BALI, an island, east of Java across the shallow Bali Strait, only a mile wide at its narrowest; length 93m., extreme width 5om., area 2,095sq.m. With Lombok, it forms a residency with two divisions, Sing aradja and South Bali. Mountainous, with deep ravines southward, it has a large allu vial plain in the south. The chief range runs from Lombok Strait to Bali Strait, and is divided into (I) the eastern moun tains, Mt. Agung, or Bali Peak, a regular volcano reaching 10,499f t., rising sheer up from the crater lake of that name; Mt.
Batur, in this section, is the only active volcano in the island ; the hills of the central division, of recent volcanic forma tion, with the crater lakes Bratan, Boejan, and Tamblingan; (3) the barren, unin habited Jembrana mountains, fill the west ern division and extend right to the narrow part of Bali Strait. A small plateau of chalk, 2ooft. above sea-level connects with the mainland by the narrow and low Tafel huk isthmus, which, with a spur projecting northwards on the eastern side, gives Bali—apart from the little-used Temuku, in the east—its only safe anchorage, Benua, the port for Den Pasar, though the entrance between coral reefs is tortuous. The coast is mostly steep and little indented, and on the north is exposed to the full force of the west monsoon, so the roadstead of Buleleng, the port of Singaradja, is often unsafe, whilst a heavy sea runs off the south coast during the south-east mon soon. Nine miles off the south-east coast lies the hilly island of Musa Penida, an old convict settlement. The rivers flow mostly steeply south from the central mountains and are quite unsuitable for navigation. Practically dry at one season, they become choked and liable to flood during the period of heavy rainfall.
Bali belongs to Java in climate, flora and fauna. Tigers are known in the west, but not the rhinoceros or wild buffalo; deer exist, and wild pig, in considerable numbers, and they damage crops. Mammals, birds, and insects of Asiatic origin found in Bali, but not east of the island, led Wallace to draw a line between Bali and Lombok—extending between Borneo and Celebes—mark ing the limit of the fauna of the Oriental, or Indian region, and since termed "Wallace's Line"; but later authorities are inclined to treat all the Lesser Sunda Islands as a transitional region. With extremely fertile soil, abundant rainfall, and very equable climate, ranging to sub-tropical in the mountains, Bali has luxuri ant vegetation, with smaller trees than Java. Teak, coconut, lontar, and other palms are plentiful ; sugar cane, coffee, cocoa, tobacco, indigo, ground nuts, and all Malayan fruits are grown to perfection, with excellent European vegetables on the highlands. The Balinese are easily the most expert rice-growers in the Archi pelago, irrigating admirably in native style. From a distance, the green terraced hill sides resemble hanging gardens. Coffee is grown for export, water buffalo, cattle, horses, dogs, goats, and many pigs are kept—the last for export to Java and Malaya, for the Chinese there. Population (19z 5) 946,387, composed of 236 Europeans and Eurasians, 939,159 natives, and 6,992 foreign Asiatics, including Chinese. Agriculture and fishing are the chief activities.
The Balinese are expert craftsmen in gold, silver and other metals. They are clever in the manufacture of arms, in wood carving, as stone-masons, and in designing in colour, and building good temples and houses of stone. Fine pottery is manufactured and the women weave beautiful garments in cotton and silk, and textures of gold and silver thread, of rich colouring and artistic pattern. The people are of Hindu-Javanese extraction, with an original strain of Papuan blood, probably mixed with Polynesian. Colonized from India direct, and from Java, by Ilindu-Javanese immigrants, in the days when Hindu influence there was at its highest, and again later, when Arab invasion in Java threatened those Javanese who wished to retain their Hindu faith, the aboriginal element in Bali was well-nigh submerged, save among the "Bali Aga" in a few isolated places, who follow a Polynesian cult and keep to themselves in their own villages. A few Mohammedans live more or less secluded along the coast, but nearly everyone is Hindu in religion, though offerings to house hold deities, at little home-shrines, show Polynesian religious influence. Brahma, Vishnu, and Krishna are known, but it is to Siva that the temples are dedicated. In temple sculpture, the form of Ganesh is sometimes seen, together with a repulsive form, the upper part human—the face, that of a man, having tusks— the lower, animal, known as Lorong, and the phallic symbol is seen. The temple, or Pura, with three walled-in courts, contains small buildings, or sheds, for the priests and their various cere monies. The third, or inner court, encloses the actual temples, small wooden buildings on stone foundations. Worship in the open is attended with feasting, flowers, and music ; there are female as well as male priests, and women, particularly young maidens, play a leading part. Caste is observed as in the four degrees of India—Brahman, Kshatriya, Vaisya, and Sudra ; suttee was prac tised before Dutch rule came; the cow is revered, and cremation occurs on a scale unparalleled in any part of India.
. The Balinese resemble better-class Javanese, with a lighter skin where the Hindu strain is pronounced. Their long dark hair is fastened by both sexes up on the head, but princes and nobles cut it short. They seem stronger than the Javanese, are obser vant, lively, hospitable, eager to learn, careful and zealous in religion. They are very fond of feasts, games, dancing (watching professional dancers), and dramatic performances with music. The spoken language belongs to the same class as Javanese, Sundanese, etc., and is akin to the Sasak spoken in Lombok. The literary tongue borrows from Old Javanese in the three modes of address, and in the alphabet. Balinese sacred literature is written in the ancient Kawi language of Java, and is well under stood. The name of the country is held to derive from the San skrit word balm, strong, and Hindu influence is predominant in the art of the island, the form of agriculture, and the representa tion of the drama, whether in the form of dalang, or "shadow show," or wayang, in which there is a stage with actors, the female parts being taken by men. In both forms, events taken from the Mahabharata and the Ramayana are presented. Rights and duties of the village are enshrined in written laws and enforced by a sort of village council. Practically all cultivable land is cultivated, and tenure and irrigation are regulated by local agri cultural associations. Land descends from father to son, and it is very difficult for any outsider to obtain a landed interest in Bali; nor is outside influence in any way encouraged by the Dutch, who give financial support to such of the peasantry as need it, through a State bank, in the form of advances against crops. The landscape of Bali is very beautiful, full of contrasts, with profusion of vegetation and wonderful distant views from the mountains. There is the additional charm of its fine old temples—those of Tampak Siring—the oldest, the mysterious "drum of Pedjing," and the double-coned volcano of Batur. Many roads were made before the Dutch arrived; but they greatly improved them, and motoring is safe and enjoyable. No hotels exist, but the pasangralians, or rest-houses, built for government officials on tour, are available at a fixed charge in every important centre.
Singaradja, in the north, is the capital of Bali and the seat of the Resident. It has attractive buildings of Dutch colonial type, government offices, business premises, etc., and a neat native quarter, on the side of hills which slope gradually from Buleleng, on the coast, a couple of miles or so below Singaradja, to the northern spurs of the central mountains. It has a population of (104 Europeans and Eurasians), and is a market for native produce and imported goods. Such, also are Den Pasar (Badung), with 14,53o inhabitants and an Assistant-Resident, Karang Asem, where the semi-independent descendant of the old Balinese princes, I Goesti Bagoes Djilantik, acts as stadtholder for the Dutch Government, Klungklung (also the chief centre for native arts and crafts), Gianjar and Tabanan, all in the south, which holds the greater part of the population, and Negara, in the extreme west. The Royal Mail Packet Company has a biweekly service between Bali and Java, calling at both Benua and Buleleng, and the island has telephone and telegraphic communication, but no railways or tramways.
From the language on brass tablets found in Bali in the 1 oth century it is known that a Hinduized culture existed there then which had come direct from India. Later it was probably under the suzerainty of Majapahit, in Java, becoming independent when that dynasty fell before Arab invasion. Several of the Majapahit princes fled to Bali, and their descendants undoubtedly shared in the partition of Bali (end of 17th century) into nine sepa rate principalities—Klungklung, Karang Asem, Mengwi, Badung, Bangli, Tabanan, Gianjar, Buleleng, and Jembrana. Houtman had visited Bali, in 1J97, and in 1743 the Susuhanan of Surakarta ceded his "rights" over Bali to the Dutch, who took no steps to claim them, but later, a slave recruiting post was established in Badung. The Balinese princes recognized Dutch supremacy but retained local autonomy. They agreed to forgo their ancient right of con fiscating the cargoes of wrecked ships. In 1844, however, the Rajas of Buleleng and Karang Asem asserted this "right," and the Dutch sent an expedition (1846) which brought them to terms. Later they recanted and the princes of Bangli and Lom bok helped the Dutch against them. The prince of Bangli was given Buleleng as a reward, Karang Asem became a fief of the Lombok Raja, and all the Balinese princes signed a new treaty recognizing Dutch supremacy, and prohibiting piracy, slavery, the exercise of "shore rights," and settlements of any other European power. Native misrule in Buleleng and Jembrana led to indirect Dutch government there in and direct government in 1882. Wars between the other Balinese states led Gianjar to seek Dutch protection in 1900, to avoid extinction, whilst before this Mengwi had been divided among Badung, Tabanan, Klungklung, and Gianjar. Karang Asem had not sup ported its overlord, the Raja of Mataram, in Lombok, in 1894 against the Dutch, and the regent, in 1895, was made stadtholder. Klungklung then refused to give up criminals, Badung re-asserted the "right" of looting wrecked ships, and Tabanan and Bangli joined this state. A Dutch expedition in 1906 resulted in the death of the Raja of Badung, the submission and suicide of the Raja of Tabanan, and Dutch control over South Bali. Insurrec tion in Klungklung in 1908 led to another Dutch expedition, the death of the Dewa-agong of Klungklung, and direct Dutch gov ernment over the whole island, the Raja of Bangli being recog nized as a stadtholder. His successors rule under the Dutch in Bangli and Gianjar to-day, as regents, and Karang Asem has its stadtholder; this is the only Balinese rule which survives.
(E. E. L.)