In the 16th to 17th centuries, Karangasem was under the rule of the
Gelgel Dynasty from
Klungkung, the king was I Dewa Karangamla who was based in Selagumi (Balepunduk). I Dewa Karangamla married the widow of I Gusti Arya Batanjeruk, the patih (pm) of the kingdom who rebelled and was killed in Bungaya Village, on the condition that after their second marriage, the son of Batanjeruk's widow would become the ruler. This condition was agreed to and then I Dewa Karangamla's family moved from Selagumi to Batuaya. I Dewa Karangamla also had a son from his other wife named I Dewa Gde Batuaya. The transfer of power to the son of Batanjeruk's widow marked the beginning of the Karangasem Kingdom which was held by the Batanjeruk Dynasty. Karangasem led by the Batanjeruk dynasty then began to expand its territory both inside and outside the island. Since then, Balinese court culture has also developed in Lombok.
Colonial period Dutch occupation period when receiving a visit from
Governor General Dirk Fock in 1925. with his wife. The furniture of Puri Agung Karangasem seen in the photo was a gift from
Queen Wilhelmina from the
Netherlands. After the arrival of
Netherlands, it also brought influence in terms of government bureaucracy. In 1906, in
Bali there were three forms of government, namely: •
Rechtstreeks bestuurd gebied (direct government) covering Buleleng, Jembrana, and Lombok •
Zelfbestuurend landschappen (self-government) were Badung, Tabanan, Klungkung, and Bangli •
Stedehouder (representative of the Dutch government) were Gianyar and Karangasem Thus in the Karangasem Kingdom, the successive
Stedehouder (ruler) were I Gusti Gede Jelantik in 1894–1908, and
Stedehouder I Gusti Bagus Jelantik who had the title Anak Agung Agung Anglurah Ketut Karangasem (Dewata di Maskerdam) in 1908–1950, With the Decree of
Governor General of the Dutch East Indies dated December 16, 1921, No. 27 Stbl. No. 756 in 1921, starting from January 1, 1922,
Gouvernements Lanschap Karangasem was abolished, changed into an autonomous region, directly under the Government of
Dutch East Indies, Karangasem
Raad was formed which was chaired by
Regent I Gusti Bagus Jelantik, while the Secretary was held by
Controleur Karangasem. As
Regent, I Gusti Bagus Jelantik still used the title
Stedehouder. The number of Punggawa which previously numbered 14 was reduced again to 8, namely: Rendang, Selat, Sidemen, Bebandem, Manggis, Karangasem, Abang, Kubu. With the Decree of
Governor General of the Dutch East Indies dated September 4, 1928, No. 1, the title
Stedehouder was replaced with the title Anak Agung Agung Anglurah Ketut Karangasem. By Decree
Governor General of the Dutch East Indies dated June 30, 1938, No. 1 effective from July 1, 1938, he was appointed as
Zelfbestuur Karangasem (head of
autonomous). Along with the formation of the Karangasem
Zelfbestuur, starting from July 1, 1938, the
Zelfbestuur–
Zelfbestuur were also formed throughout
Bali, namely Klungkung, Bangli, Gianyar, Badung, Tabanan, Jembrana and Buleleng, where the rulers of the autonomous regions (
Zelfbestuur) were united in a federation of kings called Paruman Agung. ,
Raja and
Regent of Karangasem In socio-cultural life, due to the influence of education obtained in the 19th century, many young intellectuals in various regions in
Bali established youth, religious and scientific associations and organizations. In 1925, in
Singaraja an association was established called "Suryakanta" and had a magazine also called "Suryakanta". Suryakanta wanted the Balinese people to progress in knowledge and eliminate customs that were no longer in accordance with the times. Meanwhile, in Karangasem an association was born called "Satya Samudaya Baudanda Bali-Lombok" whose members consisted of civil servants and the general public with the aim of saving and collecting money for the benefit of
studiefonds.
Japanese occupation period After going through several battles, the
Japanese army landed on Sanur Beach,
Badung, on February 18–19, 1942. From the direction of Sanur, the Japanese army entered the city of
Denpasar without experiencing any resistance. Then, from Denpasar, Japan controlled all of Bali, including Karangasem. First of all, the Japanese Army (
Rikugun) laid the foundation for Japanese rule in Bali. Then, when the situation was stable, control of the government was handed over to the civil government. When Japan entered
Bali,
Paruman Agung or the council of Balinese kings was changed to
Sutyo Renmei.
Independence period In 1945 after
Japan surrendered and the independence of the
Republic of Indonesia,
Bali became part of the Government of the
State of East Indonesia. The State of East Indonesia was dissolved and all its territories merged into the
Republic of Indonesia on August 17, 1950. The autonomous government (kingdom) in Bali was changed to the Council of Kings with its seat in
Denpasar and chaired by a king. In October 1950, the Karangasem Swapraja government took the form of the Karangasem Government Council, chaired by the chairman of the Daily Government Council held by the Head of Swapraja (King) and assisted by members of the Daily Government Assembly. In 1951, the term Member of the Daily Government Assembly was changed to Member of the Karangasem Government Council. Based on Law No. 69 of 1958, effective from 1 December 1958, the autonomous regions in
Bali were changed to Level II Regions at the
regency level, including Karangasem. == Geography ==