Zargari people

The Zargari people are a Romani-related ethnic group deriving from Zargar, Iran and neighboring villages. They speak a distinct Zargari dialect of the Romany language, most closely related to those of Rumelia. Historical documentation of their origins is lacking, but one seemingly-accurate tradition traces their origins to three brothers, goldsmiths (Persian: زرگر‎, zargar), who were brought from Ottoman-held Rumelia as hostages during the reign of Nader Shah (1736-1747), and given pasture lands as a reward for their skills. As Romani, they were also exempted from taxation and military service. A late-19th century travel guide provides the only historical mention of the 'Zargari tribe', describing their propensity to road-piracy.[1]

Zargar
Regions with significant populations
Zargar, Qazvin, Iran
Languages
Zargari, Persian, Azerbaijani
Religion
Islam
Related ethnic groups
Romani people
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Romani people
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Although the Zargari once consisted of several clans, most of these have dispersed and lost their native language. The residents of Zargar predominantly belong to the Pāsālār clan.

See also
  • Zargari language

References
  1. Windfuhr, Gernot L. (1970). "European Gypsy in Iran: A First Report". Anthropological Linguistics. 12 (8): 271–292. JSTOR 30029263.
  • Baghbidi, Hassan Rezai. "The Zargari language: An endangered European Romani in Iran", Romani Studies, vol. 13, pp. 123–148 (2003).Wayback Machine
  • McDowell, Bart. Gypsies: Wanderers of the World (Washington, DC: National Geographic Society, 1970), pp. 163-166.


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