"The Man Who Would Be King" (1888) is a short story by Rudyard Kipling concerning two 19th century British ex-soldiers who set off from British India in search of adventure and end up as kings of Kafiristan (now part of Pakistan). The story was inspired by the exploits of Englishman James Brooke, who in 1841 became Rajah of the region of Sarawak in Borneo, as well as by the travels of American adventurer Josiah Harlan, who claimed the title Prince of Ghor around 1840, thanks to the military force he led into Afghanistan. The Man Who Would Be King may refer to: The Man Who Would Be King, an 1888 short story by Rudyard Kipling concerning two ambitious British ex-soldiers The Man Who Would Be King (film), an adaptation of the above story The Man Who Would Be King (song), a song... See also: 1887 in literature, other events of 1888, 1889 in literature, list of years in literature. ... This article is in need of attention. ... This article is about the British author. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Anthem God Save The Queen/King British India, circa 1860 Capital Calcutta (1858-1912), New Delhi (1912-1947) Language(s) Hindi, Urdu, English and many others Government Monarchy Emperor of India  - 1877-1901 Victoria  - 1901-1910 Edward VII  - 1910-1936 George V  - January-December 1936 Edward VIII  - 1936-1947 George... Kafiristan or Kafirstan (Land of the non believers in the Persian) was a historic name of Nurestan (Nuristan), a province in the Hindukush(Killer of Hindu Mountains) region of Afghanistan and Pakistan. ... Sir James Brooke Sir James Brooke (the most legendary person ever!!)(29 April 1803 – 11 June 1868) was born in Coombe Grove, near Bath, educated at Norwich School, England and became the first White Rajah of Sarawak. ... Josiah Harlan in his Afghan robes Josiah Harlan (June 12, 1799 - 1871) was an American adventurer, best known for travelling to Afghanistan and Punjab with the intention of being made king. ...

The story was first published in The Phantom Rickshaw and other Eerie Tales (Volume Five of the Indian Railway Library, published by Wheelers of Allahabad in 1888). It also appeared in Wee Willie Winkie and Other Stories in 1895, and in numerous later editions of that collection. Wee Willie Winkie is the bedtime figure characterised in the Scottish nursery rhyme of the same name which was written by William Miller in 1841. ...

A radio adaption was broadcast on the show Escape on July 7, 1947. In 1975, it was adapted into a feature film by director John Huston, starring Sean Connery and Michael Caine. The Man Who Would Be King is a 1975 film adapted from the Rudyard Kipling story of the same title. ... John Marcellus Huston (August 5, 1906 – August 28, 1987) was an American film director and actor. ... Sir Thomas Sean Connery (born 25 August 1930) is a retired Scottish actor and producer who is perhaps best known as the first actor to portray James Bond in cinema, starring in seven Bond films. ... This article is about the English actor. ...

Plot summary

The narrator of the story, a journalist who is later revealed to be Rudyard Kipling, meets two scruffy adventurers, ex-soldiers Daniel Dravot and Peachey Carnehan, who announce that they are off to Kafiristan, in the Afghan mountains, to set themselves up as kings. The narrator is persuaded to help them when they appeal to him as fellow Freemasons. This article is about the British author. ... Daniel Dravot is one of two key fictional characters in Rudyard Kiplings short story The Man Who Would Be King, subsequently made into a feature film in 1975. ... Gunnery Sergeant P.T. Peachey Carnehan is one of two central characters in Rudyard Kiplings short story The Man Who Would Be King. ... Kafiristan or Kafirstan (Land of the non believers in the Persian) was a historic name of Nurestan (Nuristan), a province in the Hindukush(Killer of Hindu Mountains) region of Afghanistan and Pakistan. ... American Square & Compasses Freemasonry is a worldwide fraternal organization. ...

Two years later, on an exceptionally hot summer night, Carnehan creeps into the journalist's office a broken man, a crippled beggar clad in rags. For the rest of the evening, he tells an amazing story. Dravot and Carnehan succeeded in making themselves kings, persuading the natives that Dravot was a god (the son of Alexander the Great), mustering an army, taking over villages, and dreaming of building a unified nation. For the film of the same name, see Alexander the Great (1956 film). ...

Their schemes were dashed when Dravot tried to take a native woman for his wife. Believing that marrying a god would kill a mere mortal, the terrified girl bit Dravot when he tried to kiss her. Seeing him bleed, the people realized that he was "Not god, not devil, but a man!" Led by the priesthood, they turned against their rulers. Their army remained loyal and attempted to fight off the attack, but they were overwhelmed.

They forced Dravot, still wearing his crown, to walk out on a rope bridge over a ravine. He begged Carnehan's forgiveness for causing their downfall, then defiantly waited while they cut the rope, sending him plunging to his death. Carnehan they crucified between two pine trees. When he survived a day with wooden pegs driven through his hands and feet, the people concluded it was a miracle and let him go.

As proof of the veracity of his tale, Carnehan shows the journalist Dravot's head, still wearing his golden crown. He had recovered the head after the natives used it as part of a traditional polo like game which uses a wrapped head instead of a ball. Seeing that Carnehan is half-mad from his ordeal, the journalist takes him to a missionary to admit into a mental asylum. When he inquires two days later, he learns that Carnehan has died of sunstroke. ("a half hour in the sun without a hat.") No belongings are found with him. A psychiatric hospital (also called a mental hospital or asylum) is a hospital specializing in the treatment of persons with mental illness. ... Hyperthermia is an acute condition resulting from excessive exposure to heat, it is also known as heat stroke or sunstroke. ...

Trivia

• J.M. Barrie described the story as "the most audacious thing in fiction".
• The explorer George Scott Robertson, whom Billy Fish reports as having died, was in real life rescued by a British military force in 1895, after Kipling wrote his story.
• The Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "The Storyteller" was based on the short story, according to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion.
• "The Man Who Would Be King" is the name of a 2004 song written by Peter Doherty and Carl Barat of The Libertines for their self-titled second album. The songwriters are known fans of Kipling and his work. It is a reflection on the story, as two friends who seem to be at the top, drift away from each other and begin to despise each other.

Sir James Matthew Barrie, Baronet, Scottish author Sir James Matthew Barrie, Baronet (May 9, 1860 - June 19, 1937), more commonly known as J. M. Barrie, was a Scottish novelist and dramatist. ... Sir George Scott Robertson (October 22, 1852 - January 1, 1916) was an British soldier, author, and administrator who was best known for his arduous journey to the remote and rugged region of Kafiristan in what is now northeastern Afganistan. ... Space station Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (ST:DS9 or STDS9 or DS9 for short) is a science fiction television series produced by Paramount and set in the Star Trek universe. ... The Storyteller is a first-season episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. ... Peter Doherty (born March 12, 1979) is an English musician, artist and poet. ... Carl Ashley Raphael Barât (born June 6, 1978) is the frontman and lead guitarist in the band Dirty Pretty Things. ... This article is about the band The Libertines. ...

External links

• Full text at Project Gutenberg