OUT OF INDIA
Research by Lucy Maness Warner
Compiled on February 23, 2016


The Romani, generally considered to have come from Northwest India, also have genetic similarities to people from Pakistan. The earliest historical mention of Romani related groups go back as far as 400 AD in Grecian territories, though they are dated also in 800 AD in and 1100 AD in Central and Western Europe. One of the earliest groups to be mentioned emerged in Spain under the Moors. There is no evidence that they have ever had a written language and a mythological tradition. There probably was such tradition, since most groups of people do have stories that have been handed down generation to generation. As for religion, they have generally adopted the religions and clothing of their host countries.

From the “History…” below comes an interesting statement: “. Kashmiri Pandits are Kashmiri Brahmins.[29]” One of the localized names for Romani groups, however, literally translates “untouchable,” and according to the same article, no Romanis have developed a known written language, except undoubtedly those in Kashmir. If they are Brahmins they are also certainly settled people rather than travelers. Another group name mentioned in an historical reference indicates that they were magicians and musicians, undoubtedly traveling performers.

Though the Romani have been one of those generally disparaged groups wherever they went, believed to murder, rape and steal, they are also extremely interesting in their stubborn adherence to their traditional life style, which is colorful and romantic. Now, reading this, their intricate cultural ties known to go back as far as 400 AD, probably go back even farther. In that they are reminiscent of the original Indo-European speaking groups who morphed in a long series of languages and cultures of Europe and Asia, and even some have migrated into the Americas and North Africa. See the several Internet articles below, which give a great deal of information about those whom we know best under the name “Gypsy.”

Whatever else is true of these people, their nomadic heritage which has held true in some places until present times, though the old beautiful and ornate “gypsy wagon” pulled by horses has probably disappeared to traveling around in automobiles. There are some twenty different groups of modern day nomads of various cultural ties, some with ancient religion, culture and language, given in the following Wikipedia article, which is interesting as a source of further study.

A group called “Irish Travelers,” who are light skinned and travel nowadays by automobile both in Europe and the US, are also considered to be of a low class and given to crime. I’m sure that any nomadic group who show up in Europe or the US would be feared and possibly hated.

One exception that occurs to me are the reindeer herding Sami, of Scandinavia, most of whom have now settled down and follow other traditional European trades. Those who choose to follow the old ways have maintained some very interesting folk beliefs, tent dwellings, etc. There was a wonderful TV documentary showing them milking their reindeer and telling stories around the fire within their tents. The Christian story of Santa Claus is discussed in that film, as it bears a close resemblance to a Sami belief.

SEE https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Modern_nomads which states among other things, “This category is ambiguously titled and should be split to distinguish two separate scopes: groups practicing actual nomadic pastoralism today (Category:Nomads), "itinerant" groups (sometimes described as "nomadic" in a loose sense of the word) traditionally itinerant groups (romani, "indigenous travellers", etc.) neo-itinerant groups or individuals (migrant workers, "perpetual tourists" or "snowbirds", globetrotters, New Age travellers, etc.). I also suggest that the curious will read this article. It includes some twenty or more different types of nomadic people who do still exist around the world.]




Excerpt from the Wikipedia article “Languages of the Romani People,” –
“Etymology[edit]

“The demonyms of the Romani people, Lom and Dom share the same etymological origin,[15][16] reflecting Sanskrit ḍoma "a man of low caste, living by singing and music". [17][18]” This statement is in contrast to the proposed origin of some Roma people, based on Genetics, as being of the Brahmin caste.”




THE FOLLOWING IS A RECENT THEORY OF ORIGIN BASED ON DNA AND LINGUISTIC EVIDENCE, COMING FROM THE ARTICLE CALLED “HISTORY OF THE ROMANI PEOPLE,” WIKIPEDIA.

EXCERPTS:

[NOTE: An extremely complex map of proposed migration patterns is shown in this article.]

“The Burushos of Hunza have a paternal lineage genetic marker that is grouped with Pamiri speakers from Afghanistan and Tajikistan, and the Sintior Sindhi Romani ethnic group. This find of shared genetic haplogroups may indicate an origin of the Romani people in or around these regions.[27]” This may indicate that the Indian populations traveled east into India from Pakistan, rather than being originally Indian, but Roma linguistic and genetic clues have showed up across Europe and Asia, so their true origin may not be truly discovered yet. It certainly wouldn’t surprise me if they were to be found one of the earliest groups to have settled in those areas, rather than late comers.

Another genetic study, however, on the Domba groups of Roma indicates origin in India itself. “the ancestors of present scheduled tribes and scheduled caste populations of northern India, traditionally referred to collectively as the Ḍoma, are the likely ancestral populations of modern European Roma.[28] …. Autosomal data permits simultaneous analysis of multiple lineages, which can provide novel information about population history. According to a genetic study on autosomal data on Roma the source of Southasian Ancestry in Roma is North-West India. The two populations showing closest relatedness to Roma were Kashmiri Pandits and Sindhi. Kashmiri Pandits are Kashmiri Brahmins.[29] The classical and mtDNA genetic markers suggested the closest affinity of the Roma with Rajput and Sindhi populations from Rajasthan and the Punjab respectively.[28][30]”

Under the heading “Early Records,” their appearance in parts of Europe is placed much farther back than 1100 AD. “Early records[edit] -- Many Antique historians mention a tribe by the name of Sigynnae (Tsigani) on various locations in Europe. Early records of itinerant populations from India begin as early as the Sassanid period. Donald Kenrick notes the first recorded presence of Zott in Baghdad in AD 420, Khaneikin in AD 834.[31]”

ORIGINS

“The Romani have been described by Diana Muir Appelbaum as unique among peoples because they have never identified themselves with a territory; they have no tradition of an ancient and distant homeland from which their ancestors migrated, nor do they claim the right to national sovereignty in any of the lands where they reside, rather, Romani identity is bound up with the ideal of freedom expressed, in part, in having no ties to a homeland.[5] The absence of traditional origin stories and of a written history has meant that the origin and early history of the Romani people was long an enigma.

. . . . An alternative view is that the ancestors of the Romani were part of the military in Northern India. When there were invasions by Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi and these soldiers were defeated, they were moved west with their families into the Byzantine Empire between AD 1000 and 1030.[10] Genetic evidence connects the Romani people to the descendants of groups which emigrated from South Asia towards Central Asia during the medieval period.[11]”

. . . . Their early history shows a mixed reception. Although 1385 marks the first recorded transaction for a Romani slave in Wallachia, they were issued safe conduct by Sigismund of the Holy Roman Empire in 1417.[31] Romanies were ordered expelled from the Meissen region of Germany in 1416, Lucerne in 1471, Milan in 1493, France in 1504, Aragon in 1512, Sweden in 1525, England in 1530 (see Egyptians Act 1530), and Denmark in 1536.[31] In 1510, any Romani found in Switzerland were ordered to be put to death, with similar rules established in England in 1554, Denmark in 1589, and Sweden in 1637, whereas Portugal began deportations of Romanies to its colonies in 1538.[31]

Later, a 1596 English statute, however, gave Romanies special privileges that other wanderers lacked; France passed a similar law in 1683. Catherine the Great of Russia declared the Romanies "crown slaves" (a status superior to serfs), but also kept them out of certain parts of the capital.[37] In 1595, Ştefan Răzvan overcame his birth into slavery, and became the Voivode (Prince) of Moldavia.[31] . . . .

Settlement[edit]

In 1758, Maria Theresa of Austria began a program of assimilation to turn Romanies into ujmagyar (new Hungarians). The government built permanent huts to replace mobile tents, forbade travel, and forcefully removed children from their parents to be fostered by non-Romani.[31] By 1894, the majority of Romanies counted in a Hungarian national census were sedentary. In 1830, Romani children in Nordhausen were taken from their families to be fostered by Germans.[31]

Russia also encouraged settlement of all nomads in 1783, and the Polish introduced a settlement law in 1791. Bulgaria and Serbia banned nomadism in the 1880s.[31]

In 1783, racial legislation against Romanies was repealed in the United Kingdom, and a specific "Turnpike Act" was established in 1822 to prevent nomads from camping on the roadside, strengthened in the Highways Act of 1835.[31]

Persecution[edit]

Main article: Antiziganism

In 1538, the first anti-ziganist (anti-Romani) legislation was issued in Moravia and Bohemia, which were under Habsburg rule. Three years later, after a series of fires in Prague which were blamed on the Romani, Ferdinand I ordered them to be expelled. In 1545, the Diet of Augsburg declared that "whoever kills a Gypsy, will be guilty of no murder". The massive killing spree that resulted prompted the government to eventually step in and "forbid the drowning of Romani women and children".[38] In 1710, Joseph I ordered that "all adult males were to be hanged without trial, whereas women and young males were to be flogged and banished forever." In addition, they were to have their right ears cut off in the kingdom of Bohemia and their left ear in Moravia.[39]

In 1530, England issued the Egyptians Act which banned Romani from entering the country and required those living in the country to leave within 16 days. Failure to do so could result in confiscation of property, imprisonment and deportation. The act was amended with the Egyptians Act 1554, which ordered the Romani to leave the country within a month. Non-complying Romanies were executed.[40]”

Pre-war organization[edit]
In 1879, a national meeting of Romanies was held in the Hungarian town of Kisfalu (now Pordašinci, Slovenia). Romanies in Bulgaria set up a conference in 1919 to protest for their right to vote, and a Romani journal, Istiqbal (Future) was founded in 1923.[31]

In the Soviet Union, the All-Russian Union of Gypsies was organized in 1925 with a journal, Romani Zorya (Romani Dawn) beginning two years later. The Romengiro Lav (Romani Word) writer's circle encouraged works by authors like Nikolay Aleksandrovich Pankov and Nina Dudarova.[31]

A General Association of the Gypsies of Romania was established in 1933 with a national conference, and two journals, Neamul Tiganesc (Gypsy Nation) and Timpul (Time). An "international" conference was organized in Bucharest the following year.[31]

In Yugoslavia, Romani journal Romano Lil started publication in 1935.[31]

Porajmos[edit]

Main article: Porajmos
During World War II, the Nazis murdered 220,000 to 1,500,000 Romanies in an attempted genocide referred to as the Porajmos.[41] Like the Jews, they were sentenced to forced labor and imprisonment in concentration camps. They were often killed on sight, especially by the Einsatzgruppen on the Eastern Front.

Post-war history

In Communist central and eastern Europe, Romanies experienced assimilation schemes and restrictions of cultural freedom. The Romani language and Romani music were banned from public performance in Bulgaria. In Czechoslovakia, tens of thousands of Romanies from Slovakia, Hungary and Romania were re-settled in border areas of Czech lands and their nomadic lifestyle was forbidden. In Czechoslovakia, where they were labeled as a “socially degraded stratum,” Romani women were sterilized as part of a state policy to reduce their population. This policy was implemented with large financial incentives, threats of denying future social welfare payments, misinformation and involuntary sterilization.[42]

In the early 1990s, Germany deported tens of thousands of migrants to central and eastern Europe. Sixty percent of some 100,000 Romanian nationals deported under a 1992 treaty were Romani.

During the 1990s and early 21st century many Romanies from central and eastern Europe attempted to migrate to western Europe or Canada. The majority of them were turned back. Several of these countries established strict visa requirements to prevent further migration.

In 2005, the Decade of Roma Inclusion was launched in nine Central and Southeastern European countries to improve the socio-economic status and social inclusion of the Romani minority across the region.

Decade of Roma Inclusion 2005 - 2015 has been not success at all. The Decade of Roma Inclusion 2005-2015 is coming to the end of its originally defined term. It initiated crucially important processes for Roma inclusion in Europe, and provided the impetus for an EU-led effort covering similar subject matter, the EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies up to 2020 (EU Framework).

America

Romanies began immigrating to the United States in colonial times, with small groups in Virginia and French Louisiana. Larger-scale immigration began in the 1860s, with groups of Romnichal from Britain. The largest number immigrated in the early 20th century, mainly from the Vlax group of Kalderash. Many Romanies also settled in other countries of the Americas.

Romani nationalism

A small Roma nationalist movement exists.

The first World Romani Congress was organized in 1971 near London, funded in part by the World Council of Churches and the Government of India. It was attended by representatives from India and 20 other countries. At the congress, the green and blue flag from the 1933 conference, embellished with the red, sixteen-spoked chakra, was reaffirmed as the national emblem of the Romani people, and the anthem, "Gelem, Gelem" was adopted.

The International Romani Union was officially established in 1977, and in 1990, the fourth World Congress declared April 8 to be International Day of the Roma, a day to celebrate Romani culture and raise awareness of the issues facing the Romani community.

The 5th World Romany Congress in 2000 issued an official declaration of the Romany non-territorial nation.




https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Names_of_the_Romani_people

Names of the Romani people
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Map Historical Distribution of Romani People By Language – See Website.

“The Romani people are also known by a variety of other names; in English as gypsies or gipsies (seen by some as a slur, as discussed below) and Roma, in Greek as γύφτοι (gýftoi) or τσινγάνοι (tsingánoi), in Central and Eastern Europe as Tsigani (and variants), in France as gitans besides the dated bohémiens, manouches, in Italy as zingari and gitani, and in Spain as gitanos.

Self-designation also varies: In Central and Eastern Europe, Roma is common. The Romani of England call themselves (in Angloromani) Romanichal, those of Scandinavia (in Scandinavian romanidialect) Romanisæl. In German-speaking Europe, the self-designation is Sinti, in France Manush, while the groups of Spain, Wales and Finland use Kalo/Kale (from kalo meaning "black"). There are numerous subgroups and clans with their own self-designations, such as the Kalderash, Machvaya, Boyash, Lovari, Modyar, Xoraxai, Lăutari, etc.

. . . English usage[edit]
In the English language (according to OED), Rom is a noun (with the plural Romá or Roms) and an adjective, while Romany is also a noun (with the plural Romanies) and an adjective. Both Rom and Romany have been in use in English since the 19th century as an alternative for Gypsy. Romany is also spelled Romani, or Rommany.[2][3][4][5][6]

Sometimes, rom and romani are spelled with a double r, i.e., rrom and rromani, particularly in Romania in order to distinguish from the Romanian endonym (români). This is well established in Romani itself, since it represents a phoneme (/ʀ/ also written as ř and rh) which in some Romani dialects has remained different from the one written with a single r.[7]

Roma is a term primarily used in political contexts to refer to the Romani people as a whole.[8][9] Still, some subgroups of Romani do not self-identify as Roma, therefore some scholars avoid using the term Roma as not all Romani subgroups accept the term.[10]

Because all Romanies use the word Romani as an adjective, the term began to be used as a noun for the entire ethnic group.[11]

Today, the term Romani is used by some organizations — including the United Nations and the US Library of Congress.[7] However, the Council of Europe and other organizations use the term Roma to refer to Romani people around the world, and recommended that Romani be restricted to the language and culture: Romani language, Romani culture.[12][13][14]

Etymology[edit]
The demonyms of the Romani people, Lom and Dom share the same etymological origin,[15][16] reflecting Sanskrit ḍoma "a man of low caste, living by singing and music"[17][18] . . . .

Gipsy/gypsy originates from the Middle English gypcian, short for Egipcien. It is ultimately derived, via Middle French and Latin, from the Greek Αἰγύπτιοι (Aigyptioi), i.e. "Egyptians"; cf. Greek γύφτοι (gýftoi), a corruption of the same word. It was once believed that the Romanies, or some other gypsy groups (such as the Balkan Egyptians), originated in Egypt, and in one narrative were exiled as punishment for allegedly harbouring the infant Jesus.[33]

The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) states a 'gipsy' is a member of a wandering race (by themselves called Romany), of Indian origin, which first appeared in England about the beginning of the 16th c.

According to the OED, the word was first used in English in 1514, with several more uses in the same century, and both Edmund Spenser and William Shakespeare used this word.[34]

. . . . Use in English law[edit]

Gipsy has several developing and overlapping meanings under English Law. Under the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960, gipsies are defined as "persons of nomadic habit of life, whatever their race or origin, but does not include members of an organised group of travelling showmen, or persons engaged in travelling circuses, travelling together as such."[41] This definition includes such groups as New Age Travellers, as well as Irish Travellers and Romany.[42][43]

Gipsies of Romany origins have been a recognised ethnic group for the purposes of Race Relations Act 1976 since Commission for Racial Equality v Dutton 1989 and Irish Travellers in England and Wales since O'Leary v Allied Domecq 2000 (having already gained recognition in Northern Ireland in 1997).[44]”



The following article about modern day gypsy life and traditions is interesting also. This is the first reference to spiritual life among gypsies, and the sections called Hierarchy and Family Structure are fascinating. I suggest reading the whole article as it contains information other than that in any of the other articles above.

“http://www.livescience.com/44512-gypsy-culture.html, Reference:Gypsy Culture: Customs, Traditions & Beliefs,” by Alina Bradford, Live Science Contributor | January 26, 2015 03:09am ET.

Photograph -- Three unidentified Roma girls in Romania. The Roma constitute one of the largest minorities in Romania. Credit: dinosmichail / Shutterstock.comView full size image
Roma migration path on map -- Pin It This map shows the migration of Roma people from northwest India to Europe. Credit: PNASView full size image


“The Roma today

Spiritual beliefs

The Roma do not have an official faith and in the past, they typically disdained organized religion. Today, they often adopt the predominant religion of the country where they are living, according to FRUA, and describe themselves as "many stars scattered in the sight of God." Some Roma groups are Catholic, Muslim, Pentecostal, Protestant, Anglican or Baptist, according to Open Society Foundations.

The Roma live by a complex set of rules that govern things such as cleanliness, purity, respect, honor and justice. These rules are referred to as what is "Rromano." Rromano means to behave with dignity and respect as a Roma person, according to FRUA. "Rromanipé" is what the Romani refer to as their worldview.

Language

Though the groups of Roma are varied, they all do speak one language. This language is called Rromanës, or the Romani language. Rromanës is related to a northern Indian dialect, called Punjab, and is spoken by about 5 to 6 million Roma people throughout Europe and the United States, according to FRUA.

Dress

Typically, Gypsies love opulence. In day-to-day life, Roma women wear gold jewelry and headdresses decorated with coins as a display of prosperity and generosity towards others, according to the FRUA.

Weddings are huge affairs with large, custom-made wedding dresses. Often, the girls in a group will compete to see who can have the largest, most extravagant wedding dress. Some of this has been documented in the American show My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding.

Hierarchy

Traditionally, anywhere from 10 to several hundred extended families form bands, or kumpanias, which travel together in caravans. Each band is lead by a voivode, whom the families elect for lifetime. This person is their chieftain. A senior woman in the band, called a phuri dai, looks after the welfare of the group’s women and children.

Smaller alliances, called vitsas, are formed within the bands and are made up of families who are brought together through common ancestry.

Family Structure

The Roma place great value on extended families, according to FRUA. Families typically involve multiple generations living together, including unmarried young and adult children and a married son, his wife and their children. By the time an older son is ready to establish his own household, a younger son often will have married and brought his wife and children into the family.

Romani typically marry young — often in their teens — and many marriages are arranged. Weddings are typically very elaborate, involving very large and colorful dress for the bride and her many attendants. Though during the courtship phase, girls are encouraged to dress provocatively, sex is something that is not had until after marriage, according to The Learning Channel. Some groups have declared that no girl under 16 and no boy under 17 will be married, according to the BBC.

Romani professions

The Roma have a long history of training, trading and caring for animals. They also have worked as metal smiths, and repaired utensils and sold household goods they made themselves, according to FRUA. Many worked as traveling entertainers, using their rich musical background to earn money.

While there are still traveling bands of Gypsies, most use cars and RVs to move from place to place rather than the horses and wagons of the past.

Today, most have settled into houses and apartments and are not readily distinguishable. Because of continued discrimination, many do not publicly acknowledge their roots and only reveal themselves to other Romani.

While there is not a physical country affiliated with the Romani people, the International Romani Union was officially established in 1977. In 2000, The 5th World Romany Congress in 2000 officially declared Romani a non-territorial nation.

April 8 is International Day of the Roma, a day to raise awareness of the issues facing the Roma community and celebrate the Romani culture.




Search Terms From Wikipedia And Other Sources

Sinti
Romanichal
Balkan Egyptians
New Age Travelers
Irish Travelers
Romany
athinganoi, literally "untouchables"
Melchisedechians
Origin of the Romani people
Zott
Didicoy
Romani, Domari and Lomavren languages
Burushos and Pamiris
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunza_Valley


Nations and Names --

Tsinganoi[edit]

In much of continental Europe, Romanies are known by names cognate to the Greek term τσιγγάνοι (tsinganoi). The name originates with Byzantine Greek ἀτσίγγανοι (atsinganoi, Latin adsincani) or ἀθίγγανοι (athinganoi, literally "untouchables"), a term applied to the sect of the Melchisedechians. [45][46][47] The Adsincani appear in an 11th-century text preserved in Mt Athos, The Life of Saint George the Athonite (written in the Georgian language), as "a Samaritan people, descendants of Simon the Magician, named Adsincani, who were renowned sorcerers and villains". In the text, emperor Constantine Monomachos employs the Adsincani to exterminate wild animals, who were destroying the game in the imperial park of Philopation.[48] NOTE – GO TO THE WEBSITE FOR LIST AND LOCATIONS.

Bohémiens[edit]

Because many Romanies living in France had come via Bohemia, they were referred to as Bohémiens.[49] This term would later be adapted by the French to refer to a particular artistic and impoverished lifestyle of an individual, known as Bohemianism.
Other[edit]

Armenian: գնչու gnčʿu
Arabic: غجر ghájar
Basque: ijito,[50][51] buhame[52][53] (in the Northern Basque Country), kaskarot[54] (in Saint Jean de Luz), erromintxela (for Basque-speaking Romanies)
Georgian: ბოშები bošebi
Persian: کولی Koli
Japanese: ロマ Roma
Chinese: 罗姆人 Luō mǔ rén

See also[edit]

Dom people
List of Romani people
Lom people
Lyuli
Origin of the Romani people
Romani people by country
Zott
Didicoy