Online Encyclopedia

Search over 40,000 articles from the original, classic Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Edition.

BALI

Online Encyclopedia
Originally appearing in Volume V03, Page 256 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
» Make a correction to this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Spread the word: del.icio.us del.icio.us it!

BALI , an See also:

island of the See also:East Indies, E. of See also:Java, from which it is separated by Bali Strait, which is shallow, and scarcely over a mile in width at its narrowest point. Bali is 93 M. in length, and its greatest breadth is 50 M. The See also:area is 2095 sq. m. In 1882, for administrative purposes, Bali was separated from Java and combined with the island of See also:Lombok to See also:form the Dutch residency of Lombok and Bali. Politically its divisions are two: (1) the two districts, Buleleng and Jembrana, on Dutch territory; and (2) the autonomous states of Klung See also:Lung, Bangli, Mengui, Badung and Tabanan. Buleleng, on the See also:north-See also:west, is the See also:chief See also:town. The See also:population on Dutch territory in the whole residency in the See also:year 1905 was 523,535. Bali belongs physically to Java; the See also:climate and See also:soil are the same and it has mountains of proportionate height. There are several lakes of See also:great See also:depth and streams well fitted for the purposes of See also:irrigation, of which full See also:advantage is taken by the natives. The See also:geological formation includes (like that of Java) three regions—the central volcanic, the See also:southern See also:peninsula of See also:Tertiary See also:limestone, and alluvial plains between the older formations. The highest volcanoes, Tabanan, Batur and Gunung Agung (Bali See also:Beak), have respectively heights of 7545 ft., 7383 ft., and 10,497 ft., the central See also:chain having an See also:average See also:altitude of 3282 ft. As regards See also:flora and See also:fauna Bali is associated with Java.

The deep strait which separates it on the east from Lombok was taken by A. R. See also:

Wallace (q.v.) as representing the so-called Wallace's See also:Line, whereby he demarcated the See also:Asiatic from the Australian fauna. The natives of Bali, though of the same stock as the Javanese, and resembling them in See also:general See also:appearance, exceed them in stature and See also:muscular See also:power, as well as in activity and enterprise. They are skilful agriculturists and artisans, especially in textile fabrics and the manufacture of arms. Though native See also:rule is tyrannical and arbitrary, especially in the principalities of Badung and Tabanan, See also:trade and See also:industry could not flourish if insecurity of persons and See also:property existed to any great extent. The natives have also a remedy against the aggression of their rulers in their own hands; it is called Metilas, consists in a general rising and renunciation of See also:allegiance, and proves mostly successful. See also:Justice is administered from a written See also:civil and criminal See also:code. See also:Slavery is abolished. See also:Hinduism, which was once the See also:religion of Java, but has been See also:extinct there for four centuries, is still in See also:vogue in the islands of Bali and Lombok, where the cruel See also:custom of widow-burning (See also:suttee) is still practised, and the See also:Hindu See also:system of the four castes, with a fifth or See also:Pariah See also:caste (called Chandala), adhered to. It appears partly blended with See also:Buddhism, partly overgrown with a belief in Kalas, or evil See also:spirits. To appease these, offerings are made to them either See also:direct or through the See also:mediation of the Devas (domestic or agrarian deities); and if these avail not, the Menyepi or Great See also:Sacrifice is resorted to.

In the course of this ceremony, after the sacrifice, men See also:

rush in all directions carrying torches; the See also:women also carry See also:fire-brands, or knock on the houses with See also:rice-crushers and other heavy implements, and thus the evil spirits are considered to be driven away. The See also:Mahommedan religion occurs among the coastal population. The Balinese See also:language belongs to the same See also:group of the Malayan class as the Javanese, Sundanese, Madurese, &c., but is as distinct from each of these as See also:French is from See also:Italian. It is most nearly akin to the Sasak language spoken in Lombok and on the east See also:coast of Bali. The See also:literary language has embodied many of its ingredients from the Old Javanese, as spoken in Java at the See also:time of the fall of Majapahit (15th See also:century), while the vulgar See also:dialect has kept See also:free from such admixture. Javanese See also:influence is also traceable in the use of three varieties of speech, as in the Javanese language, according to the See also:rank of the See also:people addressed. The See also:alphabet is with some modifications the same as the Javanese, but more complicated. The material universally used for See also:writing on is the prepared See also:leaf of the lontar See also:palm. The sacred literature of the Balinese is written in the See also:ancient Javanese or Kawi language, which appears to be better understood here than it is in Java. A general decline in culture is See also:manifest in the Balinese. Of the See also:early See also:history of their island the Balinese know nothing. The See also:oldest tradition they possess refers to a time shortly after the overthrow of the Majapahit See also:dynasty in Java, about the See also:middle of the 15th century; but it has been supposed that there must have been See also:Indian settlers here before the middle of the 1st century, by whom the See also:present name, probably cognate with the See also:Sanskrit balin, strong, was in all likelihood imposed.

It was not till 1633 that the Dutch attempted to enter into See also:

alliance with the native princes, and their earliest permanent See also:settlement at See also:Port Badung only See also:dates from 1845. Their influence was extended by the results of the See also:war which they waged with the natives about 1847—49. The only roadstead safe all the year See also:round is Temukus on the north coast. The See also:rivers are not navigable. See also:Agriculture is the chief means of subsistence; rice being a See also:crop of particular importance. Other crops grown for export are See also:coffee, See also:tobacco, See also:cocoa and See also:indigo. See also:Gold-working, the making of arms and musical See also:instruments, See also:wood-See also:carving, See also:cotton, See also:silk and gold See also:thread See also:weaving are of importance. There are numerous Arab and See also:Chinese traders. See R. See also:Van See also:Eck, Schetsen van het eiland Bali, Tijdsch. van Nederl. Indie (1878—1879); J. See also:Jacobs, Eeenigen tijd ender de Baliers (See also:Batavia, 1883) ; H.

Tonkes, Volkskunde von Bali (See also:

Halle, 1888) ; Liefrinck, De rijst cultuur op Bali, Indische Gids. (1886).

End of Article: BALI

Additional information and Comments

There are no comments yet for this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Please link directly to this article:
Highlight the code below, right click, and select "copy." Then paste it into your website, email, or other HTML.
Site content, images, and layout Copyright © 2006 - Net Industries, worldwide.
Do not copy, download, transfer, or otherwise replicate the site content in whole or in part.

Links to articles and home page are always encouraged.

[back]
BALGUY, JOHN (1686-1748) 		[next]
BALIKISRI (Balukiser)

Site © 2006 - Net Industries