Hereditary succession persisted even among nomadic Middle Eastern tribes

Evidence

Through all these changes, the dynastic principle and the practice of hereditary succession remained powerful, deep-rooted, and virtually universal in the Islamic Middle East. Even in the nomadic tribes, the shaikh is normally chosen from among the members of one family, who have a recognized hereditary claim to the headship of the tribe and very often to the custody of some sacred place or object—the palladium or ark of the covenant, so to speak. — Bernard Lewis, From Babel to Dragomans, 537

Categorization

• XREF: The ‘palladium or ark of the covenant’ analogy for sacred trust objects resonates with the custody of sacral kingship discussed in the sacrifice article and with Achebe’s Things Fall Apart on hereditary clan authority.
• SHARE: A friend interested in comparative monarchy/kinship studies would enjoy the detail that even nomadic shaikhs held hereditary guardianship of sacred objects.