The Balinese people are descendants of a prehistoric race that migrated across mainland Central Asia to the Indonesian archipelago, probably settling around 2500 BC. C. The end of the prehistoric era in Indonesia was marked by the arrival of the Hindu people, around 100 BC. c.

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The Majapahit

The Hindu Majapahit Empire (1293-1520) of East Java founded a Balinese colony in 1343. The Mayapajit Empire collapsed at the end of the 15th century due to succession disputes, and its territory then passed under the control of one of its vassals, the princes of Kediri, from Central Java. In 1527, the troops of the Muslim kingdom of Demak conquered the territories dominated by the Keridi. Given the rise of Islam in the Indonesian archipelago, a large part of the aristocracy and the intellectual and artistic elites of Java took refuge in Bali, which meant an even greater contribution of the arts, literature and Hindu religion on the island. Bali became an independent kingdom in the late 15th or early 16th century, and the dynasty of Majapahit origin continued to rule Bali until 1908. The Majapahit capital in Bali was first established in the city of Samprangan, and later in Gelgel. During the reign of Gelgel, which lasted until 1650, a brilliant Javanese-influenced culture was definitively established, both in architecture, dance, theater and literature. 

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Dutch Colonization

The first Europeans to arrive on the island were the Portuguese, when a Portuguese ship sank off the coast of  around 1585. In 1597 the Dutch explorer Cornelis Houtman arrived on Balinese land, who in turn claimed it for the Dutch crown. Shortly thereafter, the Dutch established a trading colony, and beginning in the 17th century, the Dutch East India Company began to trade, rivaling British merchants.

The trade of the kings of Bali with the European companies was based on the sale of slaves that they sold in exchange for opium. Slaves from Bali were highly prized; they were prisoners of war, criminals, debtors, orphans, and widows.

Between the years 1846 and 1849, a series of wars developed by the natives, including women and children, began against the Europeans, who tried to impose their regime after realizing the geographical potential that Bali had.  The dynasty of Majapahit origin continued to rule Bali until 1908, when it was eliminated by Dutch intervention that imposed Dutch rule over the island.

When the Netherlands realized the significant loss of human life, it opted to maintain a policy of cultural conservation, maintaining its identity to the maximum in order not to damage the legacy of the town. It was not until the '20s when international tourism began to have a significant presence in Bali.

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World War II and independence

Bali was occupied by the Japanese army and liberated by the Allied forces in 1945. In 1946, the Dutch reoccupied the island with the aim of reestablishing their colonial administration, but they clashed with the liberation army of Colonel Gusti Ngurah Rai, whom they defeated. at the end of the same year in the battle of Marga.

In an attempt to maintain part of their former colonial empire, the Dutch then created the State of East Indonesia which included Bali, the Lesser Sunda Islands, the Celebes Islands and the Moluccan archipelago. After four years of conflict with the newly created Indonesian Republic of Sukarno, the Dutch finally handed over their colonial domains to Indonesia on December 27, 1949, at the Hague Round Table Conference.

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