International Journal of Indonesian Studies Volume 1, Issue 3 | Page 9

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INDONESIAN STUDIES SPRING 2016 After becoming king, Sira Arya Ngurah devised a state structure which consisted of king/raja, spiritual adviser/purohito or brahmana, prime ministry/werdha mentri, head of defence/mahapatih, generals/patih, treasury officer/manca, and head of village/prebekel. The persons, who held these positions, commonly had family relationships with the king/raja, except the village head (Arnita et.al, 1997, 15-6; Geertz, 1980:57-9). From historical investigations, it is clear that the titles conferred on each member also constituted key elements of the political system (Table 1). But, in time, there was a modification of the state structure, when two kings ruled the dynasty of Tabanan (the first and second king/raja pemade); the southern territory was under the first king/Puri Gde, whilst the northern part was under the second king/Puri Kaleran, located only about 100 metres from the northern side of Puri Gde.6 Figure 1: The Initial State Structure: Name of Position and Household No Name of position Name of living 1 King/Raja Puri Gde 2 Spiritual Advisor/ Purohito Grya/Dalem 3 Prime Ministry/Werdha Menteri Puri 4 Head of Defence/Mahapatih Jro Gde 5 Generals/Patih Jro 6 Treasury Officer/Manca Jro 7 Head of Village/Perbekel/Mekel Umah State structure 1 2 3 4 6 5 5 5 7 7 7 As mentioned above, the site selection of Tabanan palace and royal households was foretold by a lightning strike, believing that the lightning originated from a deep well located in a small temple called Pusar Tasik. This temple was eventually incorporated into the Tabanan royal household complex. The selection of this site by supernatural means reiterates Joseph Rykwert’s argument about the role of founders of settlements in antiquity, in which the selection of a suitable site was determined first and foremost by mythical signs rather than by considerations of economic benefit, fertility of land or defence purposes (Rykwert, 1976: 33). Nevertheless, in the case of the Tabanan royal palace, the location had several practical advantages (relating to defence and fertile terrain), since it is bounded by two rivers to the east and west, and is located at the highest point. Though this region has high levels of humidity, with the dominant east-west winds, outdoor thermal comfort can be ensured since vegetation along the rivers is able to mitigate the high levels of humidity. These factors remind one of Aristotle’s four recommendations when choosing a suitable site for settlement; sloping terrain, healthy ambiance, east facing, and good for supporting civil 6 Deep interview with I Gusti Ngurah Agung is one of Tabanan nobles on17th July 2013 9|Page