the primary and at times complete inheritance of property by the youngest member of a family.
The principle of minorat was incorporated into a number of ancient Indian law collections, as, for example, by the Gautama Buddha; into medieval European law, including English municipal law; and into article 100 of the copy of Russkaia pravda (the medieval Russian law code) preserved in the Trinity monastery. Unlike majorat, minorat was widespread mainly among peasants. In the customary law of prerevolutionary Russia, the youngest son, if he remained with the father, inherited the house and also at times other property.