THE HISTORY OF BALI is a journey through time when
Hinduism was introduced from far away India and adopted by the Majapahit
Javanese - the dominant force of the time. In the 9th century, Bali
was conquered and fell under the influence of the Majapahit empire.
Expansion was followed by decline and in the 14th and 15th centuries
the influence of the Javanese began to wane. In 1540, Bali
was united under Dewa Agung (God King), a powerful and charismatic
ruler who briefly ruled parts of Java.
The Dutch came and sailed away in 1597, not returning for a further
250 years. Unable to exert any real influence on the defiantly individualistic
Balinese, the island nation was left alone. During the Napoleonic Wars,
Sir Stamford Raffles visited the island, but his plans for a trading
station came to nought as in 1817 the colony was handed back to the
Dutch.
The Dutch tried to invade again in 1846 and 1848, but were defeated
by the Balinese. However, after fierce battles they gained control
over much of the island but continued to face resistance from the
Balinese which culminated in the mass suicides of the royal
families of the Raja of Badung in 1906 and Dewa Agung in 1908. |
