|
Bali
Culture
 History
There
are few traces of Stone Age people on Bali, although it's
certain that the island was populated very early in the
pre-historic times - fossilized human remains from
neighbouring Java have been dated to as early as 250,000
years ago. The earliest human artifacts found on Bali are
stone tools and earthenware vessels dug up near Cekik
(West Bali), estimated to be 3000 years old. Other
artifacts indicate that the Bronze Age began on Bali
before 300 BC. Little
is known of Bali during the period when Indian traders
brought Hinduism to the Indonesian archipelago. The
earliest written records are inscriptions on a stone
pillar near Sanur (south Bali), dating from around the 9th
century AD, and by that time Bali has island you find
today. Rice, for example, was grown with the help of a
complex irrigation system, probably very like that
employed now. The Balinese had also already begun to
develop the cultural and artistic activities which have
made the island so interesting to visitors to the present
day.
Hindu
Influence The
Hindu state of Java began to spread its influence into
Bali during the reign of King Airlangga (1019 -24). At the
age of 16, when his uncle lost throne, Airlangga fled in
to the forests of west Java. He gradually gained support,
won back the kingdom once ruled by his uncle and went
on to become one of Java's greatest kings. Airlangga's
mother had moved to Bali and remarried shortly after his
birth, so when he gained the throne there was an immediate
link between Java and Bali. At this time the courtly
Javanese language known as Kawi came into use among the
royalty of Bali, and the rock-cut memorials seen at Gunung
Kawi, near Tampak Siring, are a clear architectural link
between Bali and 11th century Java.
Caste
System The
caste system derives from Hindu traditionals on Java
dating back to about 1350, although it is not nearly as
strict as the system in India. On Bali, caste determines
roles in religious rituals and the form of language to be
used in every social situation. Most
aspects of Balinese culture have proved to be adaptable -
as Bali becomes more and more a part of Indonesia and the
rest of the world - but the question of caste
problematic. There were pressures on and within the caster
system even before the Dutch interests more than those of
the Balinese. During the 1960s, the Communists opposed the
caste system as a feudal relic; a view shared by liberals
and intellectual, at least until the massacres of
suspected Communist in 1965-6. Despite
the persistence of honorific titles, the practical
importance of one's caste is diminishing, as status
becomes more a matter of education, economic success and
community influence. The
importance of caste differences in language is mitigated
by the use of "polite" forms of Balinese
language, or by using the national Indonesian language (Bahasa
Indonesia), itself a sign of some status. In a traditional
village, however, caste is still very much a part of life,
and caste concepts are still absolutely essential to
religious practices. About
90% of Bali's ethnic population belongs to the common
sudra (also known as wong kesamen) caste, and the rest
belong to the triwangsa caste (which means three people),
also known as wong menak. The triwangsa is divided into
three sub caste listed in order of importance: Brahmana
are high priests, with titles of Ida Bagus (male) and Ida
Ayu (female); Ksatriyasa (or Satriana) are merchants, with
titles of Cokordo (male) and Ana Agung female (females);
Wesia (or Gusti) are the main caste of the nobility, with
titles of Gusti Ngurah or Dewa Gede (male), and Gusti Ayu
or Dewa Ayu (female). Click
Here to view Bali Map
|
