Question Bank — The Tiger King

Section A — MCQs (10 questions, 1 mark each)

1. What prophecy was made about the Tiger King at his birth?
   a) He would become a great warrior
   b) He would die from a tiger
   c) He would rule many kingdoms
   d) He would live for a hundred years

2. Why did the Maharaja ban tiger hunting by others in his state?
   a) To protect wildlife
   b) To ensure he alone could kill 100 tigers
   c) To please the British officer
   d) To follow the astrologer’s advice

3. How did the Maharaja avoid losing his kingdom to the British?
   a) By allowing the officer to hunt
   b) By sending expensive diamond rings
   c) By hiding all the tigers
   d) By threatening the officer

4. Assertion (A): The Maharaja was overjoyed after shooting the hundredth tiger.
   Reason (R): He believed the prophecy had been fulfilled and he was safe.
   a) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
   b) Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A.
   c) A is true, but R is false.
   d) A is false, but R is true.

5. What was the final cause of the Maharaja’s death?
   a) A tiger attack
   b) Infection from a wooden tiger splinter
   c) The astrologer’s curse
   d) A British officer’s revenge

6. Assertion (A): The dewan secretly brought a tiger from Madras.
   Reason (R): He feared the Maharaja would lose his throne if the hundredth tiger was not found.
   a) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
   b) Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A.
   c) A is true, but R is false.
   d) A is false, but R is true.

7. Which literary device is mainly used in the story?
   a) Personification
   b) Satire and dramatic irony
   c) Alliteration
   d) Onomatopoeia

8. Why did the Maharaja marry a princess from a particular state?
   a) For political alliance
   b) To gain access to more tigers
   c) To fulfil his father’s wish
   d) To increase his kingdom’s size

9. What happened when the Maharaja shot at the hundredth tiger in the forest?
   a) The tiger died instantly
   b) The bullet missed; the tiger fainted
   c) The tiger attacked the Maharaja
   d) The astrologer appeared and stopped him

10. The story shows that the Maharaja’s power was ultimately defeated by
    a) The British
    b) A simple wooden toy
    c) The dewan’s betrayal
    d) The villagers’ revolt

Section B — Reference to Context (3 extracts, 4 marks each)

Extract 1

“The child will grow up to become the warrior of warriors, hero of heroes, champion of champions. But... The child born under this star will one day have to meet its death.”

a) Who is the speaker and what is the context?
b) What prediction is being made about the infant?
c) Identify the literary device used in the astrologers’ speech.
d) What does this extract reveal about the story’s theme of fate?

Extract 2

“I have killed the hundredth tiger. My vow has been fulfilled.”

a) Who says this and to whom?
b) Why is the speaker overjoyed at this moment?
c) Name the figure of speech in the phrase “hundredth tiger”.
d) What dramatic irony is present in this statement?

Extract 3

“The operation was successful. The Maharaja is dead.”

a) Who are the speakers and what is the situation?
b) How did the Maharaja actually meet his end?
c) Identify the irony in this statement.
d) What does this ending suggest about human pride?

Section C — Short Answer (5 questions, 3 marks each)

1. Why was the infant prince called the Tiger King?
2. How did the Maharaja react to the astrologer’s prediction about his death?
3. Why did the Maharaja refuse the British officer’s request to hunt tigers?
4. How did the dewan help the Maharaja find the hundredth tiger?
5. What role does the wooden tiger play in the story?

Section D — Long Answer (2 questions, 6 marks each)

1. Draw a character sketch of the Maharaja of Pratibandapuram. Highlight his obsession, courage, and ultimate fate.
2. The story is a satire on the conceit of those in power. Discuss with reference to the Maharaja’s actions and the ending.

Section E — Language and Writing (2 questions, 4 marks each)

1. From the unit, give one-word substitutes for the following (any four):
   a) A person who predicts the future
   b) A sudden outbreak of infection
   c) To take away property as punishment
   d) Extreme happiness or joy
   e) A carved wooden figure

2. Write a diary entry (80–100 words) from the point of view of the dewan on the night he brought the tiger from Madras, expressing his fear and dilemma.