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Roma people

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Romani people
Romani flag created in 1933 and accepted at the 1971 World Romani Congress
Total population
2–20 million
Regions with significant populations
 Turkey2,750,000
 Romania1,850,000
 Bulgaria750,000[1]
 Spain725,000[2]
 Russia720,000
 Hungary700,000[3]
 Slovakia500,000[4]
 France400,000[5]
 Greece265,000[6]
 Czech Republic250,000[7]
 Italy140,000[8]
 Germany105,000[9]
Languages
Romani, languages of native regions
Religion
mainly Christianity and Islam, minorities practice Buddhism, Judaism and Bahá'í Faith

The Roma, also known as the Romani,[a] are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group concentrated in parts of Europe. Their origins can be traced to South Asia, likely in the regions of present-day Punjab, Rajasthan and Sindh.[10][11][12] Their first wave of westward migration is believed to have taken place around the 6th century,[13][14] first arriving in Europe around the 9th century, via the Balkans.[15][16][17]

Genetics

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Genetic studies show that the Roma share ancestry with various groups from the Indian subcontinent. The studies prove this by finding similarities between DNA patterns in the different groups.[18][19]

Research

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Genetic studies have found similarities between the DNA of Roma and:

Further evidence

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Romani newborns from various countries have a birthmark called the "Mongolian spot", which is common in Asia.[24] Many Romani men from the Zargari tribe in Qazvin Province and Iran are born with a rare condition called aposthia, where the foreskin is missing or very short.[25]

Genetic changes

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Three Romani girls in France painted by Narcisse Virgile Diaz, c. 1859

After the Ottoman Empire conquered the Balkans and Byzantine Empire, Roma intermarried with Ottoman Turks. When they had children, DNA from the Roma and the Turks mixed together.[26] This is called gene flow. After residing in the Balkans for centuries, they migrated throughout Europe, and from Europe to other parts of the globe. Due to intermarriage, the degree of European or Asian ancestry amongst Roma varies substantially.[27][28]

Early history

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The Roma originated in South Asia, likely in the regions of present-day Punjab, Rajasthan and Sindh,[29][30][31] and began migrating westward sometime between the 5th and 11th centuries.[32][33] They entered Europe via the Balkans, where they arrived sometime between the 7th and 14th centuries.[32][34][35][36] In the 15th and 16th centuries, Roma fleeing Ottoman wars in the Balkans migrated to Western Europe.[32][36] They traversed aboard large caravans, which contained all of their belongings.[37]

Persecution

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Romani prisoners at Belzec extermination camp (1940).
A Dutch Romani girl is deported to Auschwitz extermination camp (1944).

The Roma have been victims of persecution and systemic discrimination in Europe for centuries.[38][39] The persecutions were mostly motivated by anti-Romani sentiment, academically known as antiziganism.[40][41] The Egyptians Act of 1530 forced the Roma to leave England. Around 10,000 of these people went to the Ottoman Empire and became Muslims. Their descendants still call themselves Egyptians.[42] The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) adopted an official definition for antiziganism on October 8, 2020:[40]

Genocide

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During the Holocaust, Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany committed a genocide[13] against the Roma.[43][44] The Romani genocide has been called "the forgotten Holocaust."[43] The Nazis thought the Roma were an 'inferior race' – not as good as other ethnic groups – and they wanted to kill all of the Roma in Europe.[13][45]

They persecuted the Roma, executed them in large groups, deported them to concentration camps, used them for medical experiments, and killed them in death camps.[13][46][47] 250,000‒500,000 were killed in the Roma genocide.[48][49] Some historians give a higher death toll estimate, ranging from 800,000 to 1,500,000.[50]

Today

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The Roma still experience discrimination and antiziganism. In some countries, they are not accepted in workplaces and schools.[51] Their squatting communities also irritate locals.[52] The Roma created an association in 1978 to defend their rights.[53]

The largest Roma populations today live in Eastern Europe and the Balkans. However, there are populations of Roma all over Europe, including:[54][55]

Culture

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A Romani wagon at the 2007 Great Dorset Steam Fair in England.

Roma culture differs from country to country, from group to group, and from religion to religion. Roma cuisine[56] also differs from country to country. Music has always been important in Roma culture. Musical instruments like guitars and violins are an important part of Roma traditions. The Roma influenced musical and dance styles in Europe, such as belly dancing, flamenco, rumba and jazz.[37]

Most Roma enter into arranged marriages with other Roma at a very young age. It is rare for Roma to marry gadje (non-Romas). Some groups ban cousin marriage.[57] On 8 April 1971, the Roma nationality was legally recognized in Europe. Since then, 8 April is the International Day of the Roma.[51]

Language

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The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages made the Romani language an official language in many European countries.[58]

Religion

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Romani Muslims in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1901

In ancient times, the Roma followed Hinduism[12] and Buddhism.[59] Today, most follow Eastern Orthodox Christianity.[60] However, many are Muslim. The Dasikane (Christian Roma) practice baptism, while the Xoraxane, or Muslim Roma, practice male circumcision. Other Romani people around the world practice faiths including:

Other Romani people practice Noahidism,[67] a Jewish new religious movement based on Orthodox Judaism.[68].and a set of moral laws called the Noahide Laws[69]). People who live according to the Noahide Laws are called children of Noah (B'nei Noach) Noahids.[70]

Footnotes

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  1. ↑ Also known as the Romani people.
  2. ↑ "Low caste [people] who migrated from the Indian subcontinent 1,400 years ago"[18]
  3. ↑ The word anti-Roma racism is also recommended for use.[40]
  4. ↑ An old dualist religion that involves a simple belief in Devla – God – and Beng – Satan.

References

[change | change source]
  1. ↑ "Bulgaria". commission.europa.eu.
  2. ↑ "Spain". commission.europa.eu.
  3. ↑ "Hungary". commission.europa.eu.
  4. ↑ "Slovakia". commission.europa.eu.
  5. ↑ "France". commission.europa.eu.
  6. ↑ "Greece". commission.europa.eu.
  7. ↑ "Czech Republic". commission.europa.eu.
  8. ↑ "Italy". commission.europa.eu.
  9. ↑ "Germany". commission.europa.eu.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Ena, Giacomo Francesco; Aizpurua-Iraola, Julen; Font-Porterias, Neus; Calafell, Francesc; Comas, David (2022-11-08). "Population Genetics of the European Roma—A Review". Genes. 13 (11): 2068. doi:10.3390/genes13112068. ISSN 2073-4425. PMC 9690732. PMID 36360305. Based on genome-wide SNP arrays and whole-genome sequences, it has been determined that the Romani people carry approximately 20–35% South Asian ancestry [4,7], and North-West India constitutes the major source of this component [4,7,54] [...] In general, Romani people carry approximately 65–80% West Eurasian (European, Middle Eastern and Caucasian) ancestry, estimated to have been acquired by extensive gene flow. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":4" defined multiple times with different content
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Hernández-Arrieta, Stefany (2023-08-07). "The definition of being Romani". Barcelona Biomedical Research Park (PRBB) – El·lipse. Retrieved 2024-02-16. This population [...] migrated from northern India to Europe over 1,500 years ago [...] The Romani community are genetically diverse, and Romani groups established in different locations are highly varied. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":5" defined multiple times with different content
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Beňo, Matúš (2022-11-05). "Romani disappearing from Roma communities". The Slovak Spectator. Retrieved 2024-02-16. What is the current state of the language? It is used less and less today in Romani communities. The young generation in some localities, such as Humenné, Michalovce, or Trebišov in eastern Slovakia, no longer speak the language at all. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":6" defined multiple times with different content
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 Popov, Shakir M. (2023). Marushiakova, Elena; Popov, Vesselin; Kovacheva, Lilyana (eds.). "History of the Gypsies in Bulgaria and Europe: Roma". University of St. Andrews. pp. 8–12. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":2" defined multiple times with different content
  14. ↑ Mendizabal, Isabel; Valente, Cristina; Gusmão, Alfredo; Alves, Cíntia; Gomes, Verónica; Goios, Ana; Parson, Walther; Calafell, Francesc; Alvarez, Luis; Amorim, António; Gusmão, Leonor; Comas, David; Prata, Maria João (2011-01-10). "Reconstructing the Indian Origin and Dispersal of the European Roma: A Maternal Genetic Perspective". PLOS ONE. 6 (1): e15988. Bibcode:2011PLoSO...615988M. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0015988. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 3018485. PMID 21264345.
  15. ↑ Popov, Shakir M. (2023). Marushiakova, Elena; Popov, Vesselin; Kovacheva, Lilyana (eds.). "History of the Gypsies in Bulgaria and Europe: Roma". University of St. Andrews. pp. 8–10.
  16. ↑ "Migration Overview". rroma.org. Retrieved 2025-02-22.
  17. ↑ "Introduction to Roma Culture" (PDF). USAID. 2007. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 October 2011.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 Nelson, Dean (3 December 2012). "European Roma descended from Indian 'untouchables', genetic study shows". The Telegraph.
  19. ↑
  20. ↑ Nagy, Melinda; Henke, Lotte; Henke, Jürgen; Chatthopadhyay, Prasanta K.; Völgyi, Antónia; Zalán, Andrea; Peterman, Orsolya; Bernasovská, Jarmila; Pamjav, Horolma (June 14, 2007). "Searching for the origin of Romanies: Slovakian Romani, Jats of Haryana and Jat Sikhs Y-STR data in comparison with different Romani populations". Forensic Science International. 169 (1): 19–26. doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2006.07.020. PMID 16950585 – via ScienceDirect.
  21. ↑ Sharma, Swarkar; Rai, Ekta; Sharma, Prithviraj; Jena, Mamata; Singh, Shweta; Darvishi, Katayoon; Bhat, Audesh K.; Bhanwer, A. J. S.; Tiwari, Pramod Kumar; Bamezai, Rameshwar N. K. (January 29, 2009). "The Indian origin of paternal haplogroup R1a1* substantiates the autochthonous origin of Brahmins and the caste system". Journal of Human Genetics. 54 (1): 47–55. doi:10.1038/jhg.2008.2. PMID 19158816. S2CID 22162114 – via www.nature.com.
  22. ↑ "HYDERABAD: Gypsies hail from Sindh, claims Dr Kazi". DAWN.COM. September 25, 2006.
  23. ↑ Palanichamy, M. G.; Mitra, B.; Debnath, M.; Agrawal, S.; Chaudhuri, T. K.; Zhang, Y. P. (2014). "Tamil Merchant in Ancient Mesopotamia". PLOS ONE. 9 (10): e109331. Bibcode:2014PLoSO...9j9331P. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0109331. PMC 4192148. PMID 25299580.
  24. ↑ Gupta, D.; Thappa, D. M. (30 June 2013). "Mongolian spots". Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology. 79 (4): 469–478. doi:10.4103/0378-6323.113074. PMID 23760316.
  25. ↑ Sadeghipour Roudsari, Sadegh; Roudsari, Sadegh Sadeghipour; Esmailzadehha, Neda (2010). "Aposthia: A case report". Journal of Pediatric Surgery. 45 (8): e17 – e19. doi:10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2010.05.030. PMID 20713198.
  26. ↑ Bánfai, Zsolt; Melegh, Béla I.; Sümegi, Katalin; Hadzsiev, Kinga; Miseta, Attila; Kásler, Miklós; Melegh, Béla (13 June 2019). "Revealing the Genetic Impact of the Ottoman Occupation on Ethnic Groups of East-Central Europe and on the Roma Population of the Area". Frontiers in Genetics. 10: 558. doi:10.3389/fgene.2019.00558. PMC 6585392. PMID 31263480.
  27. ↑ Bianco, Erica; Laval, Guillaume; Font-Porterias, Neus; García-Fernández, Carla; Dobon, Begoña; Sabido-Vera, Rubén; Sukarova Stefanovska, Emilija; Kučinskas, Vaidutis; Makukh, Halyna; Pamjav, Horolma; Quintana-Murci, Lluis; Netea, Mihai G.; Bertranpetit, Jaume; Calafell, Francesc; Comas, David (2020). "Recent Common Origin, Reduced Population Size, and Marked Admixture Have Shaped European Roma Genomes". Molecular Biology and Evolution. 37 (11): 3175–3187. doi:10.1093/molbev/msaa156. hdl:2066/229486. PMID 32589725.
  28. ↑ Bianco, Erica; Laval, Guillaume; Font-Porterias, Neus; García-Fernández, Carla; Dobon, Begoña; Sabido-Vera, Rubén; Sukarova Stefanovska, Emilija; Kučinskas, Vaidutis; Makukh, Halyna; Pamjav, Horolma; Quintana-Murci, Lluis; Netea, Mihai G.; Bertranpetit, Jaume; Calafell, Francesc; Comas, David (2020). "Recent Common Origin, Reduced Population Size, and Marked Admixture Have Shaped European Roma Genomes". Molecular Biology and Evolution. 37 (11): 3175–3187. doi:10.1093/molbev/msaa156. hdl:2066/229486. PMID 32589725.
  29. ↑ Ena, Giacomo Francesco; Aizpurua-Iraola, Julen; Font-Porterias, Neus; Calafell, Francesc; Comas, David (2022-11-08). "Population Genetics of the European Roma—A Review". Genes. 13 (11): 2068. doi:10.3390/genes13112068. ISSN 2073-4425. PMC 9690732. PMID 36360305. Based on genome-wide SNP arrays and whole-genome sequences, it has been determined that the Romani people carry approximately 20–35% South Asian ancestry [4,7], and North-West India constitutes the major source of this component [4,7,54] [...] In general, Romani people carry approximately 65–80% West Eurasian (European, Middle Eastern and Caucasian) ancestry, estimated to have been acquired by extensive gene flow.
  30. ↑ Hernández-Arrieta, Stefany (2023-08-07). "The definition of being Romani". Barcelona Biomedical Research Park (PRBB) – El·lipse. Retrieved 2024-02-16. This population [...] migrated from northern India to Europe over 1,500 years ago [...] The Romani community are genetically diverse, and Romani groups established in different locations are highly varied.
  31. ↑ Beňo, Matúš (2022-11-05). "Romani disappearing from Roma communities". The Slovak Spectator. Retrieved 2024-02-16. What is the current state of the language? It is used less and less today in Romani communities. The young generation in some localities, such as Humenné, Michalovce, or Trebišov in eastern Slovakia, no longer speak the language at all.
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 32.2 Popov, Shakir M. (2023). Marushiakova, Elena; Popov, Vesselin; Kovacheva, Lilyana (eds.). "History of the Gypsies in Bulgaria and Europe: Roma". University of St. Andrews. pp. 8–12.
  33. ↑ Mendizabal, Isabel; Valente, Cristina; Gusmão, Alfredo; Alves, Cíntia; Gomes, Verónica; Goios, Ana; Parson, Walther; Calafell, Francesc; Alvarez, Luis; Amorim, António; Gusmão, Leonor (2011-01-10). Fleischer, Robert C. (ed.). "Reconstructing the Indian Origin and Dispersal of the European Roma: A Maternal Genetic Perspective". PLoS ONE. 6 (1): e15988. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0015988. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 3018485. PMID 21264345.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link)
  34. ↑ "Introduction to Roma Culture" (PDF). USAID. 2007. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 October 2011.
  35. ↑ Kenrick, Donald (5 July 2007). Historical Dictionary of the Gypsies (Romanies) (2nd ed.). Scarecrow. p. xxxvii. ISBN 978-0-8108-6440-5.
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 "Migration Overview". rroma.org. Retrieved 2025-06-01.
  37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 "Gitans, manouches et tsiganes : la route du Rom". Routard.com.
  38. ↑
  39. ↑
  40. ↑ 40.0 40.1 40.2 "Working definition of antigypsyism/anti-Roma discrimination". International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). Retrieved December 11, 2024. Antigypsyism/anti-Roma discrimination is a manifestation of individual expressions and acts as well as institutional policies and practices of marginalization, exclusion, physical violence, devaluation of Roma cultures and lifestyles, and hate speech directed at Roma as well as other individuals and groups perceived, stigmatized, or persecuted during the Nazi era, and still today, as "Gypsies."
  41. ↑
  42. ↑ Cressy, David (2016). "Trouble with Gypsies in Early Modern England". The Historical Journal. 59: 45–70. doi:10.1017/S0018246X15000278. S2CID 162837563.
  43. ↑ 43.0 43.1 "Holocaust Memorial Day: 'Forgotten Holocaust' of Roma finally acknowledged in Germany - Telegraph". web.archive.org. 2015-04-02. Archived from the original on 2017-08-07. Retrieved 2024-09-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  44. ↑ "OSCE human rights chief welcomes declaration of official Roma genocide remembrance day in Poland". www.osce.org. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
  45. ↑
  46. ↑ Hogan, David J.; Harran, Myrily J., eds. (2000). The Holocaust Chronicle: A History in Words and Pictures. Lincolnwood, Ill: Publ. Intern. p. 384. ISBN 978-0-7853-2963-3.
  47. ↑ "Roma Genocide". Council of Europe. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
  48. ↑
  49. ↑
  50. ↑ Stone, Dan, ed. (2005). The Historiography of the Holocaust (Nachdr. ed.). Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 383–396. ISBN 978-1-4039-9927-6.
  51. ↑ 51.0 51.1 "Compilhistoire - Roms, Gitans, Manouches et Tsiganes". compilhistoire.pagesperso-orange.fr.
  52. ↑ "Expulsions des Roms : fascistes sous Sarkozy, mais humanitaires et normales sous Hollande". Riposte Laïque (in French). 24 August 2012.
  53. ↑ "Union Romani Internationale - Union Romani Internationale". union-romani-internationale.blogg.org (in French).
  54. ↑ Morar, Bharti; Gresham, David; Angelicheva, Dora; Tournev, Ivailo; Gooding, Rebecca; Guergueltcheva, Velina; Schmidt, Carolin; Abicht, Angela; Lochmüller, Hanns; Tordai, Attila; Kalmár, Lajos; Nagy, Melinda; Karcagi, Veronika; Jeanpierre, Marc; Herczegfalvi, Agnes; Beeson, David; Venkataraman, Viswanathan; Warwick Carter, Kim; Reeve, Jeff; De Pablo, Rosario; Kučinskas, Vaidutis; Kalaydjieva, Luba (2004). "Mutation History of the Roma/Gypsies". The American Journal of Human Genetics. 75 (4): 596–609. doi:10.1086/424759. PMC 1182047. PMID 15322984.
  55. ↑ Kalaydjieva, Luba; Gresham, David; Calafell, Francesc (2001). "Genetic studies of the Roma (Gypsies): a review". BMC Medical Genetics. 2 (1): 5. doi:10.1186/1471-2350-2-5. PMC 31389. PMID 11299048.
  56. ↑ "Gypsies | Encyclopedia.com". www.encyclopedia.com.
  57. ↑ "Home". Archived from the original on 2022-07-02. Retrieved 2022-05-04.
  58. ↑ "Patrin: A Brief History of the Roma". Archived from the original on 2012-03-25. Retrieved 2012-03-28.
  59. ↑ "Buddhism and the Romani". 7 March 2010.
  60. ↑ The Columbia Encyclopedia (8th ed.). New York, NY: Columbia University Press. 2018.
  61. ↑ Lewis, B., ed. (1991). The Encyclopaedia of Islam. 2: C - G / Ed. by B. Lewis (4. impr ed.). Leiden: Brill. pp. 40a – 41b. ISBN 978-90-04-07026-4.
  62. ↑ "The making of an order : An ethnography of Romani Sufis in Uskudar". Archived from the original on 2023-06-21. Retrieved 2022-08-25.
  63. ↑ Vishvapani (2011-11-29). "Hungary's Gypsy Buddhists & Religious Discrimination". Vishvapani. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
  64. ↑ "Jai Bhim! The Roma Buddhists of Hungary".
  65. ↑ "The Muslim Gypsies in Romania".
  66. ↑ "PERSONALIZING THE ROMANI EVANGELICAL FAITH".
  67. ↑ "The 7 Noahide Laws: Universal Morality". Chabad. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  68. ↑ Feldman, Rachel Z. (2018-08-01). "The Children of Noah". Nova Religio. 22 (1): 115–128. doi:10.1525/nr.2018.22.1.115. ISSN 1092-6690.
  69. ↑ "Noahide Laws | Obedience, Halakhah, Torah | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 2024-08-28. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
  70. ↑ "The Seven Noahide Laws As Practice". Archived from the original on 2022-06-25. Retrieved 2022-05-04.
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