History of The Romani People - Origin

Origin

The absence of a written history has meant that the origin and early history of the Romani people was long an enigma. Part of Indian origin was suggested on linguistic grounds as early as 200 years ago. One theory suggests that the name ultimately derives from a form ḍōmba- 'man of low caste living by singing and music', attested in Classical Sanskrit.

Linguistic evidence indicates the Romanies originated from the Rajasthani people, emigrating from India towards the northwest no earlier than the 11th century but it still remains uncertain. Contemporary populations sometimes suggested as sharing a close relationship to the Romani are the Dom people of Central Asia and the Banjara of India.

Genetic evidence connects the Romani people and the Jat people, the descendants of groups which emigrated from South Asia towards Central Asia during the medieval period. There are serological similarities shared with several populations that linked the two people in a 1992 study.

In 2007 a limited medical survey of haplotypes frequently found in the Jat Sikhs and Jats of Haryana, and those found in the Romani populations revealed no matches. However, in 2009 researchers discovered the "Jat mutation", which causes a type of glaucoma in Romani people. Their press release stated:

"An international collaboration led by Manir Ali of the Leeds Institute of Molecular Medicine, first identified the ‘Jatt’ mutation in one of four Pakistani families. Further study amongst Roma populations in Europe showed that the same mutation accounted for nearly half of all cases of PCG in that community. Manir Ali’s research also confirms the widely accepted view that the Roma originated from the Jatt clan of Northern India and Pakistan and not from Eastern Europe as previously believed."