Firstly before I address the question’s I would like to give a background of Kipling, He was born in Bombay, India on December 30th in 1882,which happened to be under British Rule upon his Birth. Although he learned and gained his education in England he eventually returned home in 1882. His family was in the middle class, His parent’s and possibly others were against foreign rule of course. I believe Kipling had a negative attitude towards the British Empire.This is a story of imperialism which is define as a policy of extending a country’s power and influence through diplomacy or military force. Kipling used tone to describe the way he felt about the British Empire.
Within this story Kipling gives two different outlooks, one from his stance as a reporter of what is going on with the British Empire and the other viewed Dravot and Peachy’s adventure to becoming kings.This is a story of imperialism, Dravot and Peachy got tired of their domain and said India was too small for them so they decided they were going to a place to become kings as they rightfully should because of it. To express the way he felt about the British Empire Kipling used many extended metaphors as Dravot and Peachy representing the British Empire, including figurative language.
When Kipling met with them he called them loafers, and they admitted to needing information to get into this territory which happed to be Afghanistan the British had no control of. I found that important because according to the National Archives the British Empire had to form alliances with some of the people to get a in because India was so heavily populated and governed they couldn’t have gone in and acquired it with just guns.It is apparent they represent the British Empire to me when they also went and got rifles to shoot off the enemy’s of the tribe to come into their favor. They used the rifle’s to their advantage to gain access into a territory that was not theirs.From the beginning Dravot was making all decision’s and Peachey even admitted to just him being King at first. Dravot and Peachys’ empire begin to crumple when Dravot begun to drift off of the contract and let the power he now had get to his head.
When they first became king’s their was a priest who doubted them from the start. Peachey and Dravot killed the empire slowly as the British Empire. They made it fall because of the lack of communication between them from both sides, Peachey was in charge of handling the men and Dravot was more so focused on expanding their territory. If Dravot was not so focused on expanding perhaps and gaining a wife which violated their “contrack” maybe their Empire would have never fell. When he wanted a wife that offset his focus on important matters such as remaining King, and making others not doubt that he was a god. He however did not focus on that which gave an in for the suspicious priest.
Dravot was so determined on getting a wife even though he was advised that everyone was scared to marry him he went through with it regardless, The suspicious priest spoke to the girl he was to marry and told her to see if he was really a king, so on the day of the marriage when Dravot asked for a kiss she bit him instead which resulted in him pulling back his hand covered in blood in front of everyone. Everyone then knew he was not a God and they killed him because of it.Since India was way too strong and I mention this again due to it’s importance the British Empire had to worm it’s way in from a different stance other than weapons, Some places of government were so large in size they already had thing’s set up for themselves such as India. The British Empire made an act just to be able to govern India and gain direct control. Ultimately Dravot by himself is a true representation of the British monarchy.
At the beginning of the story he said and I quote “I won’t make a nation,I’ll make an Empire.” He was so focused on many thing’s keeping his cover became less important and that is the reason why the priest got his in on discovering that he was not a god after all.Works cited”Education | British Empire |.” The National Archives, www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/empire/intro/overview6.htm.https://www.biography.com/people/rudyard-kipling-9365581https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire
