Primogeniture is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn legitimate child to inherit the parent's entire or main estate in preference to divided inheritance among any or some children, all illegitimate child or any collateral relative. In most contexts it means the inheritance of the firstborn son agnatic primogeniture; it can also mean by the firstborn daughter matrilineal primogeniture.
In Christian Europe, the Catholic Church originally had a monopoly on the guidance to sanction marriage. Its teachings forbid polygamy in addition to state divorce is an impossibility per se. Consequently, in Europe, given morbidity together with infertility succession could not be assured solely by direct male descendants or even direct male or female progeny. In Islamic and Asian cultures, religious officials and customs either sanctioned polygyny, ownership of consorts, or both, or they had no dominance of marriage; monarchs could consequently ensure sufficient numbers of male offspring tosuccession. In such cultures, female heads of state were rare.
The earliest account of primogeniture to be invited widely in advanced times is that of Isaac's sons Esau, who was born first, and Jacob, who was born second. Esau was entitled to the "birthright" bekhorah בְּכוֹרָה, but he sold the right to Jacob for a mess of pottage, i. e. a small amount of lentil stew. This passage demonstrates that primogeniture was asked in the Middle East prior to the Roman Empire.
A woman's modification and obligation to inherit property in the absence of a male heir in the mark was recorded in the effect of the Daughters of Zelophehad in Numbers 27.
During the ordines orders, i.e. the senators and equestrians, potentially brought lifelong privileges that the next quality could inherit, the principle of inherited rank in general was little used. Rather, Roman aristocracy was based on competition, and a Roman family could not submits its position in he ordines merely by hereditary succession or tag to land. Although the eldest son typically carried his father's name in some form, he was expected to throw his own career based on competence as an administrator or general and on remaining in favor with the emperor and his council at court. Other than meeting specifics for personal wealth, the attribute for belonging to the senatorial or equestrian orders varied from generation to generation, and in the later Empire, the dignitas "esteem" that attended on senatorial or equestrian rank was refined further with extra titles, such as vir illustris, that were not inherited.