Establishment of the Karangasem Kingdom From the 16th to the 17th century, Karangasem was under the rule of the Gelgel Kingdom, with King I Dewa Karangamla based in Selagumi (Balepunduk). I Dewa Karangamla married the widow of I Gusti Arya Batanjeruk, a royal regent who had led a rebellion and was killed in the village of Bungaya, on the condition that after their marriage, Batanjeruk’s son would eventually become the ruler. This condition was agreed upon, and subsequently, I Dewa Karangamla’s family moved from Selagumi to Batuaya. I Dewa Karangamla also had a son by another wife named I Dewa Gde Batuaya. The transfer of power to the son of Batanjeruk’s widow marked the founding of the Karangasem Kingdom, which was ruled by the Batanjeruk Dynasty.
Conquest of Buleleng and Lombok and Conquest of Karangasem by the Dutch -Sasak Kingdom was conquered, but thanks to an agreement with Raden Praya, the island was divided into two parts, though both continued to recognize Karangasem as their parent kingdom. From that time onward, Balinese court culture and civilization also flourished in Lombok. On August 25, 1891, the son of the ruler of Bali-Mataram, Anak Agung Ketut Karangasem, was dispatched, along with 8,000 soldiers, to suppress the rebellion in
Praya, On September 8, 1891, a second force of 3,000 men, led by another son, Anak Agung Made Karangasem, was dispatched as reinforcements. Since the royal army appeared to be struggling to handle the situation, the ruler of Karangasem, Anak Agung Gede Jelantik, was again asked to send 1,200 elite troops to quell the rebellion. By Decree of the
Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies dated December 16, 1921, No. 27 Stbl. No. 756 of 1921, effective January 1, 1922, the
Gouvernements Lanschap of Karangasem was abolished and transformed into an autonomous region directly under the Dutch East Indies Government. The Karangasem
Raad was established, chaired by Regent I Gusti Bagus Jelantik, while the position of Secretary was held by the
Controleur of Karangasem. As
Regent, I Gusti Bagus Jelantik continued to use the title of
Stedehouder. The number of districts, which had previously been 14, was further reduced to 8, namely: Rendang, Selat, Sidemen, Bebandem, Manggis, Karangasem, Abang, and Kubu. By Decree of the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies dated September 4, 1928, No. 1, the title of
Stedehouder was replaced with the title of Anak Agung Agung Anglurah Ketut Karangasem. By Decree of the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies dated June 30, 1938, No. 1, effective July 1, 1938, he was appointed as the
Zelfbestuur of Karangasem (head of the autonomous region). Concurrent with the establishment of the
Zelfbestuur of Karangasem, effective July 1, 1938, the
Zelfbestuurs throughout Bali, namely Klungkung, Bangli, Gianyar, Badung, Tabanan, Jembrana, and Buleleng, where the rulers of these autonomous regions (Zelfbestuur) were united in a federation of kings known as the Paruman Agung. In the socio-cultural sphere, influenced by the education received in the 19th century under the Dutch
Ethical Policy, many intellectual youths in various regions of Bali established youth, religious, and scientific associations and organizations. In 1925, an association named “Suryakanta” was founded in
Singaraja, which also published a magazine of the same name. Suryakanta sought to advance Balinese society in the realm of knowledge and to abolish customs that were no longer in line with the times. Meanwhile, in Karangasem, an association named “Satya Samudaya Baudanda Bali-Lombok” was formed, whose members consisted of civil servants and the general public, with the aim of saving and collecting funds for a study fund.
Japanese occupation After several battles, Japanese troops landed on
Sanur Beach, Badung, on February 18 and 19, 1942. From Sanur, the Japanese troops entered the city of Denpasar without encountering any resistance. Subsequently, from Denpasar, the Japanese took control of all of Bali, including Karangasem. Initially, it was the
Imperial Japanese Army (
Rikugun) that established the foundation of Japanese rule in Bali. Later, once the situation had stabilized, administrative control was handed over to a civilian government. When the Japanese entered Bali, the Paruman Agung, or the council of Balinese kings, was reorganized into the
Sutyo Renmei.
Indonesian independence . In 1945, following Japan’s surrender 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 dissolved, and all its territories were incorporated into the Republic of Indonesia on August 17, 1950. The autonomous kingdoms (
swapraja) in Bali were reorganized into the Council of Kings, headquartered in Denpasar and chaired by a king. In October 1950, the Karangasem Swapraja government took the form of the Karangasem Governing Council, chaired by the head of the Daily Governing Council, a position held by the Head of the Swapraja (King) and assisted by members of the Daily Government Council. In 1951, the title “Member of the Executive Council” was changed to “Member of the Karangasem Government Council.” Pursuant to Law No. 69 of 1958, effective December 1, 1958, the autonomous regions in Bali were reorganized into second-level administrative regions equivalent to
regencies, including Karangasem. == List of rajas ==