There is family rule elsewhere to be sure, not forgetting Bashar al-Assad in Syria, Kim Jong-Il in North Korea, Megawati Sukarnoputri in Indonesia, and Raul Castro, who has just followed brother Fidel, in Cuba. But it is in South Asia that political dynasties find the soil to be the most fertile, and the glamour of the political nobility rivals only that of the long-standing monarchies of Bollywood.
The lineages of today are obviously a throwback to the monarchies that have been part of our history and cultural lore. We recreate the ruling class of our past—the nawabs, rajas, rajautas, maharajas, peshwas, ranas and all other kinds of king-emperors and satraps.
Who Needs Family, We Have A Parivar 
A Pass Towards Light 
