Balinese History

Balinese history is based on a few archaeological remains and old chronicles. Some of them, written long after the events, relate mythical versions rather than facts. Key aspects are interpreted differently by various scholars - even history is a living matter in Bali , always subject to change as power shifts.

The main source for the early history section is "The Peoples of Bali" by Angela Hobart, Urs Ramseyer, and Albert Leemann. For subsequent sections, we made extensive use of the provocative book by Adrian Vickers, " Bali , a Paradise Created." The more recent influence of tourism has been analyzed by Michel Picard in " Bali , Cultural Tourism and Touristic Culture."

Bali has a long history of ambivalent relations with outside. Traders and invaders took turns in bringing direct or indirect influences from India , China , the Middle East, and Europe. Always ready to fight to the end rather than surrender, the Balinese nevertheless took in these influences and blended them into a unique culture that seems both alien and welcoming to newcomers-to the extent that many contemporary artefacts of Balinese culture have been shaped by the fascination foreigners with Bali-the-Paradise.

Today, lovers of Bali worry that the island may be up for sale. What the spear has not conquered can be acquired by bank notes as more and more rice field get turned into tourism resorts. Yet since the end of the authoritarian regime of President Soeharto in 1998 regional autonomy has increased.

For better or for worse, local and traditional authorities are seizing power back. At the root of this endless story of flirting with outsiders while struggling for self rule lies a complex story of kingdoms battling with each other to control the island's riches and the symbolic power bestowed by the religious rituals.