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The Bali Buzzzz 3
A Short History of Bali and It's People
Bali is a relatively small Island, about 100 x 60 miles in size and 3 million people in population.
It is one of 17,000 islands in the Indonesian Archipelago.
Indonesia is the 4th largest Muslim country in the world, and Bali is the only part of Indonesia that is Hindu.
Bali was settled sometime before the birth of Christ, and invaded in the 1200's by Javanese people from India that were fleeing warring factions. They brought the Hindu religion and the caste system to the island.
The Balinese who did not embrace these invaders, retreated to the hills, and their descendant today are known as the Bali Aga or original people.
Over the years, Hinduism and Buddhism became the predominant cultural influences and the island flourished in what is now known as the ?golden age'.
The religion evolved through isolation and morphed into a combination of Hindu, Buddhist, Pagan and Animism.
Bali then developed into a series of Kingdoms and each King to show his power and influence encouraged his followers to create art, carvings, music and dance.
Bali was left to its own devises, until sometime in the 16th century when the Dutch decided that there were political and economic imperatives, notably slave trading to negotiate with the Balinese. They remained an active force in influencing Balinese life and culture until the middle of the 20th century.
In 1949, Indonesia was officially recognized as an independent country.
Of course, the Balinese will tell you a different story about the origin of their island, believing that it was created by the Dragon God, arising from the sea and stretching out to form the island of Bali.
Both magical and mythical, this land of volcanic lakes, spectacular rice terraces, stunning tropical beaches, ancient temples and palaces is and exotic melting pot of cultures and peoples. Renowned of its unsurpassed architecture, traditional theatre, dance and elaborate religious festivals, the colorful Balinese culture is a dynamic force that is constantly synthesizing the old and the new, the traditional and the innovative.
