There were other multi-ethnic, multi-religious empires in the past that treated all citizens or subjects equally. Rome, the Mongols, and the Achaemenids left th

There were other multi-ethnic, multi-religious empires in the past that treated all citizens or subjects equally. Rome, the Mongols, and the Achaemenids left their constituent peoples to govern themselves as long as they paid taxes and remained peaceful. Rome even made everyone a citizen by the 3rd century or something (can't be bothered to look it up right now). As for inherited nobility...that's just how things have been done for most of human history. The Americas were able to start over without that baggage.