Kingdom of Karangasem

Origins

Karangasem emerged in eastern Bali as the central kingdom of Gelgel lost its hold over its lords in the 17th century. Its rulers, a branch of the Gusti dynasty, established an independent court at Amlapura and by the late 17th century had sent forces across the Lombok Strait, where Balinese princes from Karangasem founded several realms in western Lombok.

Rule and society

Society followed the Balinese caste order, with a Hindu court supported by Brahmana priests and a peasantry organised in villages and irrigation societies (subak). Karangasem traded rice, slaves and cattle, and its links with Lombok made it one of the most outward-looking Balinese states. Court culture favoured temple building, dance and palm-leaf literature.

Decline and legacy

Defeated by the Dutch expedition of 1849, Karangasem was handed to the Balinese rulers of the Kingdom of Mataram (Lombok). After the Dutch conquest of Lombok in 1894 it came under colonial control as a regency, and its last raja, Anak Agung Anglurah Ketut Karangasem, governed it under Dutch supervision.