▁stem - family ▁systems ▁of ▁North west ▁Europe ▁however , ▁access ▁to ▁marriage ▁and ▁reprodu ction ▁wasn ' t ▁equal ▁for ▁all ▁sons , ▁since ▁only ▁one ▁of ▁them ▁would ▁inherit ▁most ▁or ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁land . ▁ ▁The ▁surv ival ▁and ▁well - be ing ▁of ▁children ▁in ▁India ▁and ▁China ▁is ▁posit ively ▁influenced ▁by ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁older ▁sib lings ▁of ▁the ▁opposite ▁sex ▁and ▁neg atively ▁influenced ▁by ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁older ▁sib lings ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁sex . ▁However , ▁definit ive ▁cel ib acy ▁was ▁histor ically ▁relatively ▁un common ▁in ▁India ▁and ▁China , ▁but ▁relatively ▁common ▁in ▁many ▁European ▁soci eties ▁where ▁inheritance ▁was ▁im part ible . ▁The ▁Han ▁Chinese ▁first ▁sons ▁histor ically ▁married ▁earlier , ▁had ▁lower ▁rates ▁of ▁definit ive ▁cel ib acy ▁and ▁more ▁children ▁( es pecially ▁males ) ▁than ▁their ▁younger ▁brothers . ▁However , ▁they ▁suffered ▁higher ▁mort ality ▁rates . ▁This ▁has ▁been ▁attributed ▁to ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁el dest ▁sons ▁needed ▁to ▁have ▁more ▁children ▁to ▁succeed ▁them ▁as ▁heads ▁and ▁were ▁willing ▁to ▁take ▁more ▁ris ks ▁and ▁suffer ▁a ▁higher ▁d rain ▁of ▁resources ▁to ▁achieve ▁this . ▁The ▁Chinese ▁joint ▁family ▁system ▁had ▁strong ▁in eg al itar ian ▁tra its ▁that ▁made ▁it ▁dem ograph ically ▁more ▁a kin ▁to ▁a ▁stem ▁family ▁system . ▁According ▁to ▁Em manuel ▁Tod d ▁and ▁others , ▁it ▁be ▁rem in is cent ▁of ▁the ▁system ▁of ▁pat ril ine al ▁prim ogen