bakhsh

Bakhsh, written as بخش in Persian, is a word meaning section, part, or share. In administrative usage, it also denotes a district-level division in Iran and in other Persian-speaking regions. The term is rooted in Persian and is used to describe a subdivision within larger political units.

In Iran, a bakhsh is an administrative subdivision of a county (shahrestan). A county is divided into one or more bakhsh, and each bakhsh may contain one or more cities (shahr) and rural districts (dehestan). The capital of a bakhsh is typically the administrative center, and its head is known as the bakhshdar. The number of bakhsh within a county varies according to population and governance needs, and central bakhsh are often named after the county seat.

Beyond administration, bakhsh also means a portion or grant in Persian and related languages. In Urdu and other South Asian languages, the term appears in similar senses and is common in personal names and surnames, with transliterations such as Baksh or Bakhsh.

In contemporary usage, bakhsh is primarily encountered as an administrative term in Iran and in Persian-influenced contexts. It should not be confused with related but distinct terms that use similar roots or spellings in other languages, such as culturally specific titles or occupations that are sometimes transliterated similarly.