Bajoran history is one of the most far reaching in the galaxy, stretching back hundreds of thousands of years. The Prophets influenced much of Bajor's history after their Orbs were found by the Bajorans, who began to worship them as gods.
The most well known period of Bajoran history is the Cardassian Occupation which lasted from the early years of the 24th century to 2369.
Early history
An icon painting of B'hala
Bajoran civilization stretches back more than half a million years, which is long before Humans learned to speak or make tools. The ancient Bajorans were renowned for their accomplishments in science, mathematics, philosophy, and the arts. The greatest of these early Bajoran civilizations was the First Republic, which flourished between 25,000 and 20,000 years ago. During this time, magnificent cities such as B'hala were built.
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Bajoran lightship
The next great phase of Bajoran civilization began approximately 10,000 years ago, when the first of the Tears of the Prophets were discovered above Bajor. These artifacts ushered in a new era of spiritual connection with the Bajoran gods, the Prophets. By the 16th century, the Bajorans had developed sublight space travel and were exploring their home star system with solar-sail spacecraft. Some Bajoran explorers even reached the Cardassian system, several light years away. (TNG: "Ensign Ro"; DS9: "Rapture", "Emissary", "Explorers")
In the Bajoran year 9174 (around 2172), Akorem Laan, regarded as one of the planet's greatest poets at the time, departed Bajor in a lightship. His vessel was damaged in an ion storm, and drifted into the Denorios Belt, where he opened and entered the Bajoran wormhole and would stay with the Prophets until 2372. Also during the 22nd century, Kai Taluno unknowingly reported a sighting of the wormhole, when his ship was "almost swallowed by the heavens" near the Denorios Belt. (DS9: "Emissary", "Accession")
Despite its high state of development, the Bajoran civilization continued to seperate itself into nation-like factions as it is evidenced by the Paqu-Navot Treaty of 2279, which defined the border between two of them. Until the Occupation by Cardassia, Bajoran society also followed a strict system of castes known as D'jarras. (DS9: "The Storyteller", TNG: "Ensign Ro")
The Occupation
- Main Article: Occupation of Bajor
The Occupation of Bajor (usually simply referred to as the Occupation) was the period from 2319 to 2369 during which the Bajoran homeworld of Bajor was under the control of the Cardassian Union. During the Occupation, the Cardassians perpetrated a coordinated scheme of strip-mining, forced labor, and genocide across the planet. The Occupation gave rise to the fierce Bajoran Resistance, which used guerrilla and terror tactics to eventually force the Cardassians to withdraw. Many Bajorans also fled the occupation and settled on planets all over the known galaxy, but almost everywhere they remained separated from other peoples, living under the poorest circumstances in refugee camps like those on Valo II. (TNG: "Ensign Ro")
Independent Bajor
Deep Space 9
In 2369 the Cardassians finally withdrew, no longer willing to stand against the relentless terrorism of the Bajoran Resistance. The Bajorans established a provisional government and, together with the United Federation of Planets established joint control of Terok Nor, a Cardassian mining space station, which they renamed Deep Space 9. Despite its provisional character, this government took first steps towards normalizing their relationship with the Cardassian Union when Kai Winn Adami negotiated the Bajoran-Cardassian Treaty in 2371. (DS9: "Emissary", "Life Support")
The Bajoran government applied for Federation membership in 2373, but retracted their application at the last moment due to their Emissary's vision of disastrous consequences for Bajor. Nevertheless, the two governments maintained a cordial relationship. Prior to the beginning of the Dominion War, the Emissary's previous intervention allowed Bajor to sign a nonaggression pact with the Dominion, choosing to remain neutral. This saved Bajor from coming under the rule of another foreign power when the Dominion captured Deep Space 9 in late 2373. Bajor finally joined the fight against the Dominion in 2374 after the Federation Alliance recaptured the space station during Operation Return. The Bajorans continued their participation in the war until 2375, when the Treaty of Bajor finally ended the conflict. Following the war, Bajor resumed its attempt to become a member of the United Federation of Planets. (DS9: "Rapture", "Call to Arms", "Favor the Bold", "Sacrifice of Angels", "What You Leave Behind")