. The tiger was kept in dewan's house. At midnight when the whole town slept, dewan and his wife took the tiger into the car and drove to the forest.
Q.1 Justify the tittle "The Tiger King".
Ans : Introduction : The present question has been taken from the chapter "The Tiger King" written by Kalki. The Tiger King is the story of a cruel king who ignored the people and works of his state to kill the tigers of the kingdom.
The Tiger King : In the story "The Tiger King" the writer told us about the Maharaja of Pratibandhpuram, Jilani Jung - Jung Bahadur who was known as the tiger king. When he was about ten days old, the astrologer made a prophecy that is death would come from the tiger because he was born at the hour of Bull. Bull and tiger are enemies. Then, the boy said 'Let tigers beware'. When he was about twenty years old, he was known as the king. When he killed first tiger, he was very happy. Then he called the astrologer and showed him the dead tiger. Then the astrologer said that he might kill ninety nine tigers in the same manner. But his death would come from hundredth tiger. Then, he killed seventy tigers. After that he ordered his dewan to find a suitable girl for him to marry. A suitable girl to marry should not only be from a royal family but also a state with a large tiger population. Then he killed ninety nine tigers. Ironically, his death was caused by a tiger made of wood.
Thus, the tittle "The Tiger King" is suitable.
Q.2 Give the character sketch of The Tiger King.
Ans : Introduction : The present question has been taken from the chapter "The Tiger King" written by Kalki. The Tiger King is the story of a cruel king who ignored the people and works of his state to kill the tigers of the kingdom.
Character sketch of The Tiger King : In the story "The Tiger King" the writer told us about the Maharaja of Pratibandhpuram, Jilani Jung - Jung Bahadur who was known as the tiger king. He got this name for his skill in killing tigers. When he was about ten days old, the astrologer made a prophecy that his death would come from the tiger because he was born at the hour of Bull. Bull and tiger are enemies. Then, the boy said 'Let tigers beware'. He drunk white cow's milk. He was taught by an english teacher, looked after by an english nanny and watched english movies. When he was about twenty years old, he was known as the king. When he killed first tiger, he was very happy. Then he called the astrologer and showed him the dead tiger. He asked him what he would say then.
Conclusion : In the last of the story, his death was caused by a tiger made of wood.