Patrilineal Concept: Meaning, Role in succession

Patrilineal means the male lineage system in which there is a transference of rights, property, surname, and wealth from father to coming generations. For example from ages, it has been seen that an offspring irrespective of gender takes his father’s surname. On the contrary mother’s surname is not taken for generations at a global rate, although exceptions can be present. Thus the matrilineal lineage was somehow least important as compared to patrilineal lineage.

In many mythical stories, the dominance of patrilineal lineage can be seen. For example in the Mahabharat story, a hundred children of Dhritarashtra were named as Kaurav altogether because of their family clan Kuru clan. The merchant group of India is popularly known as kids of a ruler Agrasen by a common name Marwari. In today’s world, this system can be seen as the group of people belonging to the same ancestor is termed with the same name. In Bible too it is mentioned that this lineage represents the same profession in a particular clan, for example, a king’s family will be seeing as the monarchical family for ages irrespective of changes in the society.

ROLE OF PATRILINEAL IN SUCCESSION

Patrilineal Lineage plays an important role in the Agnatic succession of thrones. The traditional way of choosing an heir was determined by sex, i.e. suppose the first child of a dynasty is a girl, she does not stand a chance to sit on the throne. Although this system sensed the modification after a world war and the throne was captive to the first child irrespective of gender. For example, Queen Elizabeth’s ancestry where she ruled over a kingdom does not lie under patrilineal lineage. Another example where there are middle-class families which follow patrilineal lineage. The wealth is generally divided into sons by their fathers. But then a change was felt when law and order made amendments of passing wealth to daughters too.

Also Read: Kinship Basic Terminology