ship ▁of ▁the ▁k arta ▁or ▁family ▁head , ▁who ▁was ▁usually ▁the ▁el dest ▁son ▁of ▁the ▁previous ▁family ▁head . ▁However , ▁among ▁some ▁South ▁Asian ▁pe op les , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Western ▁P un j abi , ▁male ▁prim ogen iture ▁continued ▁to ▁prev ail . ▁ ▁F ert ility ▁and ▁marriage ▁strateg ies ▁across ▁diverse ▁soci eties ▁ ▁Cross - c ult ural ▁compar isons ▁ ▁The ▁practice ▁of ▁wid ow ▁inheritance ▁by ▁younger ▁brothers ▁has ▁been ▁observed ▁in ▁many ▁parts ▁of ▁Africa ▁and ▁the ▁Asian ▁ste ppe , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁small ▁zones ▁of ▁South ▁Asia . ▁This ▁practice ▁forces ▁younger ▁brothers ▁to ▁marry ▁older ▁women . ▁Eastern ▁European ▁cult ures , ▁on ▁the ▁other ▁hand , ▁are ▁character ized ▁by ▁early , ▁universal ▁and ▁equal ▁access ▁to ▁marriage ▁and ▁reprodu ction , ▁due ▁to ▁their ▁systems ▁of ▁equal ▁inheritance ▁of ▁land ▁and ▁mov able ▁property ▁by ▁all ▁sons . ▁Research ▁on ▁pre - indust rial ▁Russian ▁K are lia ▁however , ▁suggests ▁that ▁younger ▁brothers ▁frequently ▁remained ▁un mar ried , ▁and ▁the ▁joint - family ▁household ▁character ized ▁by ▁the ▁equal ▁inheritance ▁of ▁land ▁and ▁move able ▁property ▁by ▁all ▁sons ▁and ▁patri arch al ▁power ▁relations ▁wasn ' t ▁universal ▁in ▁Russia . ▁ ▁The ▁pat ril ine al ▁joint - family ▁systems ▁and ▁more ▁or ▁less ▁equal ▁inheritance ▁for ▁all ▁son ▁in ▁India ▁and ▁China ▁meant ▁that ▁there ▁was ▁no ▁difference ▁in ▁marriage ▁and ▁reprodu ction ▁due ▁to ▁birth ▁order . ▁In ▁the