History of Bali
Bali is the name of a province in Indonesia and is also the name of the largest island that is part of that province. Apart from consisting of Bali Island, the Bali Province region also consists of smaller islands in the surrounding area, namely Nusa Penida Island, Nusa Lembongan Island, Nusa Ceningan Island, Menjangan Island and Serangan Island.
Bali is located between Java Island and Lombok Island. The provincial capital is Denpasar which is located in the southern part of the island. The majority of Bali’s population are followers of the Hindu religion. In the world, Bali is famous as a tourism destination with its unique various arts and culture products, especially for Japanese and Australian tourists. Bali is also known as the Island of the Gods and the Island of a Thousand Temples.
Bali was inhabited by Austronesian people around 2000 BC who migrated from Taiwan via Maritime Southeast Asia. The culture and language of the Balinese people are closely related to those of the islands of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Oceania. Stone tools dating from that time have been found near the village of Cekik in the west of the island of Bali.
In ancient Bali, there were nine Hindu sects, namely Pasupata, Bhairawa, Shiva Shidanta, Vaishnava, Bodha, Brahma, Rishi, Sora and Ganapatya. Each sect honors a particular deity as its personal Godhead. Balinese culture was heavily influenced by Indian, Chinese, and especially Hindu culture, starting around the 1st century AD.
The name Bali Dwipa (“island of Bali”) has been found from various inscriptions, including the Blanjong pillar inscription written by Sri Kesari Warmadewa in 914 AD which mentions “Walidwipa”.
At that time, the complex Subak irrigation system had been developed to grow rice. Some religious and cultural traditions still exist today and can be traced back to that time. The Hindu Majapahit Kingdom (1293-1520 AD) in East Java founded a colony in Bali in 1343. When the glory days were declining, there was a mass exodus of intellectuals, artists, priests and musicians from Java to Bali in the 15th century. .