Tabanan Regency
Tabanan encompasses a broad
range of landscapes - from the lofty peaks in the north, including
Mt Batukau and part of Mt Bratan with its dramatic volcanic
lake, to the verdant rice plains in the south. Beautiful black
sand beaches between Pasut and Klatingdukuh are now being developed
for tourism, but apart from the famous seaside temple of Tanah
Lot, this is not yet a tourist area.
Many rivers run north to
south from the mountains to the sea. 'Me roads follow their
courses, with only a few running east to west. The main highway
from Java passes through the gently sloping southern part of
Tabanan along the coast. This has turned Tabanan Town into a
thriving commercial center.
A steep, winding road leading
across to Singaraja on the north coast passes from Beringkit
(in Badung) via Perean, Bedugul, Candi Kuning and Baturiti.
The mountainous area around Bedugul is cool, misty and rainy.
Vegetables, such as carrots, cauliflower, cabbage and maize,
as well as many fruits (including apples and even strawberries)
grow well here and are sold at the market in Bedugul. It is
traditional for travelers to stop here and enjoy the cool mountain
air before continuing on their journey.
The fast-flowing rivers
have cut steep ravines into soft volcanic rocks overgrown with
giant ferns (pakis). There are huge boulders in the riverbeds
and spectacular waterfalls. The mountain area around Apuan offers
fine views. Here one looks down upon innumerable terraces with
small rice plots, surrounded by jagged dikes and tiny canals
with gurgling water.
There are some archaeological
remains in the north. A temple in Perean and a makara spout
in Candi Kuning date from the first half of the 14th century
(1334 and 1339 respectively). Copperplate inscriptions were
found in the south in Kediri and Pandak Bandung (1071).
The Balinese believe that
the descendants of Arya Kenceng and Arya Belog, who accompanied
Patih Gajah Mada during his tour of Bali in the 14th century,
settled in Badung and Tabanan. The Tabanan branch of Arya Kenceng's
line begins with Arya Tabanan, who lived with 4000 men in the
village of Buahan (on the road to Apuan). Arya Belog lived in
Kaba-Kaba with 5000 men.
After some time a new and
powerful group of descendants of Arya Tabanan settled in the
village of Tabanan, which was then called Singasana. They expanded
their territory to the northeast (Perean, Pacung) and northwest
(Pupuan). In the course of the 18th or at the beginning of the
19th century, a branch of the Tabanan family settled in Krambitan.
From the foundation of the realm of Mengwi around 1700 onwards,
there were conflicts and battles with Tabanan. KabaKaba became
an ally of Mengwi, but never warred with Tabanan.
Soon after the defeat of
Mengwi in 1891 by the combined forces of Klungkung, Badung,
Tabanan and Bangli, the Dutch began to expand their influence
in south and east Bali by intervening in conflicts between the
various rulers. This resulted in military annexations. A conflict
between Badung and the Dutch over salvage rights for shipwrecks
ended in a military expedition, and in September, 1906 Badung
fell. The ruler of Tabanan wanted to negotiate with the Dutch.
However, he and his son were captured and put in jail, where
they committed suicide.
The Dutch soon reorganized
Bali into seven sub-departments, with Tabanan as one. In 1929,
Bali was redivided into eight realms, ruled by regents chosen
from the old royal families. These received the status of "kings"
in 1938, but this was only to last a few years. Indonesian independence
from Dutch rule brought an end to the active role of royalty.
