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The Roma entered the Balkans from India during the Middle Ages. They reached Persia sometime in the ninth century and by the eleventh century had moved into the Byzantine Empire. According to the eleventh-century Georgian Life of Saint George the Athonite, the Emperor Constantine Monomachus asked the Adsincani to get rid of wild animals preying on the animals in his royal hunting preserve. Adsincani is the Georgian form of the Greek word Atsínganoi or Atzínganoi, from which the non-English terms for Roma (cigán, cigány, tsiganes, zigeuner) are derived. Adsincani means "ner-do-well fortune tellers" or "ventriloquists and wizards who are inspired satanically and pretend to predict the unknown." "Gypsy" comes from "Egyptian," a term often used by early modern chroniclers in the Balkans to refer to the Roma. Because of the stereotypes and prejudice that surround the word "Gypsy," the Roma prefer a name of their own choosing from their language, Romani. Today, it is preferable to refer to the Gypsies as Rom or "Roma," a Romani word meaning "man" or "husband." Byzantine references to "Egyptians" crop up during this period as Byzantine political and territorial fortunes gave way to the region's new power, the Ottomans. There were areas with large Roma populations in Cyprus and Greece which local rulers dubbed "Little Egypt" in the late fourteenth century.

'Romanian Politics, 1859-1871: From Prince Cuza to Prince Carol' by Paul E. Michelson is reviewed.

The Roma or Gypsies entered Romania's historic provinces, Wallachia and Moldavia, in the twelfth century. Over the next 200 years, the Roma, who had come to the Balkans from northern India, were enslaved. By the fifteenth century, the practice of Gypsy slavery was widespread throughout the two provinces. In part, their enslavement came about as a means of securing Gypsy skills as craftsmen, metalsmiths, musicians, and equine specialists. Over time, a complex body of laws was passed in Wallachia and Moldavia to strengthen the control of Romanian noblemen over their Gypsy slaves (robi). However, by the eighteenth century, some mild efforts were undertaken to better the plight of Romanian Gypsy slaves.

Crowe reviews 'The Romanians, 1774-1866' by Keith Hitchins.

Describes the situation of the gypsies of Romania since the postcommunist transition. Historically, gypsies served as slaves for Romanian noblemen until the 19th century. In the post-WWII years, the plight of the gypsies was generally ignored by the Romanian government. However, since the overthrow of the communist goverment, gypsies have become a potent political force. Several political organizations & a number of new publications have been created to press for gypsy rights. This activity has spurred a backlash against gypsies, which has manifested itself in the form of physical violence. The government has been complicitous in this violence, especially by allowing violence to break out during peaceful gypsy demonstrations. The gypsies' ability to respond to this situation has been hampered by community divisions & by inadequate government attention to their socioeconomic situation. D. Ryfe