Origins of the Roma

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A History of Neglect
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"There are some 15 million Roms dispersed across the world. Their history is one of suffering and misery, but it is also one of the victories of human spirit over the blows of fate. Today the Roms revive their culture and are looking for their identity. On the other hand, they integrate into the societies in which they live. If they are understood by their fellow citizens in their new homelands, their culture will enrich the society's atmosphere with the color and charm of spontaneity." Former Indian Prime Minister Indira Ghandi, at the International Romani Festival in Chandigarh, India on October 28, 1983.
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A specific place of origin for the Roma has long been debated. On one side you have the Roma wanting nothing more than to have their ancestry and heritage recognized. On the other hand you have the xenophobic lust to associate Europe's Roma with a distant and alien culture. Whatever the case however, there are a few facts that we can all agree upon.
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The Roma, or Rom, are most certainly descendants of the warrior clans of Northern India. Their culture in ancient times was one of dance, song, and an occasional war or two. Today the dance and song are still associated with modern Roma populations. Yet Europe has seemed to overlook the fact that their ancestors were once on the front lines against the spread of Islam.
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As early as the 5Th century Roma were on the road to the West. The Persian monarch Behram Goar is documented to have allowed at least 12,000 of the Romanis' ancestors to have entered Persia due to their musical talents. Today those decedents are the Roma's relatives the modern day Persian Luris or Lulis. This would be the first time the Roma's ancestors were recorded to have had to ask permission to enter a foreign land.
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The only other recorded migrations of Romani, or Roms, to Western Europe occur from the 10Th to the 15Th century. All of these migrations have different reasons given but all resulted in the nomadic lifestyle that Roma lived with up to modern day. As late as the 1950's Roma were still nomadic in lifestyle in Russia.
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To start of with, the migrations in the early 10Th century were most likely due to war with invading Muslim armies. Yet it is important to note that Roma were often noted to trade goods with both Muslims and Indians alike. But in the end the fighting would uproot the Roma closest to what is now modern day Pakistan.
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In the early 11Th century the bulk of the remaining Roma population would be uprooted by persistent invasions of the armies of Mahmud of Ghazni. His armies would continually attack for at least the first 25 to 30 years of the 11Th century. This led to the Roma migration through the northerly route through the Indus Valley. From the Indus Valley the Roma most likely followed the Silk Road west to the southern shores of the Caspian Sea. From there the Roma camps were most likely taken north along the western shores to the foothills of the Caucuses and into modern day Armenia.
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Once inside the Byzantine Empire the Roma were forced to continue moving. In what would become a custom and part of their heritage, Roma were constantly "asked" to leave once the entertainment value of their culture dried up. However, in some remote areas along the route to the West, the Roma did find homes amongst the local populations.
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For centuries the Roma were allowed to live amongst the Albanian majority in modern day Serbia's Kosovo region. But as stated above, this would be the exception amongst the mainly nomadic Roma population.
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The remainder of the migrations would once again follow the Silk Road to the West as the Roma exploited the trade goods they could find or make. Being rather resourceful, the Roma were well known at the time to be able to find trade goods many other merchants were unable or unwilling to pass along. This would once again benefit them in modern times as Communism swept over Eastern Europe.
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As the years have passed since the first Roma entered our mainly "Christian" world we have witnessed the rise of "anti-gypsyism". In the first few decades of their arrival into Eastern Europe the Roma witnessed the same persecution and stereotyping that they had received in the Middle East in prior centuries. It may have been then that the elders and leaders of the Roma decided to adopt lifestyles that would best cope with local prejudices. Or it may just have been a collective decision to continue moving. But whatever the case, even today the Roma are barred by legislation and public opinion from entering fully into our Western world.
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In modern times many Roma have refused the age old image of a "nomadic" population (especially among the roughly 1 million Roma here in the United States). The sedentary Roma populations today have adopted the cultures of their neighbors to as much an extent as any given country could wish for or ask for. Yet local laws continue the age old persecutions the Roma have suffered for centuries.
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And for me at least, the hardships of the Roma have been as much a part of their heritage as any other part of their collective past.
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During the Holocaust an estimated 600,000 Roma were executed by the Nazis in occupied Europe. This would constitute somewhere around a third to a quarter of their known population in Europe at the time. It did in fact entail roughly 70 percent of their population in Nazi controlled Europe.
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Prior to this most horrific nightmare the Roma were subjected to slavery, expulsion, rapes, mistrust, fear, torture, and organized murders. Many of these issues and mistreatment persist into modern times.
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Despite all this, all these abuses, the Roma have routinely persevered under hardships. When local laws and populations have allowed the Roma to remain and even enter into the culture, the Roma have risen to professions such as doctors, lawyers, accountants, teachers, social workers, various artists, writers, actors, poets, builders, and more. This flies in the face of typical stereotypes that many hold of the "romantic view" of Roma... in which they are always portrayed as thieves and fortunetellers or fancifully dressed circus like performers.
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One might even say, in spite of the cultural stereotypes, the Roma have done their part to kill the western fears. In the end they simply do not wish to assimilate in such a manner that would kill their ethnic heritage and their individual personas. Like all the rest of us, the Roma are individuals who believe deeply in their peoples past, their individual present being, and their children's futures. Like any of the rest of us they love their children and wish nothing more than to pass along the beliefs their parents passed to them. In simple terms... they are human... they are people like any of the rest of us.
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Dance has long been associated with the Rom as he or she has seemed to revel in it. Yet unlike what the outsider would be led to believe, the Romani dance is directly linked to their deep ancient past in Baro Than (modern day Deli and its surrounding areas). Their songs are filled with meaning and not simply meant to entertain the curious western world. Their language is unique and ancient in its connection to the Punjabi language. And their customs are far from being mere adaptations to persecutions or convenient parlor tricks... the Roma customs can actually be traced back to those of the warrior classes of Northern India (the Kshatriyas, Rajputs, and Jats).
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In 1971 on April 8Th near London a congregation of Roma assembled to form the first meeting of the First World Romani Congress. It was here that the modern Romani people got their nation's (ethnically, politically and geography wise the Roma have no recognized homeland) flag and national anthem.
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The Anthem, "Djelem Djelem" in traditional Romani
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Djelem, djelem, lungone dromensa
Maladilem baxtale Romensa
Djelem, djelem, lungone dromensa
Maladilem baxtale Romensa.
Ay, Romale, Ay, Chavale,
Ay, Romale, Ay, Chavale.
Ay Romale, katar tumen aven
Le tserensa baxtale dromensa
Vi-man sas u bari familiya
Tai mudardya la e kali legiya.
Aven mansa sa lumiake Roma
Kai putaile le Romane droma
Ake vryama - ushti Rom akana
Ame xutasa mishto kai kerasa.
Ay, Romale, Ay Chavale,
Ay, Romale, Ay Chavale.
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English Translation by Ron Lee
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I have travelled over long roads
I have met fortunate Roma
I have travelled far and wide
I have met lucky Roma
Oh, Romani adults, Oh Romani youth
Oh, Romani adults, Oh Romani youth
Oh, Roma, from wherever you have come
With your tents along lucky roads
I too once had a large family
But the black legion murdered them
Come with me, Roma of the world
To where the Romani roads have been opened
Now is the time - stand up, Roma,
We shall succeed where we make the effort.
Oh, Roma adults, Oh, Roma youth
Oh, Roma adults, Oh, Roma youth.
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I hope this has informed the readers here at Alder's Ledge at least a little of who the Romani are and where they have come from. As for me, the Rom will always have a special place in my heart and have every since I learned about their persecutions under the Nazis. We will continue to post information on their current oppressions under European law and even venture into their mistreatment here in the Americas.
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There is nothing worse for our culture as a people and as a species than the continued perseverance of prejudice and bigotry. Each culture brings to our table a different dish savory in its own manner. And each ethnic group has a heritage that should never be marginalized or stereotyped to fit our own ideas of who they are or who we wish them to be.
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For me personally the Roma have showed me that in "romanticizing" the Rom we belittle them in just as harsh a manner as Hitler did in demonizing them. I encourage you to open your minds and hearts to the Roma and other ethnic groups around you... be it the Arabic culture or even the Latino ethnic groups here in America. Let us turn a blind eye to our differences instead of the looking the other way when presented with the oppression of our brothers and sisters under God.
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Source Documents
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http://www.romani.org/
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