History of Bali - Overview
Originally settled by direct descendents of pre-historic Java Man, Bali has been a Hindu colony since around 100 BC after the arrival of the Hindus from India. An "official" Hindu colony was founded in the mid 14th century by the Majapahit Empire due to continued unrest in Eastern Java, until this point a traditional Hindu stronghold.
It wasn't until the end of the 16th century that European traders first landed in Bali. The island was quickly established as a strong Dutch trading post leading to the formation of The Dutch East India Company which would grow to seriously rival the British who were based in Hong Kong and India.
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The Colonial
Years
After a series of savage colonial wars during the mid 19th century, control
of the whole island was taken by the Dutch, although they were quick to
encourage the protection of local customs and traditions (including the
freedom to worship Hindu Gods).
As early as the 1920's, Bali started to emerge as a tourist destination, primarily for Asian travellers. Visitors from all over the world soon began to arrive over the next few decades to experience the unique culture of Bali - arts & crafts, traditional Balinese dance and numerous Hindu places of worship co-existing with the island's glorious beaches.
After World War II, Bali officially joined Indonesia in 1948.
