Mads Johansen Lange

Mads Johansen Lange
Painted by unknown Chinese painter on Bali
Born	(1807-09-18)18 September 1807 Rudkøbing, Denmark
Died	13 May 1856(1856-05-13) (aged 48)
Resting place	Kuta, Bali, Indonesia (then Kotta)
Other names	King of Bali
Title	Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion
Children	3
Parents	Lorents Lange Pedersen (father) Maren Lange (mother)
Relatives	Sultan Ibrahim, the Sultan of Johor (grandson)
Awards	Danish gold medal of achievement
Signature

Mads Johansen Lange, nicknamed the King of Bali (18 September 1807 in Rudkøbing, Denmark – 13 May 1856 in Kuta, Bali, Indonesia), was a Danish trader, entrepreneur, peace maker on Bali, knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion, and recipient of the Danish gold medal of achievement. He was the son of Lorents Lange Pedersen^[a] and Maren Lange, a merchant and a merchant's daughter, respectively.^[1]

Lange travelled to the Dutch East Indies at an early age and settled on the island of Bali. Here he built a thriving commercial enterprise, exporting rice, spices and beef, and importing weapons and textiles. He maintained good relations with the local Rajas and mediated between them and the Dutch colonists with great success.

Lange died 48 years old, possibly because of poisoning. His business had been in decline by then, and even the joint efforts of his brother and nephew could not change this. The remains of the business were sold to a Chinese merchant. He had three children with two Balinese women (the Raja of Tabanan's daughter and a Chinese woman).^[2] His daughter Cecilia married into Johore royalty and bore a son, Ibrahim, who became the Sultan of Johor. Lange is buried in Kotta (now 'Kuta').

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