| Name | The Tiger King |
| Type | Summary |
| Class | 12 |
| Board | CBSE Board |
| Author | Kalki |
Summary – The Tiger King
In this narrative, the Maharaja Sir Jilani Hung Bahadur of Pratibandapuram is described. His future was foretold by astrologers when he was only ten days old. As per astrology, a tiger will murder him. Shockingly, the 10-day-old prince uttered these words: “Let tigers beware!” The boy matures in the same way as any other royal child. For example, by consuming white cow milk, having an English nanny take care of you, and watching English films.
He was crowned king at the age of 20 and was made aware of the death prediction. He began killing tigers as a result, and his state later outlawed tiger hunting. Even if he kills 99 tigers successfully, the astrologers warn him to take caution with the 100th one.
Once, a senior British commander comes to visit his state and requests to go on a tiger hunt. The maharaja, though, turned down his request. Additionally, to protect the nation from the British officer’s wrath. The maharaja sent the officer’s wife 50 diamond rings, totaling Rs 3 lakh in value.
The maharaja killed 70 tigers successfully in ten years. But after that, Pratibandapuram was devoid of any tigers. As a result, in order to achieve his goal of killing 100 tigers, he marries a girl from the royal state, which has more tigers. He makes sure to kill 5 to 6 tigers each time he visits his in-laws. Additionally, he managed to kill 99 tigers in this manner, but he was unable to find the hundredth tiger. The Maharaja became aggressive and threatened the Dewan after failing to find the hundredth tiger. The Dewan bought an elderly tiger from the circus and laboriously placed him in the forest in order to protect himself from the king’s wrath.
He informed the Maharaja of the tiger. The Maharaja then went on a hunt, killed the tiger, and felt triumphant and happy. However, he was unaware that his shot had missed and the tiger was still alive, and he had simply slumped out of panic. Since no one had the guts to tell the king the truth, they murdered the tiger and displayed it in front of king.
Finally, the maharaja was delighted and happy. So as a birthday present for his son, the father gets a wooden tiger. He receives a woodcut in his hand when playing with the tiger because of its rough edges, which eventually develops into an infection. And as a result, he dies. As a consequence, despite being made of wood, the 100th tiger tragically exacted retribution by killing the king.
About The Author
The Tiger King author Kalki was born in Pattamangalam, Thanjavur, on September 9, 1899. R. Krishnamurthy, a well-known Tamil writer, film and music critic, campaigner for Indian independence, and journalist from Tamil Nadu, used the pen name Kalki. His death took place on December 5, 1954.
