History of Bali

It is thought that the first settlers arrived on Bali from China in 2500 BC. An evolved culture was established by the Bronze Age, including an effective and intricate irrigation system as well as the agriculture of rice, which is still active today. Hindus first arrived on Bali in 100 BC and established their religion and culture on the island.

Middle Ages

By the 11th century, the Hindu and Javanese influences had become central to life on Bali. There was an exchange of political and artistic ideas between Bali and Java, and the Javanese language, Kawi, was preferred among aristocratic circles. The following centuries saw the area divided among a number of ruling rajas, and it was occasionally necessary to fend off invaders from Java to the west, while the Balinese themselves made forays into Lombok in the east in an attempt to extend their dominion.

Dutch colonisation

The island was eventually captured by the Dutch in a series of bloody wars between 1846 and 1849. Many Balinese chose to die rather than face the ignominy of defeat, and fought in large numbers until the bitter end, which became known as Puputan. By 1894, the Dutch had gained the support of the Sasak people of Lombok and defeated the Balinese, with most areas of Bali falling under Dutch rule by 1911.

Independence

Following WWI, a strong sense of Indonesian nationalism had grown, which lead to the declaration of the national language in 1928, as Bahasa Indonesia. WWII saw the arrival of the Japanese, who routed the Dutch and occupied Indonesia from 1942 until 1945. However, when the Japanese were defeated, the Dutch returned in an attempt to regain their rule over Bali and Indonesia. But Indonesia announced its independence under its first president Sukarno in 1945 and the Dutch ceded. Indonesia was officially recognised as an independent country in 1949.

Bali then became part of this new republic of Indonesia in 1948, but was again largely ignored by the Sukarno and his Javanese inner circle, which led to the spread of communist thought on the island. This led to terrible atrocities after a failed coup d’état in 1965, when the reprisal killings of suspected communists led to the death of up to 200,000 people.

Nowadays

Bali's history as a tourist destination started in the 1970s, when travellers, hippies and surfers arrived in Bali, attracted by the paradisiacal beaches and excellent surf. Tourism then became the island’s largest industry, and despite the terror attacks in 2002 and 2005, the enchanting island still draws tourists.