Class 12 English Lesson 2 The Tiger King Vistas Book
Class 12 English Lesson 2 The Tiger King Vistas Book
NCERT Solutions: The Tiger King
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?
Answer:
The author uses dramatic irony to show the foolishness of people in power, like the Maharaja. Dramatic irony is when the reader knows something that the character doesn’t.
The Tiger King tries very hard to escape death by killing 100 tigers, thinking it will defeat fate. But in the end, he is killed by a tiny wooden toy tiger, not a real one. The reader can see the humour and the twist of fate, while the king doesn’t realize it. This makes the ending funny but meaningful. The story mocks the king’s pride and blind belief in power.
OR
The author uses dramatic irony by showing us details that the characters either ignore or misunderstand. For example, the Tiger King is so busy trying to avoid his fate by killing tigers that he misses the true meaning behind the prophecy. While everyone (and even the reader) understands that the prophecy is warning him about his own downfall, the characters keep chasing their own goals without realizing that fate is catching up with them. This gap between what the audience knows and what the characters expect creates dramatic irony.
2. What is the author’s indirect comment on subjecting innocent animals to the wilfulness of human beings?
Answer:
The author shows that humans harm animals for their personal pride, fun, or ego. The Maharaja kills 99 innocent tigers just to prove a prophecy wrong and save his life.
But in the end, it is not a tiger that kills him — it’s a small toy tiger. This tells us that killing innocent animals does not give real control over fate or nature. The story indirectly teaches us that we should not harm wildlife for selfish reasons.
OR
The author criticizes how powerful people treat animals like mere objects to satisfy their own desires or to boost their image. Through exaggerated and humorous situations—like the obsession with tiger hunting—he shows that using innocent creatures for one’s own ambition is not only cruel but also nonsensical. This suggests that human arrogance often leads to unnecessary suffering of animals and reflects a lack of respect for nature.
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?
Answer:
The Maharaja’s ministers and servants are not truly loyal or sincere. They obey him out of fear, not respect. For example, when the king thinks he has killed the 100th tiger, they hide the truth and kill the tiger themselves to save their jobs.
This kind of behaviour is still seen in politics today, where some people praise leaders falsely or hide the truth, just to stay safe or in power. It shows how fear and power can stop honesty.
OR
The minions in the story often behave in a way that seems more driven by fear than by genuine loyalty. They obey orders and go along with the Maharaja’s whims, not because they truly admire him, but because they are afraid of punishment or losing their jobs. This behaviour can be compared to certain modern political situations where subordinates or followers support a leader out of fear of repercussions rather than true respect or agreement. It shows that sometimes authority is maintained more by intimidation than by sincere support.
4. Can you relate instances of game-hunting among the rich and the powerful in the present times that illustrate the callousness of human beings towards wildlife?
Answer:
Yes, even today some rich and powerful people hunt animals for fun or pride, not for need. For example, a few years ago, a foreign tourist hunted a rare lion in Africa and shared photos online. In some places, illegal tiger or elephant hunting still happens for money.
Such acts show that some humans still do not value the lives of animals, and they treat them like objects to show power. It’s a cruel and careless attitude towards wildlife.
OR
Yes, there are modern examples where wealthy individuals participate in trophy hunting and similar practices to showcase their power and status. Some rich people go on expensive hunting trips to kill endangered or protected animals, which often sparks public outcry. This behaviour is criticized by many because it prioritizes personal glory over the well-being of wildlife and conservation efforts. Such acts reveal a disregard for nature and are similar to the callousness depicted in the story.
5. We need a new system for the age of ecology — a system which is embedded in the care of all people and also in the care of the Earth and all life upon it. Discuss.
Answer:
Yes, our world now needs a new system that respects both people and nature. We must focus on saving the environment, animals, forests, rivers, and all life forms.
Human progress should not harm nature. Like in the story, when humans act selfishly (like killing tigers), nature finds a way to answer back. So, we must build a system based on:
- Respect for nature
- Protection of animals
- Caring for each other and future generations
This new system is important for a safe, healthy, and balanced world.
OR
In today’s world, with environmental issues like climate change and species extinction looming large, the story reminds us that current systems are often driven by self-interest and power rather than care for life. A new system would involve:
- Sustainable practices: Ensuring that human activities do not harm nature and that resources are used in a way that can be maintained for the future.
- Inclusive governance: Decisions should consider the well-being of all people and the health of the environment, not just a powerful few.
- Conservation and respect for wildlife: Protecting animals, forests, and natural habitats with strong laws and ethical practices.
- Public awareness and education: Educating everyone about the importance of biodiversity and the impact of human actions on the planet.
Extract Based Questions
Extract-based questions are of the multiple-choice variety, and students must select the correct option for each question by carefully reading the passage.
A. Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow:
“The child will grow up to become the warrior of warriors, hero of heroes, champion of champions. But… they bit their lips and swallow hard. When compelled to continue, the astrologers came out with it. “This is a secret which should not be revealed at all. And yet we are forced to speak out. The child born under this star will one day have to meet its death.”
1. Name the chapter.
A Evans Tries an O Level
B Memories of Childhood
C The Tiger King
D The Third Level
Ans C The Tiger King
2. Who is the author of this chapter?
A Tishani Doshi
B Kalki
C Pearl S Buck
D William Saroyan
Ans B Kalki
3. Who has been referred to as a child in this extract?
A Jilani Jung Jung Bahadur
B Khiledar Major
C The Tiger King
D All of these
Ans D All of these
4. What does the narrator mean by the phrase ‘They bit their lips’?
A They hesitated
B They spoke confidently
C They replied angrily
D They replied happily
Ans A They hesitated
B. Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow:
Everyone stood transfixed in stupefaction. They looked wildly at each other and blinked. “O wise prophets! It was I who spoke.” This time there were no grounds for doubt. It was the infant born just ten days ago who had enunciated the words so clearly. The chief astrologer took off his spectacles and gazed intently at the baby. “All those who are born will one day have to die. We don’t need your predictions to know that. There would be some sense in it if you could tell us the manner of that death” the royal infant uttered these words in his little squeaky voice.
1. Who is ‘I’ in the above lines?
A The Tiger King
B Kalki
C Astrologer
D The Tiger King’s Wife
Ans A The Tiger King
2. Who spoke at the age of 10?
A The Tiger King
B Dr. Sadao
C Jack
D Evans
Ans A The Tiger King
3. What did the royal infant want to know?
A The exact manner of his marriage
B The exact manner of his death
C The exact manner of his sitting on his throne
D The exact manner of his life
Ans B The exact manner of his death
4. Find out the synonym of ‘Utter’ from the following:
A To speak
B To Express
C To Let out
D All of these
Ans D All of these
C. Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow:
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. When he came of age at twenty, the State, which had been with the Court of Wards until then, came into his hands.
1. How was the tiger king brought up?
A By royalty
B In penury
C Beggarly
D None of these
Ans A By royalty
2. Who is a nanny?
A Nurse
B Nursemaid
C Custodian of a child
D None of these
Ans C Custodian of a child
3. At what age was he handed in the throne?
A 10 Years
B 15 Years
C 20 Years
D 25 Years
Ans C 20 Years
4. What is the court of wards?
A. A legal body created by East India Company
B An illegal body created by East India Company
C A neutral body created by East India Company
D None of these
Ans A. A legal body created by East India Company
D. Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow:
The British officer’s secretary sent word to the Maharaja through the dewan that the Durai himself did not have to kill the tiger. The Maharaja could do the actual killing. What was important to the durai was a photograph of himself holding the gun and standing over the tiger’s carcass. But the Maharaja would not agree even to this proposal. If he relented now, what would he do if other British officers turned up for tiger hunts?
1. What does the British officer want to do?
A He wanted to kill a tiger
B He wanted to kill the tiger king
C He wanted to click the tiger king’s picture with the dead tiger
D None of these
Ans A He wanted to kill a tiger
2. What is a carcass?
A Dead body of an animal
B Dead body of a human
C Dead body of a demon
D None of these
Ans A Dead body of an animal
3. Why did the Maharaja not want to relent?
A. For other Britishers could turn up for hunting tigers
B For other Britishers could turn up for hunting him
C For other Britishers could turn up for clicking his picture
D All of these
Ans A For other Britishers could turn up for hunting tigers
4. What was the final decision made by the tiger king?
A. He refused Durai
B He accepted his proposal
C He denied Durai being photographed with the tiger
D Both A and C
Ans D Both A and C
E. Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow:
The Maharaja and the dewan held deliberations over this issue. As a result, a telegram was dispatched forthwith to a famous British company of jewellers in Calcutta. Send samples of expensive diamond rings of different designs. Some fifty rings arrived. The Maharaja sent the whole lot to the British officer’s good lady. The king and the minister expected the Duraisani to choose one or two rings and send the rest back. Within no time at all the Duraisani sent her reply: “Thank you very much for your gifts.” In two days a bill for three lakh of rupees came from the British jewellers. The Maharaja was happy that though he had lost three lakh of rupees, he had managed to retain his kingdom.
1. Who has been referred to as ‘Good Lady”?.
A Durai
B Duraisani
C British officer
D The Tiger King
Ans B Duraisani
2. How much did the Maharaja have to pay for fifty rings?
A 3 lacs
B 4 lacs
C 5 lacs
D 2 lacs
Ans A 3 lacs
3. How many rings had the Maharaja expected Duraisani to keep?
A One or two
B two or three
C three or four
D four or five
Ans A One or two
4. Name the chapter.
A Evans Tries an O Level
B The Enemy
C Going Places
D The Tiger King
Ans D The Tiger King
F. Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow:
The dewan followed his orders. He found the right girl from a state which possessed a large number of tigers. Maharaja Jung Jung Bahadur killed five or six tigers each 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.
1. Why did the Maharaja get married?
A For begetting children
B For encroaching the estate of his father-in-law
C For going to honeymoon
D For killing rest of the tigers
Ans D For killing rest of the tigers
2. What was Maharaja’s preference for marrying a girl?
A She must be tall
B She must have blond hair
C She must have tigers in her estate
D She must have been poor
Ans C She must have tigers in her estate
3. Which literary device has been used in the last line?
A Transferred epithet
B Oxymoron
C Pun
D Alliteration
Ans D Alliteration
4. What does the narrator mean by ‘Ninety-nine tiger skins adorned the wall’?
A. The Maharaja had bought ninety nine tiger skins
B The Maharaja had killed ninety nine tigers
C The Maharaja had decorated his palace walls with ninety nine tiger skins
D None of these
Ans C The Maharaja had decorated his palace walls with ninety nine tiger skins
Short Question Answers
Ans The Pratibandapuram ruler was referred to by a variety of names. His Highness Jamedar-General, Khiledar-Major, Sata Vyaghra Samhari, and Maharajdhiraj Visva are possible titles for him. Sir Jilani Jung Jung Bahadur, Bhuvana Samrat, M.A.D., A.C.T.C., or C.R.C.K.
Q2 How did the Tiger King get the name he had?
Ans As it had been predicted that the 100th tiger would kill the king of Pratibandapuram, he was known as the Tiger King. As a result, he made the decision to kill 100 tigers before engaging in any other activities. He was renowned as the Tiger King because he killed so many tigers.
Q3 The future of the Tiger King was foreseen when he was only 10 days old. What about it was ironic?
Ans Astrologers foretold that the Tiger King would have to die one day when he was a little child. They added that the death would be caused by the 100th tiger. The one hundredth tiger did cause the death of the Tiger King. Ironically, however, the tiger wasn’t the real one. It was a wooden toy tiger.
Q4 The Maharaja’s choice to marry was motivated by what?
Ans Throughout his realm, the Maharaja had exterminated every tigress. Yet, only 70 tigers were really slain. To fulfil his commitment, he still had thirty more tigers to kill. As a result, he made the choice to wed a princess from a kingdom with a sizable tiger population.
Q5 When did the Tiger King stand in danger of losing his kingdom?
Ans In the realm of the Tiger King, a British officer desired to go tiger hunting. But the king forbade him from doing so. The officer just wanted to stand on the tiger’s carcass and be photographed, the officer sent news that the king could kill the animal himself. But, the king even turned against doing it. The monarch was in risk of losing his throne as a result.
Q6 How did the Tiger King manage to retain his kingdom?
Ans A renowned jeweller fulfilled the king’s order for fifty diamond rings. He mailed all of the rings to the officer’s wife. He believed that she would keep one or two rings and return the rest. Yet, she preserved all fifty rings. The cost to the monarch was three lac rupees, yet he was happy because he was able to save his country.
Q7 Why did the Maharaja ban tiger hunting in his state?
Ans The Maharaja had to keep his promise to slay 100 tigers. Hence, everyone other than the Maharaja was prohibited hunting tigers. A declaration was made stating that all of a person’s riches and possessions would be confiscated if they ventured to throw even a stone at a tiger.
Q8 What sort of hunt did the Maharaja offer to organise for the high-ranking British officer? What trait of the officer does it reveal?
Ans The Maharaja offered to organise a boar hunt, a mouse hunt, even a mosquito hunt for him but not a tiger hunt. However, the officer sent word that he only wanted to stand on the carcass of the tiger and be photographed. But the king even refused to do that. This shows the vanity and shallowness of the officer.
Q9 How was the royal baby raised?
OR
How did the royal child develop?
Ans The royal infant 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. His life was exactly like the other crown princes of the other Indian states.
Q10 Why did a hunter shoot the one hundredth tiger?
Ans The hunters approached the tiger and discovered that it was still alive because the bullet had missed it. They came to the conclusion that the king must not be made aware of his failure to hit his mark. They anticipated losing their jobs. As a result, one of the hunters took a shot at the tiger from a foot away.
Q11 What happened to the tiger that the dewan provided?
Ans The tiger provided by the dewan was very old. The dewan left it in the forest where the king was hunting. The tiger wandered into the presence of the king. The king took a careful aim and shot at him. The tiger fell in a crumpled heap and everyone thought it was dead. However, it had missed the shot and had fainted due to the loud sound of the gun.
Q12 What gift did the monarch bring for his third birthday for his son? What did he spend on it?
Ans On his son’s third birthday, the monarch brought a wooden tiger. The shopkeeper stated that it would cost 300 rupees. Nevertheless, the monarch refused to give him any money and instead took the tiger with him, declaring that it would be the shopkeeper’s gift to the crown prince.
Q13 What manner of passing did the Tiger King have?
Ans On his son’s birthday, the king brought a wooden tiger. It was constructed by an untrained carpenter. The king’s hand was punctured by one of the creature’s bodily fragments. The virus spread quickly. The king’s hand underwent surgery by three surgeons. The king, however, was helpless.
Q14 Why, after having slain 70 tigers, was the Maharaja still in a depressed state?
Ans In ten years, the Maharaja was able to slay 70 tigers. As a result, there were no more tigers in his domain. The Maharaja became depressed over this since he believed he would not be able to kill 100 tigers as planned, putting his life in peril.
Q15 Do you think an author who includes several instances of satire in a story faces the risk of being too cynical? Explain.
Ans The plot is unmistakably a satire on the arrogance of individuals in positions of power. The king was regarded from the start as being incredibly pompous. At the age of ten days, he spoke out of the blue, “Let the tiger beware,” challenging the astrologer’s forecast.
Q16 Comment on any one aspect of the writing style of the author, Kalki in The Tiger King.
Ans In his story The Tiger King, Kalki employs a straightforward, conversational style of writing. It is written with a comic and satirical undertone as a satire on individuals in positions of authority. He captures the irony of how society idolises those in positions of power and makes fun of it using hyperbole.
Long Answer Questions
Q1 How did the Tiger King stand in danger of losing his kingdom? How was he able to avoid the danger? Explain.
Ans. In the realm of the Tiger King, a British officer desired to go tiger hunting. But the king forbade him from doing so. Then the commander informed the monarch that he could kill the animal himself; all he wanted to do was stand on its carcass and take pictures. But, the king even turned against doing it. The monarch was in risk of losing his throne as a result.
A renowned jeweler fulfilled the king’s order for fifty diamond rings. He mailed the officer’s wife all of the rings. He sent her all fifty rings, assuming the lady would only keep one or two of them. However, she sent a note of thanks for the gift and kept all of them. The king had to bear the expense of three lac rupees for it, but he managed to save his kingdom.
Q2 What rumour was rife in Pratibandapuram about the crown prince Jung Jung Bahadur?
Ans Astrologers predicted that the Tiger King would eventually have to pass away when he was born. There was a significant miracle. Jilani Jung Jung Bahadur uttered an amazing sentence. All people who are born will eventually have to pass away, he stated. If you could tell us how that person died, it would make some sense.
The chief astrologer then stated that the prince was born during the Bull’s hour. Because the Tiger and the Bull are rivals, the Tiger would be the one to cause his death. “Let tigers beware!” the crown prince roared in response. In Pratibandapuram, this rumour was fairly widespread.
Q3 The astrologers predicted about the king. The child will grow up to become the warrior of warriors, hero of heroes, champion of champions. Do you think this prediction was right?
Ans The astrologers predicted about the king that he would grow into warrior of warriors, hero of heroes and champion of champions. However, this prediction was nothing but flattery. The monarch would be killed by a tiger, according to the second portion of the prophecy. The king only killed tigers during his life.
Killing defenseless creatures with a gun is not a heroic act. The king was actually a coward and not a fighter. He didn’t give a damn about the environment, his people, or the interests of his Kingdom in order to protect his life. Paradoxically, his life and death were identical. He did not pass away while engaged in combat. Yet a wooden tiger ended up being the reason for his demise.
Q4 The astrologer’s prediction about the death of the Tiger King came true. Do you agree with this statement?
OR
Did the prophecy of the astrologer come true at the end of the story? How?
Ans To some extent, we can agree with the statement that the astrologer’s prediction about the death of the Tiger King came true. The astrologer had predicted that the death of the Tiger King would come from the hundredth tiger. The hunters, who discovered that the old tiger had not perished by the king’s bullet but had just fainted by the bullet speeding by him, as opposed to the king himself, killed the hundredth tiger.
The king gave his three-year-old son a wooden toy tiger as the hundredth tiger. It only took a piece of wood sticking out of it piercing the king’s night hand to murder him. Pus began to form in the wound, and it eventually covered the entire arm. The best doctors were unable to rescue the king, confirming the astrologer’s prophecy that the Tiger King would die.
Q5 What values of life does the story “Tiger King” give us?
Ans This tale demonstrates the urgent necessity to protect the planet’s fauna. A hilarious ruler known as the Tiger King serves as the story’s protagonist. He began murdering tigers throughout his kingdom on the basis of a simple forecast. The tigers in his state eventually went extinct. Then he began exterminating tigers in his father-in-domain, law’s where they also went extinct.
The author of the narrative aims to convey to us the importance of preserving the ecological balance of the planet. Life cannot continue in the absence of this equilibrium. The author also exposes the folly, cruelty and Heartlessness of h humans with regard to their attitude towards the wild animals.
Q6 How can you say that the dewan was a comical character?
Ans It is true that the dewan in this tale is a hilarious figure. He is a flatterer, sycophant, and hypocrite. As tigers vanished from the Tiger King’s domain, the king made the decision to wed a princess from a country with a sizable tiger population. The monarch summoned his dewan and ordered him to shoot thirty more tigers while waving a rifle.
Dewan reported to the king that he was not a tiger after being alarmed. He figured the monarch might be planning to have him killed. The king then declared his intention to wed. The gullible dewan believed that perhaps the king desired to wed him. He replied, “Your Majesty, I have two wives already.” Then the king told him, “What I want is a…” The foolish dewan before completing the king’s statement said, “A Tiger King is more than enough for this state; it doesn’t need a Tiger Queen as well.” All these statements of the dewan indicate that he was a comical character.
Q7 Who was the Tiger King? Why did he get that name?
Ans The King of Pratibandapuram was known as the Tiger King. When he was born, the astrologers fore-told that his death would come from a Tiger. When the king came of age at twenty years, he learnt about the prophecy. There were many forests in his state. The Maharaja started on a tiger hunt. He was thrilled beyond measure when he killed his first tiger. He showed it to the state astrologer. But the state astrologer replied. “Your majesty may kill ninety-nine tigers in exactly the same manner. But you must be very careful with the hundredth tiger.”
The Maharaja made the decision to kill a hundred tigers before moving on with his plans. Everybody save the Maharaja had a ban on killing tigers. It was declared that anyone who ventured to hurl even a stone at a tiger would have all of his riches and possessions taken away. While hunting, Maharaja encountered numerous threats, but he overcame them all. The ruler thereupon earned the title of Tiger King.
Q8 The story is a satire on the content of those in power. How does the author employ the literary device of dramatic irony in the story?
Ans On the surface, this tale seems to be a relatively straightforward tale about a grumpy king who begins cruelly murdering tigers solely in accordance with a prophecy. This tale includes a hint of humour as well as a hint of suspense. But on a deeper level, this tale is actually a satire on the arrogance of individuals in positions of authority. Jilani Jung Jung Bahadur is in charge of a number of duties as king. Yet he focuses all of his attention on the tiger slaying.
For his personal purposes he proclaims that anybody in his kingdom is not allowed even to throw a stone at a tiger. All his activities are centered on tiger hunting. The astrologer has told him that his death would come from the hundredth tiger. The king died but ironically the cause of his death is not a real tiger but only a wooden king Thus, in this story, the writer satinised those in power by using the device of irony.
Q9 What is the author’s indirect comment on subjecting innocent animals to the lawfulness of human beings?
Ans The author highlights the cruelty of people towards wild creatures. The king begins murdering tigers in his kingdom based on a prophecy. He slaughtered so many that tigers vanished from his state. Afterwards, in his father-in-law’s state, he exterminated all the tigers. He was unable to find the final tiger to fulfill his commitment after killing 99 of them.
A feeble and elderly tiger from Madras People’s Park was arranged by his dewan. Even nevertheless, the king still pursues it with no mercy. Though the tiger couldn’t be killed by him a hunter later kills him. In this story, we are also told about the cruelty and conceit of a British officer who is quite fond of tiger hunting. Thus, in this story, the author exposes the cruelty and folly of human beings regarding their behaviour towards the wild animals.
Q10 We need a new system for the age of ecology, a system which is embedded in the care of all people and also in the care of the Earth and all life upon it. Discuss.
Ans Our current ecological system is seriously flawed. To keep the ideal balance between humans and animals, nature has given us an ecosystem. The finest means of supporting our existence on Earth is provided by this system. That is a superior system. But because of his selfishness, man has harmed this ecology or cycle.
Wild animal species are going extinct as a result of human development activities such as deforestation, poaching, and other. Forests are being replaced by concrete jungles. This poses a serious threat to both ourselves and the generations to come. Thus, it is now necessary to develop a new system that will aid in maintaining life on Earth.
Q11 Knowing too much of your future is never a good thing.’ In light of this quote, examine how knowing the future paved the way for the king’s end.
Ans Over-knowing the future is not a good thing. One will live in fear and waste their lives if the future is unfavourable. While he can grow complacent and sluggish if the future is expected to be bright for him. After learning of his fate, the king made every effort to avert it. In order to kill the 100 tigers he needed to escape dying at the hands of a tiger, he proposed a ban on tiger killing in his state. The king put a lot of effort into it and even wed a woman from a tiger-rich state. Also, he forbade a British officer from hunting in his woodlands, putting his kingdom in grave danger.
He hunted for the 100th tiger after killing 99 of them but was unsuccessful. Upon observing this, his diwan secretly released a frail and elderly tiger from the circus in the bush. The king shot the tiger and believed he had killed it, but all that happened was that the tiger had fainted. The monarch became exceedingly haughty and thought he could do no wrong after killing his 100th tiger. He then suffered a cut from a tiger-shaped toy that had jagged edges. Later, the wound became infected, and the illness caused his death. Thus, destiny was proved true.
Q12 The Maharaja justified his actions based on the maxim: ‘You may kill even a cow in self-defence,’ so there would be no objection to killing tigers in self defence.’ Do you think it is right to justify our actions in this way? Elaborate.
Ans Steadily, the crown prince Jung Jung Bahadur grew taller and more powerful. Except for the already mentioned event, no other miracle occurred during his formative years. The boy followed the same routine as the crown princes of all the other Indian states, drinking the milk of an English cow, being raised by an English nanny, receiving English tutoring from an Englishman, and seeing only English movies.
The State, which up until that point had been in the Court of Wards, passed into his hands when he turned twenty. Nonetheless, everyone in the kingdom was aware of the astrologer’s prophecy. The topic was still being discussed by many. It gradually reached the Maharaja’s ears. The Pratibandapuram State was covered in a vast number of forests. They contained tigers. The Maharaja was aware of the proverb, “In self-defense, you may slaughter even a cow. There is undoubtedly no problem with killing tigers for self-defense. The Maharaja set out to hunt tigers.
Q13 The king was callous as a ruler and behaved whimsically. Thus, the people in his kingdom suffered while he fulfilled his desire of killing a hundred tigers. Do you find leaders or politicians in the world today being indifferent to the needs of the people and behaving in the same way? Comment with relevant examples.
Ans The tiger king did indeed reign with callousness and exhibited irrational behaviour. As a result, while he achieved his goal of eliminating a hundred tigers, people in his realm suffered. He made no effort because of his obligations. He was just fixated on his own absurd goal of eliminating a hundred tigers. He neglected all of his obligations to his son, wife, and the general populace in order to kill tigers. He disregarded each of them out of self-interest. His pursuit of tigers affected every choice he made. He also didn’t apply any wisdom or logic to the idea that, putting aside their own egos, leaders and rulers should work for the environmental and social wellbeing of their subjects. The wellbeing of his subjects and his family were neglected as the monarch lived only to fulfil his own ego. For his own personal gain, he fired his officials and arbitrarily raised and decreased taxes. He purposefully took advantage of both his subjects and nature.
A similar picture is also painted by our political system. Politicians and leaders in today’s society appear to have little regard for the needs of the populace and act in an equally reckless manner to the tiger king. They just take leadership roles to quench their own power needs. They mainly abuse their positions of authority and prey on people’s pride.
But it’s past time for them to understand that using their position of power and authority for their own personal gain is wrong. They should be aware of what democracy entails, which means that they should always act in the interests of the general welfare. They ought to live simply and think critically. A real leader must always have patriotic values.
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