Summary of The Tiger King

The Tiger King, written by Indian writer Kalki Krishnamurthy, is a satirical story on pride and power. It talks about a king in pre-independence India who was brought up in the most lavish lifestyle. The one thing that worried him was the prediction made by his astrologers – the king’s death would be caused by a tiger. When the king embraced adulthood, he resolved to kill tigers to prove his astrologers wrong. But, as predicted, he faced his death at last in the form of an infection caused by a sliver of a wooden toy tiger. The poor craftsmanship of the wooden tiger lead to the death of the king. The Tiger King Summary is a part of BYJU’S CBSE Summary. Students can also visit CBSE Notes for further information and learning material on CBSE Class 12 English syllabus.

CBSE Class 12 English The Tiger King Summary

I

The protagonist of the story is the Maharaja of Pratibandapuram. The story is about how he gets the name ‘Tiger King’. Before the story starts, the writer tells us that the protagonist of the story is presently dead. However, the interesting event that will help us understand the story is the astrological prediction made after his birth.

When the king was just 10 days old, the astrologers predicted that the child would grow up to be a very strong king and the greatest of warriors, champions, and heroes, but they hesitated to announce that the king would meet his death one day. After hearing this, the ten-day-old baby called the astrologers. For a moment, they were baffled about the source of the sound. The baby directed their senses toward him and asked them to tell him the reason for his death. He reasoned that death was a natural phenomenon and it did not need to be predicted.

The astrologers were surprised as well as intrigued by the baby’s behaviour. They announced that since the king was born in the hour of the bull and since the bull and the tiger are enemies, the king would be killed by a tiger. The prince growled deeply and threatened to kill all the tigers.

II

As time went by, the crown prince grew taller and stronger. He drank the milk of an English cow, was brought up by an English nanny, was tutored by an Englishman and watched only English films just like the other crown princes of Indian states. The responsibility of the state was handed over to him when he became twenty years old. People started talking about the king’s tragic fate, and it reached his ears. The king decided to kill the tigers in the forests of Pratibandapuram. The Maharaj was thrilled when he killed the first tiger and showed its dead body to the State astrologer challenging the prediction made for him. The astrologer clarified the prediction saying that he would not face death while killing the first ninety-nine tigers, but he should be careful with dealing with the hundredth tiger. To challenge the astrologer further, the king announced that the hundredth tiger would also be killed. The astrologer replied that he would cut off his tuft, shorten his hair and become an insurance agent.

III

From that day, the king announced that tigers in the forests of Pratibandapuram would be hunted by none other than him. Anyone who dared even to harm a tiger would be punished. With his firm resolve to kill the hundred tigers, he decided to return to his management of state affairs only after it was accomplished. Sometimes, he missed the bullet while hunting but always managed to kill the tiger with his bare hands.

The king almost faced the trouble of losing his throne once when a high-ranking British officer expressed his desire to hunt tigers in the forests of Pratibandapuram, and he denied it. The officer replied that he was not as much interested in killing the tiger as he was interested in a photograph with the dead tiger. The king denied this as well and sent fifty samples of diamonds to his wife to choose a gift of three. Next, he knew that the British officer’s wife had kept all the diamonds to herself and sent him a letter thanking him for the gift.

Although the king had to pay a hefty bill, he was pleased that he was able to retain his kingdom.

IV

The Maharaja was successful in his attempts and killed seventy tigers within ten years. But a new problem arose – the tiger population had become extinct. He called the dewan and asked him to fix his marriage to a princess of a state with a huge tiger population. Thus, he got married and killed five or six tigers each time he visited his in-laws. He decorated the walls of his palace with the skins of ninety-nine dead tigers.

V

The Maharaja developed a sense of anxiety when he was not able to complete his count of hundred tigers. Even the tigers in his father-in-law’s kingdom were all killed. Good news embraced him when he got to know that sheep were disappearing from his state. He went out on a frantic search for the last tiger. He could not find it, and it seemed like the tiger was teasing him deliberately. He refused to leave the forest until the tiger was found. Many officers lost their jobs due to the king’s strange behaviour.

Once the Maharaja called the dewan and asked him to increase the land tax by twice its value. When the dewan pleaded with the king to see reason, he was left with a warning of losing his post. The hopeless dewan dragged a tiger (from People’s Park in Madras) hidden in the palace with the help of his wife and let him out at the spot where the king was hunting. The king aimed sharp, and the tiger dropped down, only to be discovered alive by his men. They did not want to lose their jobs. So, one of the hunters took good aim and shot the tiger dead. The king celebrated the death of the hundredth tiger in grandeur. The king now peacefully returned to his family affairs.

A few days later, the king bought a wooden tiger for his son to play with. The shopkeeper feared punishment and had sold it at a much higher value than its original price to the king. The toy was not crafted well and had a lot of tiny slivers on it. One sliver pierced the king’s right hand while playing. Within four days, it developed into an infection that spread all over his arm. Three famous surgeons were brought in to operate on the king from Madras, but the surgery turned out to be unsuccessful, and the king passed away. Thus, the hundredth ‘tiger’ took the life of the king, and the prediction was true.

Conclusion of The Tiger King

The Tiger King Summary highlights the truth that however powerful one is, one cannot control fate. Death is an inevitable part of human lives, and it cannot be averted no matter what we do. The use of power and might can not change the course of our lives. We have to accept our lives in whatever form they are. Also, the story uses a satirical tone while narrating the plot. It shows how vain and self-centred people with power can be. The king could have ignored the prediction as death was inevitable in his life, just as it was in others. But he could not resist his temptation to use his power to challenge death. Instead of falling for that vain resolve, he could have used his energy and time to look after his state affairs.

A detailed understanding of the story can help students critically analyse and appreciate the story. Students can refer to our website for further information and content related to the Class 12 English subject for better understanding and preparation for CBSE board exams. They can also access topics like grammar and writing in English.