Romani people

Romani people Romane manusha
Total population
4–12 million

The Romani, also known as the Roma, are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group comprising diverse communities that traditionally maintained itinerant or semi-nomadic lifestyles. The Romani have maintained a rich cultural identity centered on extended family, community loyalty (Romanipen), and distinct social values, with notable traditions of music and performance arts.

Linguistic, genetic, and historical evidence indicates that the Roma originated in northwestern India, most likely in or near the region of modern-day Rajasthan, and began migrating westward around 1000 CE. Their movement occurred in multiple waves, passing through Iran and the Eastern Roman Empire, before arriving in Europe between the 13th and 14th centuries. Romani populations later migrated to the Americas, particularly during the 19th century.

The Romani have endured centuries of systematic discrimination and persecution across Europe. They were, and still are, subject to widespread hostility, prejudice, and exclusion. Notably, many Roma were enslaved in the Romanian principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia from the 14th century until emancipation in the mid-19th century. They were also targeted by deportation policies across several European states, with France expelling them in 1660 and many were also forcibly transported to the British Caribbean colonies during the 17th and 18th centuries, being sold into slavery. In 1749, Spain ordered a nationwide genocidal raid against the Roma, affecting 3/4 of all Romani in Spain. During the Second World War, Roma were victims of genocide under Nazi Germany and its allies. Between 250,000 and 500,000 Romani were systematically murdered in the Porajmos (the Romani Holocaust). The Romani were also subjected to segregationist laws and social stigmatisation, which persists to the present day in various regions.

Today, the global Romani population is estimated to be between 10 and 15 million people, with approximately 10-12 million living in Europe, especially in central, eastern, and southern Europe. Significant communities also exist in West Asia, especially Turkey and Iran, and also the United States, and Brazil.

The Romani language is an Indo-Aryan language that retains strong influences from Persian, Armenian, Greek, and South Slavic languages, reflecting the Roma's historical migrations. Due to long-term dispersion and contact with surrounding populations, Romani exists in numerous dialects, and in some cases has blended with local languages to form para-Romani varieties.

Oppression

Second World War

The fascist Ustaše killed at least 26,000 Roma at the Jasenovac death camp in Croatia.

Yugoslav Wars

In addition to targeting Serbs, the KLA and NATO attacked Romani people in the former Yugoslav republics. 14,000 Roma homes were burnt after the beginning of NATO occupation. Many Roma fled from Kosovo to Macedonia, but they had to declare Albanian nationality because the KLA also ran the refugee camps in Macedonia.