Primogeniture refers to the right of the first-born child to inherit the entire estate.
The principal social difference was that Japan had primogeniture laws pertaining to inheritance and China did not.
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Primogeniture reigns in his family, says Dave, 47, who is the middle of three brothers from Washington.
It's called male primogeniture, and it is an absolute contradiction of that basic principle of chivalrous behaviour of "ladies first".
To see how, think about what happens to a farm as it is handed down the generations in a country without primogeniture.
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The Ottoman dynasty did not observe primogeniture (the right of the first-born son to the throne), so in principle the throne was available to any imperial son.
The new legislation will end the system of male primogeniture, meaning male heirs will no longer take precedence over women in line to the throne.
The Three Mile Island nuclear disaster, the medieval origins of primogeniture and evolutionary biology are all enlisted to shed light on different aspects of financial risk.
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New legislation is due to go through Parliament that will end the system of male primogeniture that gave men precedence over women in line to the throne.
While one emirate, Bahrain, has dodged such pitfalls by enshrining primogeniture, some Middle Eastern monarchies have altered rules so that the reigning king simply appoints his successor.
Conservative MP Nicholas Soames said that he backed the scrapping of the primogeniture rule but warned that the bill would "tinker away" with some of Britain's fundamental constitutional foundations.
New legislation would end the principle of male primogeniture.
Professor Bob Morris, honorary senior research fellow at University College London's Constitution Unit, says it could actually be easier to abolish hereditary peers in the Lords than make changes to male primogeniture.
Despite the hardships, the rigid primogeniture back home ensured a constant supply of Basque labour looking to emigrate, and sheep herding was an attractive trade for those who did not speak English.
To continue the interpretation, the story of Cain and Abel may be taken as an illustration of the zero-sum game of primogeniture, as well as an allegory for the slaughter of nomadic pasturage by urban agriculture.
According to recent media reports, the Prince of Wales - while backing the end to male primogeniture (the principle that males take precedence in the royal succession) - has expressed concerns to officials about "unintended consequences" which could affect the monarch's role as Supreme Governor of the Church of England.
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