JP\/15\/KAMAH
\n#1
\nJl. Tuan Langa, named after
\nthe white king of Kuta<\/p>\n
==============
\nWahyuni Kamah
\nContributor
\nKuta
\n--------------<\/p>\n
Amid all the places of interest shown on the map of Bali, you
\nwill find a single reference to a site known as the Mads Johansen
\nLange tomb. Lange, a Dane, was a very influential figure in the
\nhistory of both Kuta and Bali.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, the map mistakenly marks the tomb on Jl.
\nTanjung Mekar in the Kuta area. In fact, it is located on Jl.
\nTuan Langa, a road named after Lange, which has no marker at all.
\nDespite its status as a place of interest, there are no clear
\ndirections for reaching the tomb.<\/p>\n
One must pass through a slum area to get there, which is near
\na Chinese graveyard and a terminal for garbage trucks.<\/p>\n
\"Some tourists visit the tomb,\" a man said when asked if the
\ntomb was frequently visited.<\/p>\n
Lange's large gravestone is surrounded by a short iron fence
\nand shrubs.<\/p>\n
According to Balinese history, Lange became the first Dane to
\nvisit Kuta when he arrived as a sailor in 1839, and then went on
\nto successfully build his own \"kingdom\". At the time, Kuta was a
\nno man's land where outcasts could find refuge and Lange, at the
\nage of 33, built a trading post.<\/p>\n
It was a huge complex comprised of a storehouse, market,
\ncomfortable residences and an open dining pavilion with a
\nbilliards table where Lange lavishly entertained his guests.<\/p>\n
His arrival in Kuta was well timed as the Balinese liked
\nneither the Dutch nor the English. He was welcomed by local kings
\nand princes.<\/p>\n
Lange was a merchant, mediator, adventurer and sailor. He was
\na broker in the slave trade. He acted as a bridge between East
\nand West, and competently mediated in the conflict between the
\nDutch colonial powers and the Balinese court. His presence
\ninfluenced Bali's history.<\/p>\n
He was able to settle a dispute between the Dutch authorities
\nand Raja (king) Gusti Ngurah Gde Kesiman of Badung. In return,
\nKing Kesiman appointed him as a prebekel (district official) for
\nKuta and gave him the authority to levy taxes on sailing vessels,
\nwhich, according to records, were as high as those imposed in the
\nharbors of Europe.<\/p>\n
Lange was a clever merchant. Besides brokering the sale of
\ntobacco, coffee and cash crops, he monopolized the sale of
\nChinese kepeng (coins), which became the dominant monetary unit
\nin Bali. He bought the coins from China for a low price and then
\nsold them in Bali at a 100 percent profit or bartered them for
\nrice.<\/p>\n
He also brought silk and opium from China and textiles and
\nweapons from India. His two slaughterhouses supplied dried beef
\nto the Dutch garrisons in Java. Due to his good relations with
\nthe ruling kings in Bali, he was able to expand his business
\nunchallenged by competitors.<\/p>\n
No pictorial record of Lange remains, according to the Vice
\nConsul at the Danish Consulate in Bali, Wayan Merti, but it is
\nsaid that Lange was flamboyant.<\/p>\n
Born in Ruboking on Langeland Island on Sept. 18, 1806, Lange
\nand his two younger brothers left Denmark in 1833 for Hong Kong.
\nLater they joined Captain Burd and established a company, Burd &
\nCo.<\/p>\n
First they sailed to Ampenan, Lombok, but the market there was
\nalready dominated by an Englishman. They then moved to Kuta
\nwhere Lange built his business.<\/p>\n
Lange lived with two wives, concubines, children, servants and
\nslaves in his big house in Kuta. He lived like a king.<\/p>\n
His approach to the locals was different.<\/p>\n
The house was always crowded with people and animals such as
\ncows, chickens and horses for trading. He could tame wild horses.
\nHe also played the violin, alongside his brothers who played the
\npiano and cello respectively during performances of European
\nclassical music.<\/p>\n
However, his glory only lasted 10 years. In 1850 the situation
\nchanged. The Dutch Navy blockaded Bali and its military
\nexpedition disrupted his trade. A plague of rats, which disrupted
\nthe rice harvest, an epidemic of smallpox and a water shortage
\nmade the situation even worse.<\/p>\n
New commercial harbors in Singaraja in the north and Ampenan
\nin Lombok became rivals.<\/p>\n
His business turned bad.<\/p>\n
Becoming frustrated, Lange wanted to return home to his old
\nfriends and relatives. But he died mysteriously at his house in
\n1856. Historians believe he was poisoned.<\/p>\n
The business passed to his nephew, Peter Christian, who failed
\nto make profits. He sold the business and returned to Denmark.<\/p>\n
Lange was buried in Kuta. For 137 years his graveyard lay
\nabandoned. The construction of his tomb was funded by his family
\nin Denmark.<\/p>\n
The remnants of his glory have all vanished. Nothing is left,
\nonly an abandoned road named in his honor.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/jp15kamah-1447899208",
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