Why did Plain Tales from the Hills help establish Rudyard Kipling’s reputation?

Plain Tales from the Hills (1888) was a pivotal collection of short stories that helped establish Rudyard Kipling’s reputation as a brilliant prose writer. During his seven years working as a journalist in India, Kipling remained keenly observant of both the "thronging spectacle of native India" and the nuances of Anglo-Indian society.

By publishing Plain Tales from the Hills alongside other short-story volumes between 1887 and 1889, Kipling showcased his ability to capture these diverse experiences through his prose. When he returned to England in 1889, his reputation had already preceded him, and he was quickly acclaimed as one of the most brilliant writers of his time. This rapid rise to fame was so significant that it was compared to the success of Lord Byron, eventually leading to his status as a major literary figure by the time of Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s death in 1892.1