Baksheesh is a term used to describe both charitable giving and certain forms of political corruption and bribery in the Middle East and Southwest Asia. Allegorical personification of Charity as a mother with three infants by Anthony van Dyck // The word charity entered the English language through the O.Fr word charite which was derived from the Latin caritas.[1] In Christian theology charity, or love (agapē), is the greatest of the three theological virtues... World map of the Corruption Perceptions Index, which measures the degree to which corruption is perceived to exist among public officials and politicians. Blue colors indicate little corruption, red colors indicate much corruption In broad terms, political corruption is the misuse by government officials of their governmental powers for illegitimate... Bribery is a crime implying a sum or gift given alters the behaviour of the person in ways not consistent with the duties of that person. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Origins

The word baksheesh has its origins in the Persian bakshish (بخشش) which means "gift." Bakhsheesh is one of the many Persian words which moved eastward through trade and the Mogul Empire. Persian (Local names: فارسی Fârsi or پارسی Pârsi)* is an Indo-European language spoken in Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan as well as by minorities in Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, India, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Southern Russia, neighboring countries, and elsewhere. ... The Mughal Empire (alternative spelling Mogul, which is the origin of the word Mogul) of India was founded by Babur in 1526, when he defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the last of the Delhi Sultans at the First Battle of Panipat. ...

Types of baksheesh

1. Charity to beggars. In Pakistan beggars will solicit alms by crying 'baksheesh, baba!'.
2. Tipping. This does not correlate with the American system of tipping a waiter. Rather it is a sign of gratitude, respect or veneration. An offering to the gods may be considered baksheesh. A faqir may also ask for baksheesh but there is no thought in his mind that he is begging. In fact, in Pakistan and the Muslim world the giver of alms often salutes the beggar for having been given the opportunity to gain merit.
3. Outright bribery. For instance, if a police officer catches you with a chillum full of charas you may have the choice between going to jail or paying baksheesh.

Allegorical personification of Charity as a mother with three infants by Anthony van Dyck // The word charity entered the English language through the O.Fr word charite which was derived from the Latin caritas.[1] In Christian theology charity, or love (agapē), is the greatest of the three theological virtues... ... A tip (also known as gratuity) is a small amount of money received by some service sector professionals from persons they serve, in addition to or instead of a formally required payment. ... Look up deity in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Fakir is etymologically an Arabic term usually used to refer to either the spiritual recluse and fierce eremite or the common street beggar who chants holy names, scriptures or verses. ... A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Turkish: Müslüman, Persian and Urdu: مسلمان, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of Islam. ... This article needs to be wikified. ... Bribery is a crime implying a sum or gift given alters the behaviour of the person in ways not consistent with the duties of that person. ... There is also a Chillum, Maryland, a suburb North of Washington, D.C. Two small glass chillums, with bottle cap for size comparison. ... Charas is the name given to hand-made hashish in India and Pakistan. ...

European Usage

The word also moved westward. In Serbian, as well as Bulgarian бакшиш means "tip" in the conventional sense. Serbian (српски језик; srpski jezik) is one of the standard versions of the Shtokavian dialect, used primarily in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia, and by Serbs everywhere. ...