Religion / idea · concept

Matrilineal descent

Also known as matrilineal

Matrilineal descent is a system in which kinship, inheritance and succession are traced through the mother's line. In the Ashanti Empire, membership of clans and succession to stools followed the matrilineal line. Matrilineal succession is also recorded for the rulers of the Ghana Empire, where kingship passed to the king's sister's son.

Mentioned in 2 profiles

Ashanti EmpireSocioeconomyGhana EmpireGovernance

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Matrilineal descent. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/matrilineal-descent
MLA
“Matrilineal descent.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/matrilineal-descent. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Matrilineal descent.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/matrilineal-descent.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Matrilineal descent’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/matrilineal-descent (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻