What if we tell you that your favorite character from Peaky Blinders, Thomas Shelby, had Punjabi ancestors living on the banks of the River Ravi?
A tweep by the name of Hamd Nawaz theorized that Tommy and the rest of the Shelby’s gypsy clan’s roots are linked to the nomadic tribes that had migrated from Lahore, Punjab during the 12th century. She explained her theory in a series of tweets on Friday:
What if tell you that your favourite character from Peaky Blinders – Thomas Shelby had Punjabi ancestors living on the banks of River Ravi?
Let me explain.
In season 1, You can see Tommy & the other Shelbys speaking Romanian language & often being referred as “gypsies”. pic.twitter.com/miz4cs6FDa
— Hamd Nawaz (@_SophieSchol) December 8, 2022
In the follow-up tweet, Hamd Nawaz explained,
The Shelby family is of an Irish-Romanian descent and are known to be Roma Gypsies. Historians report that these tribes are known to have migrated from Punjab and Rajasthan in 12th century to Middle East and from there to the Central Europe escaping persecution.
She added that the showrunners of Peaky Blinders confirmed that the Shelbys are actually Roma gypsies.
The makers of the show confirm their inspiration too. While the show was being made, Cillian Murphy (the actor who played Thomas Shelby) went to the sides of Birmingham to spend time with actual Roma Gypsies to copy their accents and living styles for the show.
The makers of the show confirm their inspiration too. While the show was being made, Cillian Murphy (the actor who played Thomas Shelby) went to the sides of Birmingham to spend time with actual Roma Gypsies to copy their accents and living styles for the show. pic.twitter.com/7ptUXM4EQV
— Hamd Nawaz (@_SophieSchol) December 8, 2022
Infact the starting scene of the season 1 is a young girl blowing a strange powder on a horse, symbolising magic – a practice very common among the Roma Gypsies all around the world along with characteristic talent for fortune telling, palmistry, music and singing. pic.twitter.com/na0OASsb4a
— Hamd Nawaz (@_SophieSchol) December 8, 2022
The tweep went on to confirm that Roma gypsies are in fact the same people who lived on the banks of the Ravi.
Romas were previously mistaken to be from Egypt but later genetic studies revealed that they had more genetic similarities with people living on the banks of Ravi than their local populations. Misunderstood & ridiculed, gypsies have stood true to their traditions across the world
Romas were previously mistaken to be from Egypt but later genetic studies revealed that they had more genetic similarities with people living on the banks of Ravi than their local populations. Misunderstood & ridiculed, gypsies have stood true to their traditions across the world pic.twitter.com/fRi0zuI3gH
— Hamd Nawaz (@_SophieSchol) December 8, 2022
Could this mean that viral sensation Akhtar Lawa is somehow related to Thomas Shelby!?
Peaky Blinders is a popular British period drama created by Steven Knight. It is set in Birmingham and is loosely based on real-life events and the notorious urban youth gang, Peaky Blinders, during the 1880s to 1910 in the aftermath of World War I.
