Class 12 English Chapter 2 The Tiger King – Question and Answer

Searching for Class 12 English The Tiger King questions and answers? This page offers complete and accurate NCERT solutions for The Tiger King Class 12 Vistas, along with a detailed summary, character sketch, and important questions for CBSE board exams. “The Tiger King” by Kalki is a powerful satire that explores themes of destiny, power, and pride. Here, you’ll find everything you need—MCQs, word meanings, previous year questions, and CBSE sample answers—to prepare smartly and score full marks in your English exam. Whether you’re revising or practising, these resources are ideal for mastering Class 12 English Chapter 2 – The Tiger King.

NCERT Class 12 English The Tiger King questions & answers

Read and Find Out

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

Answer- Jilani Jung Jung Bahadur, the ruler of Pratibandapuram, was known as the Tiger King. When he was born, astrologers predicted that he would die one day. Surprisingly, the prince, who was only ten days old, spoke and asked how he would die. The astrologers were shocked by this miracle. The chief astrologer said that a tiger would be the cause of his death. Hearing this, the little prince bravely said, “Let tigers beware!” From that moment, he decided to kill 100 tigers to avoid his death. That’s how he got the title “Tiger King.”

What did the royal infant grow up to be?

Answer- The royal baby grew up and became the king of Pratibandapuram. He became obsessed with the idea of killing 100 tigers because he wanted to prove the astrologers wrong, who had predicted that the hundredth tiger would cause his death. To avoid this fate, he killed all the tigers in his own kingdom. He even got married to a princess from another state just so he could continue hunting tigers there. Because of his mission to kill 100 tigers, people started calling him the Tiger King.

What will the Maharaja do to find the required number of tigers to kill?

Answer- To find more tigers to kill, the Maharaja told his dewan to look for a suitable girl for him to marry. The girl had to be from a royal family and also from a state that had plenty of tigers. Since there were no tigers left in Pratibandapuram, marrying a princess from another state would give him the chance to hunt more tigers there. This way, he could continue his mission of killing one hundred tigers.

How will the Maharaja prepare himself for the hundredth tiger, which was supposed to decide his fate?

Answer- The Maharaja was very careful when it came to hunting the hundredth tiger, as it was believed to be the one that would cause his death. When he finally found the hundredth tiger, he aimed very carefully and shot at it. The tiger fell to the ground, and the Maharaja thought he had killed it. He was so happy and relieved that he quickly left the place, thinking he had changed his fate.

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

Answer- The astrologer died before the king of Pratibandapuram could kill all one hundred tigers. For the king, proving the prophecy wrong was his only goal. Everything else in his life was less important than killing the tigers.

However, the prophecy wasn’t completely proven wrong because the king was eventually killed by a tiger—but not a real tiger, and not the hundredth tiger. The hundredth tiger was old, weak, and almost lifeless. It even fainted when the king fired his gun near it. The king’s death was actually caused by a small wooden tiger toy that the king accidentally stepped on, which caused him to fall and die.

Reading with Insight

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 Tiger King” is a great example of dramatic irony. The king thinks he can beat his fate by killing 100 tigers, but things don’t go as he expects. After killing the first tiger, he shows it off proudly, but the astrologer warns him about the hundredth tiger. The king ignores this and hunts all the tigers.

When he shoots the old hundredth tiger, he believes it’s dead, but it only faints. The king feels happy, not knowing the truth. Ironically, the king dies because of a small wooden tiger toy, proving the astrologer’s prediction right in an unexpected way.

2. What is the author’s indirect comment on subjecting innocent animals to the willfulness of human beings?

Answer- In this satirical story, the author shows how humans cruelly harm innocent animals just to satisfy their own desires. The Maharaja’s careless killing of tigers caused them to disappear in some places, but he didn’t realise the serious results of his actions. To prove the astrologer wrong, the Maharaja kept killing tigers to show his power over helpless animals.

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 followers were afraid of him and always tried to please him. They obeyed his orders because disobeying could cost them their jobs or lives. The astrologer was scared to predict the king’s death until told to “speak without fear.” The Dewan didn’t stop the king from killing tigers and even helped arrange his marriage to a princess from a tiger-rich kingdom. Hunters hid the truth about the hundredth tiger to keep their jobs, and the shopkeeper charged more for a wooden tiger toy, fearing punishment.

Clearly, the king’s people acted out of fear, not loyalty. This is similar to today’s politics, where many leaders stay in power because of influence, and others support them for personal gain, not for the country’s good.

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- Even today, some rich people are involved in game hunting, showing how careless humans can be towards wildlife. For example, Salman Khan was accused in the Black Buck poaching case, and Nawab Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi was involved in the antelope case.

5. Why Does Tiger King get that name?

Answer- The Tiger King gets his name because of his obsession with tigers. He is a ruler who sets out to kill 100 tigers to prove his strength and fulfill a prophecy. His extreme actions and desire to control the tigers, along with his belief that he is destined to be the “king” of tigers, earn him the title “Tiger King.” The name reflects his pride, power, and the central role tigers play in his life.