Primogeniture

Primogeniture is inheritance by the first-born of the entirety of a parent's wealth, estate or office, or in the absence of children, by collateral relatives in order of seniority of the collateral line.

Other methods of succession

There are several other ways to organize hereditary succession, which produce more or less different outcome than primogeniture. Some examples of widely used methods of alternative order of succession:

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• Seniority
• Tanistry
• Degree of kinship, i.e proximity of blood
• Elective monarchy, election from among one family
• "Lottery"
• Rotation (Taking turns: seniority, tanistry, lottery and election are used and practical ways to organize rotation. Rotation may have aimed at some balance between branches of the House or the Clan.)
• Gavelkind