A puputan is a ritual fight to the end, chosen instead of surrender. In 1906 and 1908, the royal courts of Badung and Klungkung faced Dutch colonial forces and chose this path, walking out in procession to meet the soldiers. These events marked the end of independent Balinese kingdoms and remain among the most important and painful moments in the island's history.
In September 1906, a Dutch expedition landed at Sanur and marched on Denpasar. On September 20, the raja of Badung, his family and followers, dressed in white and carrying kris daggers, walked out of the palace toward the troops. Firing began, and hundreds died, with accounts reporting more than a thousand. In April 1908, the Dewa Agung Jambe of Klungkung led a similar procession, ending Bali's last independent kingdom.
Today, the events are commemorated in monuments and public spaces. In Denpasar, the Puputan Badung square, on the site of the former palace, holds a bronze monument to the 1906 procession. In Semarapura, Klungkung, the Puputan Klungkung Monument stands near the remains of the palace, and the event is remembered locally each year on April 28. Visiting these sites offers a powerful perspective on Bali's colonial history.
Highlights
- Puputan Badung monument in Denpasar
- Puputan Klungkung Monument in Semarapura
- Annual commemorations
Good to know
- Combine a visit to the Klungkung monument with the nearby Kertha Gosa pavilion.
- Visit Puputan Badung square in the evening, when locals gather in the park.
On the map
The History of Bali
From the first kingdoms and the arrival of Majapahit to colonial conquest, the puputan and the island's modern reinvention.