BALUCHISTAN (PERSIAN), the southern and eastern por tion of the Persian province of Kirman (q.v.) consisting of the western part of Baluchistan (q.v.), in its wider sense. Persian Baluchistan covers an area of about 6o,000sq.m. and lying along the northern shore of the Gulf of Oman, is bounded on the east by British Baluchistan, the frontier of which was finally demar cated in 1895-96; while on the north it extends towards Seistan, and westward runs with the provinces of Fars and Kerman. It originally formed part of the khanat of Kalat, but was gradually conquered by Persia after the rise of the Kajar dynasty, and is strictly speaking the western portion of Makran and shares its physical characteristics. The country has little water and only a very small part of it is under cultivation, the remainder being composed of arid plains, deserts and a labyrinth of mountains which in places attain an elevation of 6,000ft. The rivers flowing into the sea are unimportant and dry during part of the year. It is sparsely inhabited, but the limits of the region are too vague for any precise estimate to be made of its population. The district enjoyed a quasi-independence until, in the reign of Mohammed Shah , a chief of Bampur attempted a raid into Ker man and was overcome. In 1849 a rising again took place, when Bampur itself was taken and since that time has been held by Persia. The principal ports are Charbar and Jask; the principal towns, Barn (q.v.), Bampur (q.v.), Bint, Fanoch and Kaih.