family alliances
Bloodline power pacts
Family alliances are strategic relationships between families, typically formed through marriage, business partnerships, or political agreements.
The term appears most often in historical contexts—medieval dynasties securing power through arranged marriages, or merchant families combining resources.
In contemporary use, it may describe informal bonds between families who support each other socially or economically: The two families maintained their alliance for generations.
- arranged marriagesUnions planned by families
- dowryMarital property transfer
- bridewealthMarriage transfer payment
- political unionsMerged governmental entities
- noble housesElite families with titles
matchmaker · marriage contracts · marriage alliances · patronage systems · parental consent · ancestral ties · diplomatic marriages · ethnic solidarity · customary practices · old money · religious affiliations · joint ventures · trade partnerships · houses · estate management · truce · throne · heir