How BALI beat the Dutch colonial army

Added: 2026-05-25

[00:00:00]Hello everyone. Saya Perlu Pergi Ke Bandara.

[00:00:03]The Dutch have had enough.

[00:00:05]For years they have been trying to get the Balinese to honor the contracts, but the rulers of Bali have ignored them again and again. Now the Dutch have decided that the Balinese must be taught a lesson, that this insolence cannot go unpunished. It is the year 1846 and the Dutch have assembled a fleet and they are now sailing to Bali as a punitive expedition. This is history with Rodrigo.

[00:00:32]>> [music] >> As we begin our story about the Dutch Balinese War, it is important to know one detail. Bali was not one united force. Bali was actually divided into nine kingdoms during this time. We have Buleleng in the north, Jembrana that was actually annexed by Buleleng during this time, Karangasem, Klungkung that that is the seat of the Dewa Agung, Bangli, Mengwi, Gianyar, Tabanan, and Badung.

[00:01:06]The Dutch were not attacking the whole island. The war was against the northern kingdom of Buleleng. That is where the main cry of defiance had come from. From the Dutch perspective, Buleleng was the main troublemaker. You put them in line and the whole island is to follow. But the Balinese had a very capable commander in charge of the defense. His name Gusti Ketut Jelantik, the same man who had boldly defied the Dutch diplomats at the court in Buleleng. As Patih or Chief Minister of the kingdom, Jelantik now prepared for war. He strengthened fortifications, he gathered an army, he attempted to acquire firearms, and he sent messages across Bali trying to convince the other kingdoms to join the struggle. When the Dutch troops finally arrived on the northern coast of Bali, they began by bombarding the whole coast. Afterwards, they would go on to unload their troops near the town of Singaraja. Soon after landing though, Balinese ceremonial delegation would approach the Dutch with the intention to negotiate. The Dutch though would have very harsh terms for the Balinese. The Balinese would have to honor the treaties they had previously signed, abolish the practice of Tawan Karang, pay the costs of the Dutch expedition, and allow for the construction of a Dutch military post in Buleleng. Surprisingly, the Balinese agreed and just like that, the campaign was over. That was it. The Dutch were overjoyed. They were saying things such as, "Yes, all you have to do is show these guys a little bit of strength and they will fall right in line the way they have to." But, appearances can be deceiving. As soon as the Dutch left, the Balinese rulers refused to pay any of the installments that they had to pay to the Dutch. When officials in Batavia protested this, they were just simply ignored. Even worse, the small Dutch garrison that had been left behind soon found itself in great trouble. The Rajas had prohibited anybody from trading food with them on the pain of death, and so they were completely isolated and many of them even deserted towards the Balinese side. For the colonial government in Batavia, this was an extreme humiliation. And after 2 years of the Balinese just basically sewing them that "Hey, we'll we'll pay you later on" and things like this, they had had enough. In 1848, they would send a second punitive expedition. The second punitive expedition would follow in the guidelines of the first. The Dutch would come from the north, bombard the coastline, and land their troops near the town of Singaraja. This time though, there was no procession waiting for them. The Balinese had actually retreated. They had retreated upland to a fortress called Jagaraga. Built 4 km from the sea, it was just out of cannon shot, so it could not be bombarded by the ships. To reach the Balinese, the Dutch would have to march inland. And so, General Vandervick would give the order to advance. Around 2,000 soldiers, supported by 1,000 porters, would begin the march up the hills. And up and up they went. But, with every passing step, they were getting further from their true source of power, the ocean. And with the hot Balinese sun above them, it was a very difficult march. The tropical heat was punishing, the path was narrow, and the enemy was nowhere to be seen.

[00:04:36]But, suddenly, they sprung their trap.

[00:04:39]Warriors from Buleleng, Karangasem, and Klungkung would launch a massive attack upon the Dutch column. The Dutch had expected a disorganized resistance.

[00:04:49]Instead, they found very disciplined fighters who knew the terrain perfectly and were attacking in unison. Gunfire erupted from the jungle as Balinese troops descended on the Dutch from all sides. The Dutch fought back fiercely, but as the hours went on, their position became more and more dangerous. They were far from their ships, their supply lines had been cut, and so the order to retreat was given. What began as an organized retreat, suddenly devolved into full-on rout as soldiers threw down their weapons and basically run for their lives back to the coast with the Balinese hot on their tail. As they neared the coast, though, finally the Balinese relented cuz they were afraid of the cannon fire from the ships.

[00:05:37]Still, the damage had been done. The Dutch expedition had been shattered.

[00:05:41]They no longer had the manpower or supplies to continue with the expedition. And so, they got on their ships and sailed back to Batavia. The Balinese had achieved an extraordinary victory. As the battered Dutch fleet limped back into Batavia, the Secretary General, Jan Jacob Rochussen, could not believe what he was seeing. How could the mighty Dutch have been defeated by this small island that didn't even have a standing army? And worse still, what will happen when word of this gets out?

[00:06:15]The reputation of the entire empire would be at stake. This aura of invincibility that the Dutch had would be broken. The entire empire might collapse. This was not simply a military setback. It was a political disaster, and it had to be set right. And so, the Dutch would prepare for a third expedition. But this time, they would not underestimate the Balinese. In Batavia, a massive force was assembled. It would become one of the largest military expeditions the Dutch had ever organized in the East Indies. Dozens of warships gathered in the harbor. Thousands of soldiers were mobilized. And at the head of this army stood a man known for his ruthless determination, General Andries Victor Michiels. And in March of 1849, they would set sail to Bali. See you all next time. Sampai jumpa.

[00:07:12]>> [music]