![]() Near the beginning of the story, Carnehan shows the narrator the “Contrack” he has signed with Dravot as evidence that their desire to become kings of Kafiristan is serious. Like Daniel and Peachey, Kipling suggests, the empire cannot maintain control of its colonies if it loses its moral authority. A framing narrative, in which the narrator describes his experiences as a newspaper correspondent in India, brackets the story of Carnehan and Dravot’s adventures in Kafiristan and situates the story firmly within the context of British colonial rule. As a direct result of abandoning his moral code, Dravot loses all of his power and meets a violent end. Yet soon after becoming a king, Dravot decides that the terms of the contract have been met and commands his subjects to bring him a wife. ![]() Daniel Dravot and Peachey Carnehan, two British men living in India, have signed a contract stating that they will abide by a strict moral code: they will not touch women or alcohol until they have become kings of the land of Kafiristan. ![]() ![]() ![]() Written during Britain’s imperial rule of India, Kipling’s “The Man Who Would Be King” is essentially a parable about the moral authority of the British Empire. ![]()
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