Home > Taira no Kiyomori

After the death of his father Tadamori in 1153, Kiyomori assumed control of the Taira clan and ambitiously entered the political realm in which he had previously only held a minor post. In 1156, he and Minamoto no Yoshitomo, head of the Minamoto clan, suppressed the Hogen Rebellion. This established the Taira and Minamoto samurai clans as the top political powers in Kyoto. However, their new strength in effect caused the allies to become bitter rivals which culminated three years later in the Heiji Rebellion in 1159. Kiyomori, emerging victorious with Yoshitomo and his two eldest killed, now remained the greatest political power in Kyoto. Kiyomori then exiled Yoshitomo's three youngest sons YoritomoMinamoto no Yoritomo ( 1147 February 9, 1199) was the founder and first shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate of Japan, from 1192 to 1199. Son of Minamoto no Yoshitomo, Yoritomo was banished by Taira no Kiyomori to Hirogakojima of Izu province (present day Shi, Noriyori , and YoshitsuneBenkei Viewing Cherry Blossoms", by Yoshitoshi Tsukioka, 1885 Minamoto no Yoshitsune ( 1159- 1189) was a late Heian and early Kamakura period general of the Minamoto clan of Japan. Yoshitsune was the ninth son of Minamoto no Yoshitomo and his older brothe and seized most of the manors of his rivals.

As the greatest political power and owner of the majority of manors in the Japan, he amassed unrivaled wealth and power. In 1167Events Taira no Kiyomori becomes the first samurai to be appointed Daijyo Daijin chief minister of the government of Japan Peter of Blois becomes the tutor of William II of Sicily Absalon, archbishop of Denmark, leads the first Danish synod at Lund Absalo, Kiyomori was the first samurai to be appointed Daijyo Daijin, chief minister of the government, the de factoDe facto is a Latin expression that means "in fact" or "in practice", commonly used as opposed to de jure (meaning "by law") when referring to matters of law or governance or technique (such as standards), that are found in the common experience as create administrator of the imperial government. Though he relinquished the position later in the year and relinquished the leadership of the clan, he remained the orchestrator of the government policy and successfully placed his family members and allies in most of the government posts and as magistrates of nearly half of the provinces of Japan.

In 1171Events Saladin abolishes the Fatimid caliphate, restoring Sunni rule in Egypt. The Lord Rhys agrees to negotiate with Henry II of England. Construction of the Cathedral of Saint Sabino in Bari is completed. Serbian ruler Stefan Nemanja begins sole reign., Kiyomori forced the marriage between the emperor TakakuraEmperor Takakura ( 1161- 1181) was the 80th imperial ruler of Japan. He was a son of the Emperor Go-Shirakawa. He ruled from 1168 to 1180 but during his reign the power was seized by two men; his father ex-emperor Go-Shirakawa who did the cloister-rule an and his daughter Tokuko. Their first son, Prince Tokihito was born in 1178Events The Sung Document written. The Chronicle of Gervase of Canterbury written. Five Canterbury monks see what was possibly the Giordano Bruno crater being formed June 18. Births Emperor Antoku of Japan Deaths Heads of states England Henry II Curt Mantl. The next year, in 1179, Kiyomori staged a coup d'etat forcing the resignation of his rivals from all government posts and subsequently banishing them, then filled the open government positions with his allies and relatives, and imprisoning the cloistered emperor Go-Shirakawa. Finally, in 1180 Kiyomori forced the emperor Takakura to abdicate and give Prince Tokuhito the throne, becoming the emperor Antoku.

With the exertion of Taira power and wealth and Kiyomori's new monopoly on authority, many of his allies, most of the provincial samurai, and even members of his own clan turned against him. Prince Mochihito, brother of emperor Takakura, called on Kiyomori's old rivals of the Minamoto clan to rise against the Taira beginning the Genpei War in the middle of 1180. Kiyomori died early in the next year from sickness, leaving his sons with the downfall and destruction of the Taira at the hands of the Minamoto.

Taira no Kiyomori is also the main character in the Kamakura period epic, the Tale of Heike.