The Dutch conquest of Klungkung, Bali in 1908 marked the final phase of Dutch colonial control over the island of

Bali Bali (English:; Balinese language, Balinese: ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller o ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

. It was the seventh and last military action in Bali, following the so-called Dutch intervention in Bali (1906). The intervention was triggered by Balinese opposition to a Dutch attempt to impose an

opium Opium (also known as poppy tears, or Lachryma papaveris) is the dried latex obtained from the seed Capsule (fruit), capsules of the opium poppy ''Papaver somniferum''. Approximately 12 percent of opium is made up of the analgesic alkaloid mor ...

monopoly in their favour.''Bali and Lombok'' Lesley Reader, Lucy Ridout p.496
/ref> The

raja Raja (; from , IAST ') is a noble or royal Sanskrit title historically used by some Indian subcontinent, Indian rulers and monarchs and highest-ranking nobles. The title was historically used in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. T ...

of Klungkung, the highest status king of Bali, opposed the imposition of the monopoly. An attack on the Dutch opium store in Gelgel, on 16 April 1908 was instigated by Cokorda Gelgel, a member of the Klungkung dynasty. At the same time, the ruler of Klungkung, the Dewa Agung, ordered the closure of the opium store in Klungkung city.'Agung, 1988, p.648 The Dutch sent troops in revenge. In Gelgel, they killed 100 Balinese, forcing the Cokorda to flee to Klungkung.''Insight Guides Indonesia'', p.40 The Dutch then bombarded the city of Klungkung. In a final confrontation on 18 April 1908, Dewa Agung Jambe, the Raja of Klungung, accompanied by 200 followers, made a desperate sortie out of his palace, clad in white and armed with a legendary ''

kris The kris or is a Javanese culture, Javanese asymmetrical dagger with a distinctive blade-patterning achieved through alternating laminations of iron and nickelous iron (''pamor''). The kris is famous for its distinctive wavy blade, although ma ...

'' supposed to wreak havoc on the enemy according to a prophecy. The Raja was shot by a Dutch bullet. Immediately, the six wives of the king killed themselves with their own kris, soon followed by the other Balinese in the procession. The Dutch burned the royal palace to the ground. As Klungkung came under Dutch power, the Raja of Bangli submitted and in October 1908 negotiated for a Dutch

protectorate A protectorate, in the context of international relations, is a State (polity), state that is under protection by another state for defence against aggression and other violations of law. It is a dependent territory that enjoys autonomy over ...

similar to that of Gianyar and Karangasem. These events ended Balinese resistance to Dutch colonialism.

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* * * ''Insight Guide: Bali'' 2002 Brian Bell editor, Apa Publications GmbH&Co {{ISBN, 1-58573-288-5. 1908 in the Dutch East Indies Conflicts in 1908 Dutch conquest of Indonesia History of Bali Bali 1908 Wars involving the Netherlands nl:Expeditie naar Bali 1906 - 1908

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