▁Ens lav ement ▁of ▁Roma , ▁mostly ▁taken ▁as ▁prisoners ▁of ▁war , ▁in ▁the ▁Dan ub ian ▁Princi pal ities ▁is ▁first ▁documented ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 5 th ▁century . ▁In ▁these ▁countries ▁extensive ▁legisl ation ▁was ▁developed ▁that ▁class ified ▁Roma ▁into ▁different ▁groups , ▁according ▁to ▁their ▁tasks ▁as ▁slaves . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁century , ▁many ▁Roman i ▁who ▁lived ▁in ▁Eastern ▁and ▁Central ▁Europe ▁worked ▁as ▁mus icians , ▁metal ▁craft s men , ▁and ▁soldiers . ▁As ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁Empire ▁expanded , ▁it ▁re leg ated ▁the ▁Roman i , ▁who ▁were ▁seen ▁as ▁having ▁" no ▁visible ▁permanent ▁professional ▁affili ation ", ▁to ▁the ▁lowest ▁r ung ▁of ▁the ▁social ▁lad der . ▁▁ 1 6 th ▁& ▁ 1 7 th ▁centuries ▁In ▁Royal ▁Hung ary ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁century ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁Turkish ▁occupation , ▁the ▁Crown ▁developed ▁strong ▁anti - R oman i ▁policies , ▁as ▁these ▁people ▁were ▁considered ▁suspect ▁as ▁Turkish ▁sp ies ▁or ▁as ▁a ▁fifth ▁column . ▁In ▁this ▁atmosphere , ▁they ▁were ▁exp elled ▁from ▁many ▁locations ▁and ▁increasing ly ▁adopted ▁a ▁nom adic ▁way ▁of ▁life . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁anti - R oman i ▁legisl ation ▁was ▁issued ▁in ▁the ▁March ▁of ▁Mor avia ▁in ▁ 1 5 3 8 , ▁and ▁three ▁years ▁later , ▁Ferdinand ▁I ▁ordered ▁that ▁Roman i ▁in ▁his ▁real m ▁be ▁exp elled ▁after ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁fires