Wong Agung Wilis (1720-1780): Leadership and Symbolic Resistance in Blambangan's Anti-Colonial Dutch East India Company Struggle
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35719/ijic.v2.i2.42Keywords:
Wong Agung Wilis, Blambangan Resistance, Mengwi Alliance, Pseudo-Wilis, VOC ColonialismAbstract
The Kingdom of Blambangan, Java's last Hindu realm, faced repeated incursions from regional powers and European colonial forces, culminating in resistance against the Dutch East India Company (VOC). This study examines the life and role of Wong Agung Wilis (born Prince Putra II in 1720), the offspring of a strategic alliance between Blambangan and Mengwi, formed through the marriage of Prince Putra I and Princess Mengwi, aimed at thwarting VOC threats. Employing Louis Gottschalk's historical method, which involves heuristic source collection, criticism, interpretation, and historiography, the research draws on primary chronicles and secondary scholarship. Findings reveal Wilis' early exile to Mengwi, his dismissal as patih amid coup suspicions, and his leadership in the 1767–1768 uprising, where he mobilized multi-ethnic forces for initial victories, including the seizure of Ulupampang Fort. Internal betrayals led to his 1768 capture, exile to Banda, 1778 escape, and death in 1780. Posthumously, his legacy endured through "pseudo-Wilis" figures like Rempek Jagapati and his daughter Sayu Wiwit, embodying a sustained anti-colonial spirit. This research underscores Wilis as a charismatic symbol of local resistance, contributing to Nusantara's historiography by bridging personal narratives with broader colonial dynamics and suggesting events for further ethno-historical analysis.
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