The Roma people, in the Ottoman Empire, lived throughout the empire, especially in the Balkans, and had a semi-nomadic lifestyle. While often marginalized, the Roma were integrated into Ottoman society through a distinct tax status, paying a "Çingene tax." Some Roma served as soldiers, artisans, or musicians, and others engaged in trades like blacksmithing and animal trading.

The Ottoman Empire, which existed from 1299 to 1922, had a significant impact not only on the people under its rule but also on the course of world history. One of the groups that came under Ottoman rule during the conquests that continued throughout the 15th century was the Roma.

One of the territories captured from the Byzantine Empire by the Ottoman Turks was Rumelia (Balkans). For the Ottoman forces, European part of Ottoman Empire was not only a point of passage and a raiding area but also a direction for development. After a while, the necessity arose to establish an administrative structure in the conquered territories. The separation of these areas by the sea required the organization of the state into two major administrative regions, which is why the provinces of Rumelia and Anatolia (Asia Minor) were created. In the structure of the word Rumeli, the root "Rum" means „Land of the Romans" or „Land and people within the borders of the Eastern Roman Empire".

Starting from 1352, the Ottoman conquest of Balkans facilitated their consolidation of these areas. As a result of the censuses conducted by the Ottoman state in Balkan, information began to emerge about the population, settlements, affiliated kadiliks (judicial district, the smallest administrative-territorial unit of the Ottoman state), population movements, and occupations in these regions.

It is known that the Roma lived in these territories before the arrival of the Ottomans, with their initial entry into South Europe estimated to have occurred in the 11th century. 

According to Fonseca and Fraser, there is evidence that some Roma families were living in the principalities of Romania in the 12th century. 

When the Ottomans conquered the Balkans, some Roma families were living there both nomadically and settled. A large number of Roma also settled in the area during the Ottoman conquest. Like other nations, the Roma found their place in various Ottoman documents. The Roma living in Balkan were recorded in the registers as "Kıbtîyân-ı Vilâyet-i Rûm-ili."

The first mention of the Roma in the Ottoman state is found in the Nigbolu registers from 1430. In Waqf records from the reign of Sultan Murad II, a Roma village is mentioned. In his research, Tayyib Gökbilgin not only discusses the Roma but also their agricultural activities. During this period, the Roma village generated an income of 5458 akçe for the waqf. W.R. Halliday noted that the Roma, who had been living in the Balkans for 300 years, began migrating to Western European territories starting from the 15th century, coinciding with the Ottoman conquests.

After the conquest of Istanbul (1453) by Fatih Mehmet, the Roma were settled in various neighborhoods such as Çürüklük in Kasımpaşa, and later in Ayvansaray, Sulukule, Sultan Mahallesi, and Selamsız Mahallesi in Üsküdar. In fact, the Roma had been living in Istanbul long before its conquest, and their registration issues were organized following the conquest of the city.

Although the exact historical date is unknown, the "Gypsy Sanjak" (Sanjak-an administrative division of the Ottoman Empire) was created. The earliest records of this date back to the reign of Bayezid II (1481-1512). The purpose of this Sanjak was to regulate the lives, military position, and tax collection of the Roma. The center of the Sanjak was Kırklareli (a city in the European part of Turkey), which included the areas of Hayranbolu, Malkara, Yanbolu, İpsala, Gümülcine, Dimetoka, Keşan, and Çorlu. The Sanjak in Balkan had evolved from a territorial unit to an expression focusing on the participation of the Roma population in additional military services. According to evidence from 1566, many of the Roma called up for military service were Muslims. The Ottomans employed many Christians, often after they had converted, but not always. It's important to remember that the Ottomans mainly ruled over the Christian Balkans. Their practical approach and the diverse mix of people on the frontiers led them to use Christians in their service as a way to help integrate the region. The role of Christians in the early successes of the Ottoman Empire has been debated for nearly a century. Historians like Mehmed Fuad Köprülü and Paul Wittek were less convinced of its importance compared to others like Herbert Gibbons, George G. Arnakis, Nicolae Iorga, or Heath Lowry. However, even those who strongly emphasized the Turco-Muslim role in the Ottoman Empire still acknowledged that Christians played a part.

During the reign of Sultan Suleiman Al Qanuni, a law regarding the Roma in the Balkan province was enacted in 1530. This law aimed to impose a poll tax regardless of whether they were Muslim or Christian. Christian Roma were required to pay higher taxes than others. However, there is no precise information regarding the different tax regulations applied to various categories of Roma.

In the year 1530, there were 383 Roma communities living in 90 Kadiliks in Balkan. Among the Kaza (an administrative division of the Ottoman Empire) where the Roma lived, 55 were Muslim-majority, and 35 were non-Muslim-majority. In the Ottoman Empire, a Kaza was originally equivalent to the Kadilik, the district subject to the legal and administrative jurisdiction of a kadi or judge of Islamic law. It was noted in the Roma law that if the Roma living in the Kaza of Balkan go to areas other than their kadilik, they would be penalized, and this penalty would be enforced by the Kadı (judge).

The registration book covering the years 1567-1568 in Thessaloniki mentions 48 Muslim, 12 Christian, and 26 Jewish communities. Additionally, it was observed that 2 Roma communities were classified as Christian. According to Halliday, only a small fraction of the Roma living in Balkan in the 16th century were listed in the Turkish army records.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, the Ottoman Empire entered its period of stagnation, and at the beginning of the 18th century, it entered a period of decline. The constant crisis led to a collapse of social and economic conditions, which was deepened by unsuccessful wars and territorial losses. For this reason, various State registers lost their importance, and for this reason, historical sources about Roma in this period seem inaccurate. According to Özer Ergenç 81 „Coptic“ (Roma) families lived in Edirne at the beginning of the 18th century.

In the early 19th century, the Roma also participated in the national liberation fights of Balkan people. One famous figure among the „haiduts“ was Rom Mustapha Shibil (Bulgaria). Additionally, during the Russo-Turkish wars, Roma fought in the Russian army as Bulgarian volunteers.

During the reign of Serbian Prince Miloš Obrenović in the middle of the 19th century, 8,000 Turks had to leave the Kingdom. At that time, those who presented themselves as Roma were allowed to stay.

According to information provided by Alexander G. Paspati, many of the Roma living in Balkans were skilled in music and dance. They were also engaged in agriculture and farming activities. Roma living in Bulgaria, on the other hand, were mainly involved in basket weaving and selling small items. 

In 1866, the Bulgarian author Petka Rachev Slaveikov, writing under the pseudonym "Mısırlı" („Egyptian“ „a Gypsy“), published an article in Istanbul defending the rights of Roma to equal treatment. He discussed the existence of their own communities and emphasized the importance of education. This played a significant role in the self-awareness of the Roma in the 19th century.

After the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the Roma continued to live in the Balkan countries. They lived alongside the majority populations and continued to preserve the Muslim heritage. This is reflected in their practice of Islam and a number of customs.