IDA I DEWA AGUNG ISTRI KANYA Part 3 – Female Fighters Against Dutch Colonialism In Klungkung

 

THE PROCESS OF SOCIALIZATION AND EN CULTURATION IN THE PALACE ENVIRONMENT

 

 

3.1. Semarapura Palace.

Talking about Keraton Semarapura cannot be separated from its historical background. When I Gusti Agung Maruti succeeded in seizing the throne of the Gelgel kingdom (1650-1686), all regional heads returned to their respective areas of power, without wanting to acknowledge the power of I Gusti Agung Maruti as the sole ruler in Bali. Several regional heads such as Jambe Pule from Badung, I Gusti Sidemen from Singarsa (Karangasem), and Panji Sakti from Den Bukit (Buleleng) wanted to take revenge on Maruti and re-establish the power of Dalem Di Made, as the legitimate ruler of the Kresna Kepakisan dynasty. The three regional heads finally agreed to jointly help Dalem Di Made to re-establish his power. Laskar Den Bukit attacked through Bangli continuing to Gelgel via Tukad Bubuh Jambe Pule, partly by sea (south) and partly through Gianyar (from the west), while I Gusti Ngurah Sidemen attacked from the east.

With strategies and tactics that have been carefully and neatly arranged, Dalem Di Made’s followers rose to fight Maruti. I Gusti Ngurah Sidemen, although once suspected by Dalem Made because of slander from Maruti, seemed unaffected by the slander. With a fairly large army, I Gusti Ngurah Sidemen departed across Tukad Unda towards Gelgel.

Panji Sakti, although not officially recognized as a descendant of Dalem Sagening, apparently the loyalty of Jlantik, who later became his adopted son, really touched his heart to defend the interests of Dalem Di Made as the sole ruler in Bali. Panji Sakti then prepared a combined army that was strong enough to attack Gelgel from the north while Jambe Pule, the ruler of Badung prepared assistance from the army that would attack Maruti from the west through the territory of the Gianyar kingdom and the south coast of Bali.

In 1680, there was a joint attack between troops (laskar) who remained loyal to Dalem Di Made, namely the Sengsara troops together with the Badung and Buleleng troops attacked Gelgel. Due to the intense attacks from all directions, the Gelgel troops finally suffered defeat, while Gusti Agung Maruti fled to Jimbaran village (Badung) and then settled in Keramas village (Gianyar).

It turned out that Dalem Di Made with the support of his sons and the regional rulers who were still loyal to Dalem managed to restore the throne of the Gelgel kingdom. However, he did not enjoy this victory for long, he finally died. Who replaced him as king in Gelgel was Dewa Agung Jambe (1686-1722), while his older brother. I Dewa Agung Pembayun became the ruler in Tampak Siring. According to Babad Dalem, when he fled and was in the palace in Guliang (Bangli), Pembayun ruled in Guliang for a while, while his younger brother fled to Sidemen. Apparently Dewa Agung Jambe played a bigger role in seizing the power of Gusti Agung Maruti in Gelgel, so that he was more entitled to inherit the throne of the Gelgel kingdom that had been destroyed.

On the advice of I Gusti Angurah Sidemen, who was a loyal companion of Dewa Agung Jambe, the palace was moved from Gelgel to Klungkung, and the new palace was named Smarajaya, which was later more popularly known as Smara-pura. The background to the relocation of the palace is not clearly recorded in historical sources, both Babad sources and foreign sources. Apparently the most determining factor was because of the frequent rebellions of Batan Jeruk and Gusti Agung Maruti. As a result, the palace lost its authority or pulung, so it was moved and replaced with a new palace, likewise the name Salem was seen as losing its charisma, so a new dynasty was formed with the title it used, namely: Ida I Dewa Agung abbreviated as Dewa Agung, which is more Balinese. The Klungkung Dynasty was the Kresna Kepakisan dynasty, the successor to the rulers in Gelgel, although with a new palace and title, so that there was the right to claim as a susuhunan of the Balinese and Lombok kingdoms, as was the case with the Gelgel kingdom. Between the period of the Gelgel kingdom and the Klungkung kingdom, a process of disintegration and integration took place which was then attempted by the kings or the Great Gods in Klungkung, although this was not entirely politically successful.

Because Deua Agung Jambe, the successor dynasty of Dalem Kresna Kepakisan, the Semarapura palace was built following the pattern of this palace or palace where Dewa Agung Istri Kanya was raised.

With the emergence of a new dynasty, namely the Klungkung dynasty, it was a renaissance period for literature, especially regarding the study and writing of marriage, as previously in the Gelgel period, it turned out that the Semarapura palace in Klungkung in the 18th and 19th centuries became the center of literary activity. Apparently this can also shape the character or personality of Dewa Agung Istri Kanya, as a woman with a knightly soul, brave in facing the challenges of the Dutch, able to defend the independence and sovereignty of the kingdom.

3.2. Origin.

I Dewa Agung Istri Kanya’s father was I Dewa Agung Putra I or also known as I Dewa Agung Putra Kusamba, because he resided in the palace in Kusamba (Klungkung kingdom area). His mother came from Karangasem. When his father was still small, he was raised by the king of Karangasem, I Gusti Ngurah Made Karangasem.

Her grandfather was Dewa Agung Sakti, the king of Klungkung IV, while her grandmother also came from the Karangasem palace. When her grandmother was pregnant, there was a quarrel with her grandfather which resulted in her grandmother leaving the Semarapura Klungkung palace and living in the house of I Gde Tanjung in Besang village. Here she lived until she gave birth to a boy (I Dewa Agung Putra Kusamba). Knowing this situation, finally the king of Karangasem, I Gusti Ngurah Made Karangasem, sent an envoy so that his nephew and his son could live in the Karangasem palace. This request was approved so that finally the queen Ida I Dewa Agung Sakti and her son lived in the Karangasem palace and socialized with the sons of the king of Karangasem and Istri Ayu Karang. Because she was old, her mother also died in Karangasem.

Due to illness, Ida I Dewa Agung Sakti finally died, and so his successor was Ida I Dewa Agung Panji. Actually, the one who had the right to replace I Dewa Agung Sakti was his son I Dewa Agung Puta Kusamba who at that time was still living in the Karangasem palace.

The issue of the succession of the throne in the Smarapura Klungkung palace finally became a discussion in the Karangasem palace, because the heir to the throne should have been I Dewa Agung Putra. To return the throne to I Dewa Agung Putra through diplomacy/peace seemed impossible, finally violent means were taken through war. In this war the Klungkung kingdom suffered defeat. Before returning to Klungkung, he already had two people, a wife, one empress and another wife from the wesia group. From his empress he had a daughter named I Dewa Agung Istri Muter who was later more popularly known as Dewa Agung Istri Kanya, while from his wesia wife he had a son named Cokorda Ketut Rai who later became the king of Klungkung VI with the title Dewa Agung Putra II (Dewa Agung Purta Balemas).

At the request of the kings of Gianyar, Mengwi, Badung and Tabanan, Dewa Agung Putra finally returned to Klungkung to replace his father I Dewa Agung Sakti as the king of Klungkung V. For a while he lived in Satria Kanginan, built a new palace, namely Satria Kanginan, and then in Kusamba as the center of his government, so he was also called I Dewa Agung Purtra Kusamba. When he began to rule is not clearly stated in the chronicle sources, as well as foreign sources. However, the end of his reign is estimated to be 1808, when he fought against Bangli.

3.3. Appointment as Great God.

According to the History of Klungkung published by the Klungkung Regency Level II, as a replacement for the king of Klungkung V: Dewa Agung Putra I (Dewa Agung Putra Kusamba) was Dewa Agung Putra II (Dewa Agung Putra Palemas), the son of Dewa Agung Putra Kusamba from his wife Wesia. While still in the Karangasem palace, he had been made an adopted child (keperas) according to Balinese custom to be a legitimate adopted son by the Queen Mother of Karangasem, so that it was possible that he would later become the mayor’s son to replace his father as king. Other researchers then had different interpretations or conclusions.

Wikarni in his 1984 research stated that after DewaAgung Sakti died, the one who was appointed as king was Dewa Agung Putra Kusamba and lived in the palace at Puri Kusamba. In running the government, the king appointed his daughter, Dewa Agung Istri Kanya, to handle the government at the Semarapura palace with her younger brother Cokorda Rai, while Dewa Agung Putra was only active in handling government issues for the Kusamba region.

After Dewa Agung Putra Kusamba passed away, then officially crowned as his successor was Dewa Agung Istri Kanya (1822-1860). She was also called Agung Istri Balemas, because she lived in Balemas with her sister. Dewa Agung Putra in Balemas. Balemas is one part of the Semarapura palace and occupies a status one level lower than the king’s room.

Another researcher, Ida Bagus Udara Naryana (et.a1) in discussing the work of Dewa Agung Istri Kanya Pralambang Bhasa Wewatekan (1986/1987) concluded from the referenced bibliography that after Dewa Agung Putra Kusamba died in Belahpane in 1809, the one who was crowned king was Dewa Agung Istri Kanya and he resided in the Semarapura Klungkung palace.

Helen Creese from her research entitled Sri Surawirya, Dewa Agung of Klungkung (c.1722-1736): The Historical Context for Dating The Kekawin Parthayana stated that the reign of Dewa Agung Istri Kanya (1309-1849). Thus, he was the successor of his father Dewa Agung Putra Kusamba who died in Belahpane in 1809. Furthermore, it was stated that with the emergence of the Kresna Kepakisan dynasty in Klungkung, it was a period of renaissance of Balinese literature, especially kekawin, which was centered in the palace, as in the Gelgel kingdom.

Margaret Joyce Wiener in her dissertation in 1390 stated that after Dewa Agung Putra died in 1809, there was confusion. Who would replace him? Dewa Agung Putra II was still young at that time and in terms of his mother was of the wesia class, while his sister, Dewa Agung Istri Kanya, was a woman. This became a problem because according to the Balinese kinship tradition (patriarchy), the crown prince as heir to the throne of the kingdom must be a crown prince.

Dewa Agung Kusamba had many brothers who could be expected to succeed him, but this did not happen. For a while there was a government vacuum (1809-1815), while in 1815 a compromise was made, namely Dewa Agung Putra II was appointed king, accompanied by his sister, Dewa Agung Istri Kanya. As the king’s companion, especially in facing Dutch expansion in the Kusamba War (1848). Dewa Agung Istri Kanya opposed Dutch intervention in Bali in any form. When the Dutch envoy came to the Semarapura palace in Klungkung to protest and ask for compensation for two boats that were seized by the Pasinggahan people on Batulahak beach in 1847, Dewa Agung refused to serve the envoy. The refusal was based on the reason that Dewa Agung and the people of Klungkung were busy with the traditional maligia ceremony (a noble purification ceremony). For this refusal, the government accused Dewa Agung Istri Kanya of influencing the king. The Government of the Governor was very sure that around the king there were people who hated the Dutch East Indies government and tried to thwart the peace agreement that had been agreed upon. This group was led by Dewa Agung IstriKanya.

General Michels already knew about the role of Dewa Agung Istri Kanya in the Buleleng War and Jagaraga War. By Michiels on the part of the Governor, Dewa Agung Istri Kanya is described as a woman who has the soul of a man with a stubborn character and a heart of steel. Based on reports from Dutch spies, General Michiels knew that Dewa Agung Istri-Kanya played the most important role in organizing the defense at Gowa Lawah Temple.

In addition, the government assured that the attack by the Klungkung troops on the night of May 25, 1849, which resulted in the death of General Michiels, was fully organized and under the orders of Dewa Agung Istri Kanya. Likewise, Dewa Agung Istri Kanya ordered the continuation of the construction of defensive forts to face any attacks by Dutch troops on Klungkung.

At the end of the Kusamba war (1849), the Dewa Agung party in Klungkung signed a new agreement with the Dutch East Indies government called the Suppleboir Contract MetKlongkong ed. July 13, 1849, the contents of which included handing over the Klungkung kingdom to the Dutch East Indies government and canceling all previous agreements. The Klungkung kingdom in the agreement was represented by Dewa Agung Ktut Agung, along with the kingdom’s dignitaries as witnesses, namely Pedanda Made Rai and Ratu Ktut Agung Mangui. A year later, in 1850, King Klungkung VI, Dewa Agung Putra II, died, and was replaced by Dewa Agung Istri Kanya as King Klungkung VII, who continued to carry out a policy of resistance against the Dutch, which was then continued by his successors and ended with Puputan Klungkung on April 28, 1908, as a reflection of the determination to never give up in the face of the dominance of Dutch power to uphold dharma or truth. The political existence of the Klungkung kingdom may have disappeared, but the spirit that was inherited, namely never giving up, inspired the struggle in the following periods.