The Puputan War was a conflict that took place in 1906-1908 between the Dutch colonial forces and the royal family and people of the Kingdom of Bali, an island in present-day Indonesia. The war occurred after decades of strained relations and minor conflicts between the Balinese and Dutch colonial authorities in the Dutch East Indies. Tensions escalated in 1906 when a Chinese ship was wrecked off the coast of Bali. The Dutch accused the Raja of Badung of looting the ship and demanded compensation. The Balinese refused, and fighting broke out in Badung territory. In September 1906, the Dutch launched a military expedition to subdue the southern kingdoms of Bali. After initial battles, the Dutch surrounded the royal palace in the capital of Badung. Rather than surrender, on September 20, 1906, the Raja led the royal family and over 200 retainers in a ritual mass suicide known as Puputan. This tragic act of defiance against colonial rule sparked the wider Puputan War across Bali. The main...
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