Irony of Military Technology
Dan and Peachey, in an attempt to conquer Kafiristan, bring in rifles and ammunition. The same weapons are later used to overthrow and capture them.
Irony of Supposed Racial Superiority
Dan and Peachey believe that it is right for them and their hand-picked Englishmen to rule in Kafiristan, because the local people are both inferior enough to be in need of English rule, and English enough to accept it without serious resistance. Yet the two protagonists, despite having been deified by the locals, are instantly overthrown, captured, and punished by the locals who show themselves to have more than mastered the European armaments.
Irony of Gender
In a land where gods outrank men and men outrank women, it is the terrified young woman who is being forced to marry Dan who bites him hard enough to draw blood. The sight of this blood leads to a riot and ultimately to Dan's execution. Thus the highest-ranked person is brought down by the lowest.
Irony of Symbol
Throughout the story, Dan and Peachey make up various ritual and symbolic acts that serve no purpose except to confuse and impress the people of Kafiristan. Because of a coincidence in which a symbol on Dan's apron matches a hidden Masonic symbol put in the temple by some previous wanderers, the Englishmen are assumed by the locals to possess hidden knowledge and to in fact be gods. They take advantage of the mistake to consolidate their leadership, and completely fabricate a ritual and pass it off as the Masonic Third Degree.
As much as they take advantage of beliefs and rituals, Dan and Peachey not only fail to understand the beliefs and rituals that the local people have, but they fail to heed the warnings of Billy Fish, who is a tribal chief from the area who learns English. Accordingly, they do not understand why Dan should not marry a local woman, and why he should take great pains to avoid bleeding in public, until it is too late. The blood, a symbol of Dan's humanity, proves to all present that he is not a god, and the local people rise up against him.
Irony of Friendship
In the story, pacts of friendship are intended to strengthen individuals through assurance of mutual support and protection. In reality, everyone who sticks by a friend who is making a stupid decision simply suffers or dies for it.
Irony of Disguise
In the beginning of the story, Dan and Peachey set out disguised as a mad priest and his assistant, so as to not be recognized. At the end of the story, Peachey returns without wearing a disguise but is still not recognized due to the change in appearance wrought upon him by the torture he has endured. Instead of pretending to be insane, Peachey has genuinely lost his mind.
Irony of Dominance
Throughout the story, it is Dan who is the alpha partner and Peachey who accepts his leadership. Although Peachey is not described as a small man, Dan is the taller, larger, stronger, and more intelligent of the two. Dan makes the plans and acts on them, and Peachey assists. When they are in disguise, it is Dan who is the mad priest and Peachey who is the assistant. When they invade Kafiristan, it is Dan who manipulates and communicates with the local leaders, not Peachey, who is unable to learn the local langusge. Indeed, when Dan goes off to consolidate his empire, he leaves Peachey behind to drill troops. When Dan returns after a successful tour, he talks about bringing in deputies and administrators to help him rule, effectively displacing Peachey, who cannot even be part of Dan's war council because he cannot speak the local language. Yet oddly enough, it is Peachey who survives to tell the tale, and not the stronger and far more intelligent Dan.
