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In the Balkans, they found work predominantly in trades that were not land-based due to restrictions placed on them. This led to their designation primarily as artisans, entertainers, and craftsmen. The rise of the Roma population in the Balkans coincided with the Ottoman sway over the region, wherein the local nobility quickly recognized the Roma's excellent craftsmanship and sought to utilize their skills for economic gain.
The Institutionalization of Slavery
By the 1500s, the Roma were trapped in a system of servitude that mirrored later African slavery in the Americas. The nobility in the Romanian principalities, such as Wallachia and Moldavia, instituted formalized slavery, which saw the trafficking of thousands of Roma for labor.