The History of the Gypsies (Roma)

Living Ironically in Europe ^ | 29/3/24

[Eleutheria5]

Description: Known across the world by many names such as: "Gypsies", "Roma", "Romani", "Sinti", etc... ; the Gypsies played a crucial role in the development of the Balkans & the history of many of the countries that inhabit the region today such as: Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Greece, Bosnia, Albania, Macedonia, and many others outside of the region. Yet, when talking about history, very rarely are the Roma mentioned or talked about. In this video we go over the origin of the Roma in India, their migration across the Silk Road and into the Balkans, their life in the Balkans & under the Ottoman Empire, the 20th century, their life under communism & finally modern times.

🔴Follow my Instagram:

/ livingironicallyineurope 🔴Join the Ironic Discord:

/ discord

On the word "Gypsy": "Gypsy" comes from the word "Egyptian", because prior to the late 18th century, Europeans & Gypsies themselves believed they came from Egypt. The word "Roma" means "man/person" in the Gypsy language, and prior to basically the 1950s the Gypsies didn't even think of themselves as a coherent group, but different clans and families.

If we're talking about the more colloquial word for Gypsies in Eastern Europe, "cigan, cigány, țigan", it comes from the Greek "antsigan" which means untouchable. However, outside of Greece, most didn't know the meaning of the word (surprise surprise medieval peasants were monolingual). Later in the 16th century due to Gypsies becoming the majority of the slave population in the Ottoman empire & the Balkans, the versions of "antsigan" became synonymous with slave. However, the words "Slav/Sclav" also meant slave as Ottomans had laws of considering non-Muslims their property.

.....

[Paal Gulli]

The Gypsies originally came from India.

Genetic Sequencing Traces Gypsies Back to Ancient Indian Origin

The Parisians mistakenly believed the Gypsies had come from Bohemia, which is how the deadbeat lifestyle became known as "Bohemian."

[jroehl]

There are actually as many Gypsies in the world as there are Jews.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Eleutheria5.

[Eleutheria5]

You could just watch the video and get more details. This is all discussed.

[Eleutheria5]

That’s just a guestimate. Gypsies, being nomadic and also somewhat paranoid, don’t cooperate with being counted.

[Eleutheria5]

Also recommend Peaky Blinders, about Gypsies in UK organized crime in the 1920s and 30s. Fictional. But they do speak authentic Romani here and there in the TV series. No Gypsie dancing, though. The Tin Tin Belgian comic series also had one story ark in which the Captain has Gypsies camping out on his property.

[Guenevere]

2 Things

There’s an old movie, Golden Earring, staring Ray Milland, about Gypsies during WW 2…I barely remember it but the acting was good

One day, when my mother was driving me to school, in the rural part of our county, we sat at an intersection and actually watched a Gypsy caravan pass by

[antceecee]

Bookmark

[Eleutheria5]

Let’s also not forget the Dark Shadows 1960s soap. The 1897 story ark has gypsies play a major role in it.

[COBOL2Java]

Among the scams that Klinger attempted in M*A*S*H was pretending to be a Gypsy King

"I am Zoltan, King of the Gypsies!"

[Bratch]

[Red Badger]

That is the title............

[Red Badger]

From The Beverly Hillbillies:

Granny: Gypsies done stole our Jethro!...

Jed: That’s alright. They’ll be bringing him back ‘long about suppertime...............

[SunkenCiv]

---

[snip] Arab and Turkish Invasions in India are an important segment of Indian medieval history. The Umayyad Caliphate’s expansionist strategy resulted at the beginning of the Arab conquest of India in the eighth century. Invading from the northwest of India in 712 CE were Arabs under the command of Muhammad bin Qasim, a general of the Umayyad Caliphate (Sindh). The Arab invasion of Sindh was headed by Muhammad bin Qasim. The Muslim Arabs began their conquest of the Turkish territory in 705 CE, but the Turks resisted and joined the Arabians in their fight against the Chinese in the Battle of Talas in 751 CE. This, in turn, contributed to the relationship being made between Turks and Arabs. [/snip]

Arab and Turkish Invasion in India: Impact, Mahmud Ghazni and Muhammad bin Qasim | BYJU'S Exam Prep | Updated 11/14/2023

---

[snip] ...The Yamini dynasty generally known as Ghazni dynasty, claimed its origin from the family of Persian rulers. During the course of Arab invasion, the family fled to Turkistan and became one with the Turks. Therefore, the family has been accepted as Turk. Alptigin founded the independent kingdom of this dynasty. He snatched away the kingdom of Jabul, with its capital Ghazni, from Amir Abu Bakr Lawik in 963 A.D., but he died the same year.

He was succeeded by his son Is-haq who ruled only for three years. Then, the throne was captured by Balkatigin, the commander of the Turkish troops. Balkatigin was succeeded by his slave, Pirai, in 972 A.D. But Pirai was a cruel king. His subjects invited Abu Ali Lawik, son of Abu Bakr Lawik, to invade Ghazni.

Jayapala, the ruler of the neighbourly Hindushahi kingdom, who did not like the rise of a strong Muslim state at his border, also sent his army to help Abu Ali Lawik. But they were defeated by Sabuktigin, son-in-law of Alptigin. The success of Sabuktigin against the enemies of Ghazni enhanced his prestige. He, ultimately, dethroned Pirai and himself became the ruler of Ghazni in 977 A.D.

Sabuktigin was a capable and ambitious ruler. Slowly, he conquered Bust, Dawar, Ghur and a few other nearby places. Towards the east lay the Hindushahi kingdom of east Afghanistan and Punjab. Sabuktigin started attacking its boundaries and occupied a few forts and cities. The Shahi ruler, Jayapala could not ignore these attacks and attempted to crush the rising power of Sabuktigin. [/snip]

Establishment of Turkish Rule in India | Indian History | HistoryDiscussion.net

---

[SunkenCiv]

...and oddly enough, by Andy Williams.

[Tired of Taxes]

That is odd... Wish I could find Andy William’s version. lol

Vicki Lawrence also recorded it, but Cher’s version was better.

[SunkenCiv]

It was a little troublesome when he sang the altered lyric, “I was a boy in trouble and haven’t seen her for a while”. :^)

[Texan5]

I haven’t heard of any Gypsies/Roma of the Eastern European variety living around here, other than some of the snowbirds who live here in the Winter-early-mid November to late March- claiming to be Gypsies-but their “real” homes are in one of the far Northern states and they leave to live there the rest of the year, just like all the other snowbirds, so I think they just say that to be different. There are some real Irish Travelers who live near Ft. Worth and show up here in the Spring/summer to sell asphalt driveway and other construction work-expensive and badly done work, and they always drive brand new fancy trucks, have new equipment. But those are not Gypsies...

[Eleutheria5]

I remember some gaudily dressed families with dusky skin in my grandfather’s yard goods store when I worked there. They asked that a few bolts of cloth they selected be set aside for them, and then never returned to pick up their purchases. No idea what their grift was, if it was a grift. That was just weird.

But here’s some Gypsie music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJEUxVGQIuk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMp4Ze6kiHA

[ThanhPhero]

It was, indeed, sung by Cher.