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History of Bali takes us back to the ancient times when the prehistoric people
settled here. One finds that around 100 BC people from India started to settle
in this pat of the land as shown in the inscriptions.
The coming of people from India marked the onset of a new era and the end of
the prehistorical period in Bali. There are many Hindu artifacts that can be
highlighted that date back to first century. One later finds that by 500 AD
Buddhism also became a primary religion. Traveler like Yi- Tsing refer (670
AD) to Buddhism in Bali.
The history of Bali by 11th century was deeply influenced by Hindu and Javanese
culture. The medieval history of Bali highlights the several phases of Bali
and Java conquering each other till Bali was occupied by the Dutch. .
During the 16th century as Islam was spreading in the archipelago and the Majapahit
kingdom started to fall, Bali became a safe haven for the aristocrats, priests
and the artists, thereby ushering the golden period in the history of Bali.
The coming of the Dutch in 1597 is an important period and marked the onset
of Bali becoming a colony. In the 19th century the Dutch due to geo political
and economic reasons made Bali a colony.
During the Second World War Bali was occupied by Japan and after the war Bali
became a province of Indonesia. But the unique history and culture of Bali has
been maintained as the majority in Indonesia follow Islam but in Bali one will
find temples.
The history and culture of Bali and the scenic beauty has made it a popular
spot for vacation in South East Asia.
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