Modern imaginations of premodern transitions of power are shaped by the idea of the father-son transition; this is not without reason, as patrilineality plays a major role in notions of legitimate rule in premodern cultures. However, the etic emphasis on the centrality of rulers' sons simplifies the complexity of historical realities. While origins serve as a normative argument and means of coping with contingency, in practice, suitability and success also play a central role. Thus, from a transcultural perspective, premodern transitions of power can be located in the tension field between norm and practice, rule and recognition, system and reform, and role and person. Against this background, the present volume examines the contemporary handling of such transitions in which the successor was not his predecessor's son.