▁and ▁they ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁present ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 2 th ▁and ▁ 1 3 th ▁centuries . ▁ ▁Ott oman ▁Era ▁The ▁Ott oman ▁era ▁saw ▁the ▁conversion ▁of ▁most ▁Roma ▁populations ▁in ▁Alban ia ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁surrounding ▁territ ories ▁to ▁Islam . ▁Ott oman ▁rule ▁set ▁up ▁a ▁mil let ▁system ▁by ▁which ▁the ▁right ▁of ▁Christians ▁to ▁practice ▁their ▁religion ▁was ▁leg ally ▁protected , ▁but ▁they ▁were ▁given ▁second ▁class ▁citizens hip ▁with ▁higher ▁tax es , ▁in ability ▁to ▁bear ▁witness ▁against ▁Muslim s , ▁in ability ▁to ▁bear ▁arms ▁or ▁have ▁horses , ▁restrictions ▁on ▁church ▁building , ▁forb idden ▁from ▁pros ely t izing , ▁and ▁various ▁other ▁restrictions , ▁factors ▁which ▁ultimately ▁induced ▁convers ions ▁to ▁Islam ▁. ▁Additionally , ▁respond ing ▁to ▁season al ▁re bell ions , ▁there ▁were ▁episodes ▁where ▁regional ▁govern ors ▁in ▁Alban ian ▁territ ories ▁co er ced ▁convers ions , ▁despite ▁such ▁comp ulsion ▁being ▁tradition ally ▁prohib ited ▁by ▁Islam ic ▁and ▁Ott oman ▁law . ▁For ▁these ▁reasons , ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁Roma ▁in ▁Alban ia ▁and ▁most ▁neighbor ing ▁regions ▁converted ▁to ▁Islam , ▁as ▁did ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁surrounding ▁Alban ian ▁and ▁S lav ic ▁populations ▁with ▁the ▁exception ▁of ▁certain ▁regions . ▁ ▁Under ▁certain ▁Ott oman ▁r ul ers , ▁Muslim ▁Roma ▁were ▁considered ▁to ▁not ▁be ▁proper ▁Muslim s ▁because ▁of ▁certain ▁rit ual ▁differences , ▁and ▁they ▁were ▁tax ed ▁and ▁disc rimin ated ▁against ▁in ▁similar