12. Ajamil and the Tigers - Poetry - Class 11 - Woven Words

BhashaLab
Jul 1
5 min read

Poet: Arun Kolatkar

Textbook: Woven Words

Genre: Poem (Satirical Allegory / Political Fable)

Summary

Arun Kolatkar’s poem Ajamil and the Tigers is a satirical allegory that uses animal characters to comment on modern politics, power, and diplomacy. The tigers complain to their king that they are starving because Ajamil has hired a clever sheepdog that prevents them from hunting sheep. The tiger king decides to attack alone but returns wounded and defeated. He then plans a group attack, leading fifty tigers against the dog. However, the sheepdog outwits them all and captures them. When brought before Ajamil, the tiger king lies, claiming they came in peace, not to hunt sheep. Ajamil, pretending to believe the lie, sets them free and invites them to dinner. The tigers agree to sign a peace treaty and leave with gifts. Ajamil is not fooled; he knows that even tigers must eat. The poem ends with a picture of false harmony—fat sheep and well-fed tigers drinking from the same pond—while Ajamil, the shepherd-politician, plays his flute. The poem uses humor and irony to reveal the hypocrisy of politicians and the compromises they make for peace and power.

Character Sketch

Ajamil (The Shepherd):

Clever, diplomatic, and strategic, Ajamil understands the threat of the tigers but chooses to negotiate peace rather than risk war. He is a political figure who pretends to be innocent but is highly calculating. His actions reflect the compromises leaders make to maintain control and avoid conflict.

Tiger King:

Aggressive and proud, the tiger king is initially war-driven but quickly changes his tone when defeated. He represents boastful leaders who lie and disguise self-interest as peacekeeping when it suits them.

Sheepdog:

Loyal, intelligent, and action-oriented, the sheepdog symbolizes the honest worker who sees through lies. His frustration reflects the helplessness of truth in a system driven by deception and diplomacy.

Themes

Theme	Description
Political Hypocrisy	Leaders lie and manipulate situations to maintain power or avoid embarrassment.
Diplomacy and Deception	Peace is often built on pretense rather than truth or justice.
Satire on Leadership	The poem mocks politicians who make decisions based on convenience, not morality.
Compromise for Coexistence	Even opposing forces can live together if their basic needs are met, though trust may not exist.

✨ Literary Devices / Poetic Devices

Device	Example / Explanation
Satire	The poem mocks politics by using tigers, sheep, and a shepherd to reflect real-world systems.
Irony	The tiger king lies about his intentions, and Ajamil pretends to believe him—both knowingly dishonest.
Allegory	The characters and events represent political actors and systems, beyond the literal story.
Imagery	“Strung them all out in a daisy chain” creates a vivid picture of the sheepdog’s control.
Symbolism	The flute, tigers, and sheep symbolize peace, power, and the common public respectively.
Repetition	The phrase “pretended to believe” emphasizes the false diplomacy practiced by Ajamil.

Title Justification

The title Ajamil and the Tigers immediately introduces the two central elements of the poem: Ajamil, the shepherd and decision-maker, and the tigers, the threatening outsiders. The story revolves around their interaction, which symbolizes larger issues of leadership, political negotiation, and power dynamics. Though the tigers appear threatening, the poem shows that Ajamil, the shepherd, holds the true power through clever diplomacy. The title aptly sets up the satirical contrast between innocence and aggression, honesty and deception.

One-Mark Questions

Why were the tigers starving?
The tigers could not hunt sheep anymore because Ajamil had employed a smart and quick sheepdog. The dog wouldn’t let them near the sheep.
What happened when the tigers attacked together?
The sheepdog captured all fifty tigers and the tiger king before they could act. He presented them to Ajamil as prisoners of war.
Why did the tiger king lie to Ajamil?To save face, he claimed they came in peace and never intended to attack. He hoped to escape punishment through false diplomacy.
How did Ajamil respond to the tiger king’s lies?He pretended to believe them, refused to meet the dog’s eyes, and invited the tigers to dinner. He played along to avoid open conflict.
What does the final image of sheep and tigers drinking from the same pond suggest?It symbolizes forced peace and coexistence built on diplomacy, not trust. It shows how survival needs can temporarily overcome natural enmity.

Three-Mark Questions

How is Ajamil portrayed as a clever political figure?
Ajamil sees through the lies of the tiger king but chooses not to confront him directly. Instead, he invites the tigers to dinner and signs a peace treaty. By offering food and gifts, he ensures safety and control without war. His actions reflect strategic thinking and the art of peaceful diplomacy. He understands both power and survival.
Why is the sheepdog frustrated, and what does he symbolize?
The sheepdog is honest and loyal, doing his job perfectly by capturing the tigers. But when Ajamil pretends to believe the tiger king’s lies, the dog is visibly upset. He symbolizes truth and duty, feeling betrayed by the politics of deceit. His helplessness shows how truth is often ignored in political games.
Explain the significance of the last stanza.
The final stanza shows a peaceful but artificial coexistence between predators and prey. Ajamil can relax and “play the flute” because everyone’s needs are temporarily met. The image of tigers and sheep drinking together represents a fragile peace built on negotiation and compromise. It reflects how power can enforce surface-level harmony, though the underlying danger remains.

Value-Based Question

What does the poem teach us about leadership and peace?The poem suggests that leadership often requires balancing truth with diplomacy. Ajamil’s actions reflect the idea that peace is sometimes achieved not by confrontation, but by clever management of power. However, it also warns that such peace may be based on pretense. True leadership involves ensuring the safety and needs of all while recognizing deeper truths. The poem encourages us to question systems built on lies and to value honesty and justice in governance.

End

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