Benazir Bhutto, 40, obtained her political clout the old-fashioned way: she inherited it. In South Asia, wealthy families still play a conspicuous role in national politics. The Bhuttos in Pakistan, the Nehru-Gandhi clan in India, the Zias in Bangladesh and the Bandaranaikes in Sri Lanka are tenacious dynasties that make the Kennedys look like office temps. Despite the male domination of their respective societies, each family has produced a female prime minister. But the dynasties have been under siege for years, their ranks thinned by assassinations, coups and electoral reverses. And now, as the world turns, some First Family members are squabbling with their own relatives.

The Bhutto family feud has actually drawn blood. Two weeks ago Benazir’s police prevented Nusrat from visiting the grave of her husband, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who was deposed in 1977. In a struggle outside her home, one of Nusrat’s supporters was killed. Each woman claims the family’s political inheritance. Nusrat wants it for her son Murtaza, 39, who recently returned from 16 years in exile and won a seat in a provincial legislature, despite the fact that he faces criminal charges for dabbling in terrorism. Nusrat is suspicious of Benazir’s in-laws. An arranged marriage to Asif Ali Zardari in 1987 has turned into a happy and fruitful union, producing three children. Apparently Nusrat fears that the Zardaris will usurp the Bhutto family’s power.

“I never thought I’d have to fight male chauvinism in my own family,” Benazir Bhutto said last week. She has refused to support her brother’s political ambitions or intervene in the criminal case against him. In retaliation, her mother has thrown Benazir out of two family homes, including the ancestral estate in Sind province. “Every action that my mother makes against me hits my heart like a bullet,” the prime minister complained.

In neighboring India, the Gandhi family struggles with a different kind of generation gap. The older family leaders all died violently. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated in 1984; her son and successor, Rajiv, suffered the same fate seven years later. Another son, Sanjay, died in a plane crash in 1980. The younger generation–Rajiv’s daughter Priyanka, 22, seems the most promising–has not come into its own. Lacking a real standard-bearer, the family has been represented mostly by two rival sisters-in-law.

Sanjay’s widow, Maneka, became India’s first “green” politician, campaigning for environmental protection, animal rights and vegetarianism. “She has earned a strong claim to the Gandhi family’s political legacy,” argues one of her aides. Rajiv’s Italian-born widow, Sonia, turned down an offer to lead the family’s Congress party after his death. Now she keeps a toe in the political waters by attending certain official functions, accompanied by Priyanka and son Rahul, 24, who shows no interest yet in politics. On such occasions, they all wear the homespun clothes affected by Indian politicians who want to display a common touch.

If anything, the Bandaranaikes in Sri Lanka have too many would-be political leaders. Their matriarch, former prime minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike, is still feisty at 77. She wants her leftist Sri Lanka Freedom Party to be led by her daughter Chandrika, the chief minister of the island nation’s Western province. Her son, Anura, an able M. P. with a mind of his own, defected to the ruling United National Party, becoming minister of higher education last month. This has caused some personal friction; Anura complained last week about his mother’s bossiness and his sister’s “discredited Marxism.” But in a democratic age, having a foot in both the government and the opposition may be the surest way to keep a dynasty in business.

Benazir Bhutto–Nusrat Bhutto

Prime Minister Bhutto fired her own mother from the leadership of the Pakistan People’s Party. The mother, who wants her son to take the political helm, kicked Benazir out of two family houses.

Sirimavo Bandaranaike–Anura Bandaranaike

The former prime minister, whose party is now out of power, wants her daughter to succeed her. Her son defied his bossy mother, bolted to the ruling party and became a cabinet minister.

Maneka Gandhi–Sonia Gandhi

While the First Family waits for a new generation to mature, widowed sisters-in-law jockey for position. Maneka became a “green” politician, and Sonia groomed her own daughter.