History of the Romani people

The history of Romani communities traces their origins in South Asia, migrations across regions, and varied experiences under changing political and social conditions.

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Romani language: An Indo-Aryan language spoken by Romani communities, with dialects shaped by centuries of contact across regions. Its Indo-Aryan roots preserve evidence of the communities’ South Asian origins.
Romani slavery in Wallachia and Moldavia: The enslavement of Romani people in the Romanian principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia from the fourteenth century until abolition in the nineteenth. This system made hereditary enslavement a defining experience for many Romani communities in the region.
Ian Hancock: A Romani linguist and activist known for scholarship on Romani language, history, and genocide. His work has advanced Romani historical scholarship and public recognition of the Porajmos.
Sinti: A Romani subgroup with communities particularly associated with Germany, France, and neighboring parts of Central and Western Europe. Sinti history shows how distinct communities experienced regional policies and persecution.
Romani people in the Ottoman Empire: The histories of Romani communities living within the Ottoman Empire across southeastern Europe and western Asia. Ottoman records offer evidence of Romani lives under a long-lasting multiethnic empire.
Indo-Aryan languages: A branch of the Indo-European language family spoken across South Asia and by diaspora communities. Romani belongs to this branch, linking its linguistic history to South Asia.
Porajmos: The persecution and genocide of Romani people by Nazi Germany and its allies during the Second World War. The genocide was a catastrophic rupture in Romani communities across occupied Europe.
Romani Rose: A German Romani civil-rights activist and longtime head of the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma. He helped secure recognition of the Nazi genocide of Sinti and Roma in Germany.
Kalderash: A Romani subgroup historically associated with metalworking and found across Europe and the Americas. Kalderash communities illustrate the varied occupations and migration histories within Romani populations.
Romani people in the United Kingdom: The history and present-day experience of Romani communities in the United Kingdom. British records and policies provide a distinct case of settlement, regulation, and belonging.