History of Bali
These so called proto-Malay people would later be joined by a second wave of Malay migrants from the north who would bring with them the secret of wet rice cultivation that increased harvests tenfold. Rice would become the staff of life and measure of wealth, Slowly Bali was transformed as a complex irrigation system was developed to water the fertile rice terraces.
The abundance would create a new wealth upon which kingdoms would be built, all paying homage to the pre-Hindu form of Dewi Sri, the beloved goddess of rice, who in Bali is represented in the ancient form of the cili motif found till this day in various offerings. Many other elements of the pre-Hindu ancestor worship would survive. Some Balinese such as those who live in Tenganan and Trunyan still claim to be the original inhabitants of the island. In the first century of our era, a new religion - Hinduism - was introduced by Brahmin priests who traveled with Indian merchants in search of the fabulous wealth of these islands. Over the centuries the kings of Bali would adopt the new religion along with its offshoot, Buddhism. They would blend it with elements of their old animist faith as they expanded their independent kingdoms as revealed by the many remains found there between the Pakerisan and Petanu Rivers in Gianyar.
One of these was ruled by a legendary evil king with a pig’s head by the name of Beda Ulu whose name would be given to the village of Bedulu which was the site of his capital. Other memories of prehistoric figures such as the giant Kebo lwa who supposedly carved many caves with his finger nails linger on in folk tales. Numerous monuments including the Elephant Cave, Gunung Kawi and Yeh Pulu stand as elegant testimony to Bali’s glorious past.
In the end, all would fall to the powerful armies of East Java’s Majapahit Empire (12th to 15th century) led by General Gadjah Mada. Bali would become an important province of this kingdom that would hold sway over most of today’s Southeast Asia. While Hindu and Buddhist, the gradual fall of India to Islam would break direct contact between the Hindu motherland and Indonesia. Isolated Java and Bali would return to their animistic roots resulting in a syncretism faith combining these with Tantric belief. It was during this time, too, that gamelan, dance, drama and the shadow puppet theatre would develop their classical forms.
Around the 16th century, the Majapahit Empire would gradually disintegrate as the power of Islam grew. According to Balinese legends many of the artists, poets and nobility of the court fled to Bali, the last outpost of Hinduism. Until this day most of the Balinese royal families trace their ancestry to the Majapahit era. At the time of the fall of Java to Islam, the first Westerners led by the Dutch admiral, Cornelius Da Houtman, would arrive off the coast of Bali in 1598 in three tiny wooden ships after a disastrous voyage plagued by disease, attacks and intrigue that cost the lives of half the crew. Bali was the first place that they were accorded a friendly reception by Watu Renggong, then the prosperous king of a united Bali.