History
Around Bedulu-Pejeng lies a 10-kilometer-long strip of earth known
as The Land Between the Rivers. The Elephant Cave hermitage at Bedulu,
the royal tombs at Gunung Kawi, rock carvings at Yeh Pulu, and the Moon
of Pejeng bronze drum—some of Bali's holiest sites—are found there. It's
through this region the legendary rivers Petanu and Pakrisan flow. The
Pakrisan is particularly rich in historic remains, having "magically" cut
through rock cliffs and giant boulders. Its candi, monasteries,
meditation cells, sacred watering places, shrine compounds, and Bronze
Age statuettes, rock inscriptions, and bronze plates, all point to the
existence of a once-powerful kingdom where religion, architecture, technology,
and art flourished 400-600 years ago. The irrigation tunnels north of Gianyar,
the terracing of the slopes, and the intricate rice field system are products
of this kingdom. Many Balinese have no knowledge of the pre-Hindu kingdom,
believing the masterpieces in rock were carved by the thumbnails of Kebo
Iwo, a mythical giant.
Great mythological battles took place here
between the gods and the evil King Mayadanawa of Bedulu. Details of these
ancient conflicts have been passed down not only in spoken folk tales but
also recorded in Bali's epic poem, the Usana Bali, composed in the mid-16th
century during the golden age of Middle Javanese literature. These stories
depict the coming of Hinduism and the end of old customs. Historians surmise
the evil king may have simply been a rebel leader who opposed the Hinduism
on Bali.
The sacred bathing place Tirta Empul was created
by the gods to revive the dead warriors of this mythic conflict. Blood
running from the bodies of the dead changed into the Petanu ("The Cursed
One") and for over 1,000 years its waters weren't used for drinking, bathing,
or irrigation. At last, in 1928, the curse was lifted in a special ceremony.
Because of the curse, no ancient monuments are found along the banks of
the Petanu (the Goa Gajah complex is not an exception; it's on one of Petanu's
tributaries). The victory of the gods over the forces of evil is celebrated
annually in the Galungan festival.
Prior to the 18th century, the region now
called Gianyar was divided among the kingdoms of Klungkung, Bangli, Mengwi,
and Badung. By the late 18th century, the raja of Klungkung had lost much
of his prestige and power after suffering defeat at the hands of the armies
of Karangasem. This left a power vacuum that was filled by the ambitious
and ruthless punggawa of the village of Gianyar, a distant relative
of the Dewa Agung of Gelgel (Klungkung). By deceit, poisonings, and war,
this first raja of Gianyar emerged as the ruler of a new rajadom. His control
extended over a vast area, including neighboring states. He took the name
Dewa Manggis ("Sweet God") after the village in Klungkung where he was
born.
A confused series of wars between the kingdoms
of southern Bali in the latter 19th century accelerated Dutch involvement
in the area. Because the sons of Dewa Manggis were pitted against the allied
states of Badung, Bangli, and Klungkung, they sought help from the Dutch
in the 1880s. Since the Dutch were heavily engaged in the Aceh Wars during
that time, they couldn't lend assistance and the Dewa Manggis and his family
were captured. A second appeal was made in 1899 by Dewa Gede Raka that
proved successful. In 1900 the colonial army was sent to protect Gianyar,
and this meant automatic annexation as a Regentschaap.
In the early part of this century, as the
Dutch struggled to subdue the rest of southern Bali, Dewa Gede Raka's successors
flourished because of their special status. Agung Ngurah Agung (1892-1960),
considered one of the most flamboyant and autocratic of Balinese raja,
ruled from 1912 until 1943, when the Japanese forced him into exile in
Lombok. His son, Anak Agung, an accomplished linguist, became a prominent
diplomat and statesman in the post-war republican government, serving as
the Minister of the Interior and Ambassador to Belgium and France. He was
imprisoned by Sukarno from 1962 to 1966, then under Suharto served as Ambassador
to Austria.
Tourism began in the regency in the 1930s
when Tjokorda Agung Sukawati, of the old Sukawati line, established his
puri in Ubud as the center of a renaissance in Balinese arts. In
1935 he sponsored the painter's cooperative Pita Maha, inviting foreign
artists, musicians, anthropologists, and writers to stay at his palace.
Among his first guests were the artists Walter Spies and Rudolf Bonnet,
who influenced Balinese painting, and the first "Baliologists," Colin McPhee,
Jane Belo, Miguel Covarrubias, Gregory Bateson, and Margaret Mead, who
significantly influenced the way the West looked upon Bali.
The presence of foreigners in turn attracted
more visitors, and a travelers' hostel opened in Campuan in 1937 (site
of present-day Hotel Tjampuan). In the 1950s international tourism increased
when dances and music recitals were staged, art shops opened, hotels built,
antiquities excavated, and museums established. Although taking up only
seven percent of the island's total land area, today Gianyar is Bali's
most important region for cultural tourism.
Economy
More than half the population of this primarily rural region is directly
involved in the tourism industry, while roughly the other half grow rice,
sweet potatoes, and soybeans. The plantation districts of Payangan and
Tegallalang also grow coconuts, lychees, cloves, and vanilla. Sukawati
District grows tobacco, while Bali's best-quality coffee is harvested during
August and September around the upland village of Taro. The villagers of
Kramas and Ketewel on the south coast fish for a living, and the regency's
freshwater ponds produce about 130 tons of fish each year.
Gianyar is the heartland of Bali's crafts
production, where the weaving, plaiting, and wood- and stonecarving industries
are major employers. The Technical High School in Guang gives instruction
in sculpture and carving; Celuk is an important center for silversmiths
and goldsmiths; Batubulan for stonecarving; Mas, Ubud, and Batuan for painting
and woodcarving. Sukawati is known for its puppet sculptors, Pujung and
Sebatu produce expressive wooden statues and wooden jewelry, Bona is the
center for bamboo furniture and a thriving tourist-oriented performance
venue, and the artisans of Tampaksiring carve tusk and bone.
The Arts
The agricultural wealth of these densely populated plains, sometimes
referred to as the Balinese "Valley of Culture," has always provided the
nobility with the means to develop the arts. The villages of Blahbatuh,
Batuan, Sukawati, Bona, and Ubud are preeminent centers for music, dance,
drama, woodcarving, and other artistic activity. With its flourishing culture,
its impressive handicrafts, warm climate, and monumental antiquities built
as far back as two hundred years before Christ, Gianyar Regency is the
traditional heart of Bali, the main focus of tourist interest on the island.