Bali

:This article is about Bali, the Indonesian island. For other uses, see Bali (disambiguation).

History

The Balinese people are descendants of a prehistoric race who migrated through mainland Asia to the Indonesian archipelago, presumably first settling around 2500 BC. The end of the prehistoric period in Indonesia was marked by the arrival of the Hindu people arriving from India around 100 BC as determined by Brahmi inscriptions on potsherds.

Related Topics:
Migrated - Asia - Indonesian archipelago - 2500 BC - Indonesia - India - 100 BC - Brahmi - Potsherd

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The name Balidwipa has been discovered from various inscriptions, among others the Blanjong charter which was issued by Sri Kesari Warmadewa in 913 AD and mentions the word "Walidwipa".

Related Topics:
Balidwipa - Blanjong - Sri Kesari Warmadewa - 913 - Walidwipa

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The Hindu Majapahit Empire (1293–1520 AD) on Eastern Java founded a Balinese colony in 1343. The Majapahit empire collapsed slightly before 1500, due to assaults, causing an exodus to Bali.

Related Topics:
Majapahit Empire - 1293 - 1520 - Java - Colony - 1343 - 1500

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Europeans first discovered the island when the Dutch explorer Cornelis de Houtman arrived in 1597, though a Portuguese ship had foundered off the coast of Bukit as early as 1585. The Dutch established a trade post soon after, and the Dutch East India Company (VOC) started trading from early 17th century onwards. Dutch control of the island was firmly established after a series of colonial wars (1846–1849). These wars were so fierce (with the entire royal court of the Raja, women and children plunged into battle, armed with kris and spears, killing each other on the battlefield rather than be taken captive) that the Dutch governors afterwards exercised relatively little influence over the island, generally allowing local control over religion and culture to remain intact.

Related Topics:
Europeans - Dutch - Cornelis de Houtman - 1597 - Portuguese - Bukit - 1585 - Dutch East India Company - 17th century - 1846 - 1849 - Raja - Kris

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International tourism started in the 1920s. Bali's beaches are famous worldwide. Its arts and crafts are also popular. Balinese dance is highly developed, (much more so than European Ballet) and considered by many to be one of the world's finest artistic traditions. "Pendet","Legong" and "Baris" are some of the better-known examples.

Related Topics:
1920s - Pendet - Legong - Baris

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Bali became part of the Republic of East Indonesia after the World War II Japanese conquest and part of United States of Indonesia in 1948.

Related Topics:
Republic of East Indonesia - World War II - Japan - United States of Indonesia - 1948

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In 1965, after a failed coup d'etat against the national government, Bali was the scene of widespread killings of members and sympatizers of the Communist Party of Indonesia (PKI) by right-wing militias, along with several other parts of Indonesia.

Related Topics:
1965 - Coup d'etat - Communist Party of Indonesia

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On October 12 2002, the island was the location of a car bomb attack in the tourist resort of Kuta, killing 202 people, mostly foreign tourists. Another series of bombings occurred nearly three years later at Kuta and nearby Jimbaran; see 2005 Bali bombings.

Related Topics:
October 12 - 2002 - Car bomb attack - Kuta - 2005 Bali bombings

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