The Kingdom of Mengwi was one of the Kingdomship of Bali that was established in the 18th century.[2] The founder of this kingdom was I Gusti Agung Made Agung, with the title I Gusti Agung Bima Sakti (a descendant of I Gusti Agung Maruti, the last king of the Gelgel Kingdom).[3] The Kingdom of Mengwi came to an end after being defeated by its own kin, Badung, and its allies in 1891.[4]
The establishment of the Kingdom of Mengwi began with a conflict between the last king of Gelgel, I Gusti Agung Maruti, and I Gusti Ngurah Jambe in Cedok Andoga. I Gusti Ngurah Jambe was the brother-in-law of I Gusti Agung Maruti but sided with his nephew, Dalem Jambe, who also had a right to become king.
In this conflict, both I Gusti Agung Maruti and I Gusti Ngurah Jambe were killed. The sons and daughters of I Gusti Agung Maruti, I Gusti Agung Putu Agung, I Gusti Agung Made Agung, and I Gusti Agung Ratih then fled to Jimbaran. Afterward, I Gusti Agung Putu Agung and I Gusti Agung Made Agung became rulers of Jimbaran and established the Kingdom of Mengwi and Pura Taman Ayun. The first throne was given to I Gusti Agung Made Agung, while I Gusti Agung Putu Agung chose to become an ascetic (later establishing the Kingdom of Kuramas).[3]
Politics
The Mengwi often waged war with the Badung and the Bugis.[5] In 1829, Mengwi became a subordinate of the Badung. This occurred during the reign of I Gusti Agung Ngurah Made Agung Putra. Mengwi regained its independence after the death of Badung's king, I Gusti Ngurah Made Pemecutan.[6] I Gusti Agung Ngurah Made Agung Putra then returned to power in the Mengwi with authority equal to that of Badung.[7]
Downfall
The map of the nine kingdoms of Bali, taken around 1900, showed that the Kingdom of Mengwi is located right in the middle between the Kingdoms of Badung and Tabanan.
In 1891, Badung attacked Mengwi. Badung won the war with the assistance of Muslims from Serangan and Kepaon in Pemogan [id].[4] During the battle, the King of Badung, Pamecutan III, was assisted by Raden Sastraningrat and his troops from Java.[8]
Customs and traditions
During the reign of the Kingdom of Mengwi, a traditional village, Desa Adat Mengwi (Mengwi Traditional Village), was established in Mengwi. Its authority was to manage customary affairs, the wealth of the customary law community, and the arts and culture of the Mengwi Kingdom's society. Mengwi Traditional Village is still in place and shares leadership with the village chief from the civil government.[9]
List of Monarch and Regent
Here is the list of the kings of Mengwi from the first to the last:[10]
Pura Taman Ayun is a place of rest and worship for the family of the Mengwi Kingdom. It is located in Mengwi. Its management is entrusted to descendants of the Mengwi royal family.[12] The temple complex consists of 50 sacred buildings and has two ponds, one inside and one outside the temple.[13] Pura Taman Ayun was built in 1634 and was renovated in 1937. The original name of Pura Taman Ayun was Pura Taman Ahyun, which means "garden of desires." The name was later changed to Taman Ayun, meaning "beautiful garden." During the period of the Kingdom of Mengwi, the temple also served as a source of irrigation for the farmers' fields.[14]
