The Tiger King

Important Questions.
1. Who is the Tiger King? Why does he get that name?
The Maharaja of Pratibandapuram is the Tiger King. He got that name because at the time of his
birth, astrologers predicted that he would die due to a tiger. So, when he grew up, he decided to
kill all the tigers and was known as The Tiger King. He killed ninety-nine tigers but the hundredth
tiger, a wooden one, took his life away.
2. What did the royal infant grow up to be?
The royal infant grew up into a tall strong young man. He was brought up in the English
environment. He drank milk of a white cow, was taken care of by an English nanny, tutored in
English by an Englishman and saw only English films. At the age of twenty, he was declared the
king.
3. What will the Maharaja do to find the required number of tigers to kill?
Within ten years, the Maharaja killed 70 tigers. So, thirty more tigers were required to be shot. But
there were no more tigers left in the forest of Pratibandapuram. So, the Maharaja decided to marry
a girl from a royal family of a state with a large tiger population.
4. How will the Maharaja prepare himself for the hundredth tiger which was supposed to decide
his fate?
The Maharaja had killed all the tigers in his kingdom as well as in his father-in-law's kingdom.
The number reached 99 tigers. Only one more tiger was required to complete the Maharaja's
mission. But by this time, tigers became extinct. In order to search for the last tiger, the Maharaja
announced three year's exemption from all taxes for the village which gave him the news about
the probability of a tiger. In his rage he even doubled the land taxes and gave a warning to the
Dewan of losing his job
5. What sort of hunts did the Maharaja offer to organise for the high-ranking British officer? What
trait of the officer does it reveal?
The Maharaja offered any other hunt except tiger for the high-ranking British officer. He offered
a boar hunt, a mouse hunt or even a mosquito hunt. This shows that the officer was very fond of
tiger hunt. Moreover, when he agreed to just get a photograph with the dead tiger, it became evident
that he wanted to show himself to be a great hunter in front of others.
6. When and why did the Maharaja decide to get married?
The Maharaja had killed all the tigers available in and around his kingdom. Even then thirty more
tigers were required to complete his mission to kill hundred tigers. So, he decided to marry a girl
from a royal family whose state had a large tiger population.
7. Why did the Maharaja ban tiger hunting in the state?
When the Maharaja came to know after killing his first tiger that he had threat of life from the
hundredth tiger, he resolved to kill a hundred tigers. To accomplish his mission, he banned tiger
hunting in the state. 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.
8. How did the Dewan manage to get the 100th tiger for the Maharaja?
The Maharaja was so determined to kill the hundredth tiger that in his anger, he ordered the Dewan
to find the tiger otherwise be prepared to face his wrath. To save his life, the Dewan bought an old
tiger from a circus in Madras and hid it in his house. At night, he took the tiger in the car to the
forest and left it there ready to be killed by the Maharaja.
9. Why did the Maharaja order the Dewan to double the land tax?
When the Maharaja could not find the 100th tiger, he grew very angry and frustrated. In his
attempt to vent his anger, he ordered the Dewan to double the land tax and let poor the people
suffer. Though the Dewan knew that it was unreasonable, he couldn't do anything.
10. How did the Tiger King manage to retain his kingdom?
A British officer, while visiting Pratibandapuram wanted to go for tiger hunt. But the Tiger King
refused permission to him. So, in order to save his king from the wrath of the British officer, the
Maharaja bribed the British officer. He sent a gift of expensive diamond rings to his wife expecting
that she would choose one or two rings. She kept all the rings and sent a note of thanks to the
Maharaja. So, the Maharaja spent three lakh rupees to save his kingdom.
11.How did the Tiger King kill the hundredth tiger?
The hundredth tiger was an old tiger brought by the Dewan from the People's Park Circus, Madras.
This tiger was very agile. When it came in front of the Maharaja, he shot at it. The Maharaja had
taken a careful aim at the tiger and shot. The tiger crumbled down. The Maharaja got elated with
joy and left the place. Later, it was found that the bullet missed the tiger and it fainted.