was a military leader and ''
kugyō'' of the late
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kanmu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means "peace" in Japanese ...
of Japan. He established the first
samurai
were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...
-dominated administrative government in the
history of Japan.
Early life
Kiyomori was born in
Heian-kyō, Japan, in 1118 as the first son of
Taira no Tadamori
was the head of the Taira clan. He was son of Taira no Masamori, and father of Taira no Kiyomori. Tadamori was also governor of the provinces of Harima, Ise, Bizen, and Tajima.
He consolidated the influence of the Taira clan at the Imperial Co ...
, who was the head of the
Taira clan
The Taira was one of the four most important clans that dominated Japanese politics during the Heian, Kamakura and Muromachi Periods of Japanese history – the others being the Fujiwara, the Tachibana, and the Minamoto. The clan is divi ...
. It has been speculated that Kiyomori was actually an illegitimate son of
Emperor Shirakawa
was the 72nd emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 白河天皇 (72)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession.
Shirakawa's reign lasted from 1073 to 1087.
Genealogy
Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Thr ...
. His mother, Gion no Nyogo, was a palace servant according to ''
The Tale of the Heike
is an epic account compiled prior to 1330 of the struggle between the Taira clan and Minamoto clan for control of Japan at the end of the 12th century in the Genpei War (1180–1185). Heike () refers to the Taira (), ''hei'' being the ''on'yo ...
''.
Family
* Father:
Taira no Tadamori
was the head of the Taira clan. He was son of Taira no Masamori, and father of Taira no Kiyomori. Tadamori was also governor of the provinces of Harima, Ise, Bizen, and Tajima.
He consolidated the influence of the Taira clan at the Imperial Co ...
* Mother: Gion no Nyogo (d. 1147)
*Concubines and regents:
**Wife:
N/A
***
Taira no Shigemori
was the eldest regent of the Taira clan patriarch, Taira no Kiyomori. He supported his father in the Heiji Rebellion. He died two years before his father. His son, Taira no Koremori, became a monk in 1184, and drowned himself. Oda Nobunaga cl ...
***
Taira no Munemori
was heir to Taira no Kiyomori, and one of the Taira clan's chief commanders in the Genpei War.
As his father Taira no Kasemori uch a name does not existlay on his deathbed, Kiyomori declared, among his last wishes, that all affairs of the cla ...
***
Taira no Tomomori
(1152–1185) was the son of Taira no Kiyomori, and one of the Taira Clan's chief commanders in the Genpei War at the end of the Heian period of Japanese history.
He was victorious at the Battle of Uji in 1180. He also became successful in t ...
***
Taira no Tokuko
The Taira was one of the four most important clans that dominated Japanese politics during the Heian, Kamakura and Muromachi Periods of Japanese history – the others being the Fujiwara, the Tachibana, and the Minamoto. The clan is divided i ...
***
Taira no Shigehira
(1158–1185) was one of the sons of Taira no Kiyomori, and one of the Taira Clan's chief commanders during the Heian period of the 12th century of Japan. Following the Battle of Uji in 1180, Shigehira fought in the Siege of Nara, where he burn ...
Career
After the death of his father in 1159, Kiyomori assumed control of the
Taira
The Taira was one of the four most important clans that dominated Japanese politics during the Heian, Kamakura and Muromachi Periods of Japanese history – the others being the Fujiwara, the Tachibana, and the Minamoto. The clan is divided ...
clan and ambitiously entered the political realm in which he had previously only held a minor post. Before that though, in 1156, he and
Minamoto no Yoshitomo
(1123 – 11 February 1160) was the head of the Minamoto clan and a general of the late Heian period of Japanese history. His son Minamoto no Yoritomo became ''shōgun'' and founded the Kamakura shogunate, the first shogunate in the history of ...
, head of the
Minamoto
was one of the surnames bestowed by the Emperors of Japan upon members of the imperial family who were excluded from the line of succession and demoted into the ranks of the nobility from 1192 to 1333. The practice was most prevalent during th ...
clan, suppressed the rebels in the
Hōgen Rebellion
In Japanese, Hōgen may refer to several words. Among them:
* Hōgen (era) (保元, 1156–1159), an era in Japan
* Hōgen rebellion, a short civil war in 1156
* dialect (方言) — for example: "eigo no hōgen" (English dialect)
See also
* ...
. This established the Taira and Minamoto as the top samurai clans in
Kyoto
Kyoto (; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin, Keihanshin metropolitan area along wi ...
. However, this caused the allies to become bitter rivals which culminated four years later during the
Heiji Rebellion in 1160. Kiyomori, emerging victorious with Yoshitomo (whose two eldest sons were killed), was now the head of the single most powerful warrior clan in
Kyoto
Kyoto (; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin, Keihanshin metropolitan area along wi ...
. However, his clan's power and influence in the provinces at this time is a matter of debate. Kiyomori showed mercy and exiled a few of Yoshitomo's surviving sons, including
Yoritomo,
Noriyori, and
Yoshitsune – a benevolence that would turn out to be the Taira clan's downfall later on.
Due to his status as the head of the sole remaining warrior clan, Kiyomori was in a unique position to manipulate the court rivalry between the retired emperor,
Go-Shirakawa
was the 77th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His de jure reign spanned the years from 1155 through 1158, though arguably he effectively maintained imperial power for almost thirty-seven years through the ''ins ...
, and his son,
Emperor Nijō
was the 78th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1158 through 1165.
Genealogy
Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name (his ''imina'') was Morihito''-sh ...
. Because of this manipulation, Kiyomori was able to climb the ranks of government, though the majority of his promotions as well as the success of his family in gaining ranks and titles at court was due to Shirakawa's patronage. This culminated in 1167, when Kiyomori became the first
courtier
A courtier () is a person who attends the royal court of a monarch or other royalty. The earliest historical examples of courtiers were part of the retinues of rulers. Historically the court was the centre of government as well as the official ...
of a warrior family to be appointed ''
daijō-daijin
The was the head of the ''Daijō-kan'' (Great Council of State) during and after the Nara period and briefly under the Meiji Constitution. Equivalent to the Chinese (Grand Preceptor).
History
Emperor Tenji's favorite son, Prince Ōtomo, wa ...
'', chief minister of the government, and the de facto administrator of the imperial government. As was the norm, he soon relinquished the position and leadership of the
Taira
The Taira was one of the four most important clans that dominated Japanese politics during the Heian, Kamakura and Muromachi Periods of Japanese history – the others being the Fujiwara, the Tachibana, and the Minamoto. The clan is divided ...
clan, with the goal of maintaining the social and political prestige of having attained the highest office in the land, but being free of the attendant duties. This had been a common practice for many years in the highest levels of Japanese government and in doing so Kiyomori was asserting what he felt was his strong position in the
Kyoto government. However, many of the courtiers from traditional (non-warrior) noble families were less than pleased with both Kiyomori's attainment of power, and how he comported himself with regard to other high ranking courtiers.
[
In 1171, Kiyomori arranged a marriage between his regent Tokuko and ]Emperor Takakura
was the 80th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1168 through 1180.
Genealogy
Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name (his ''imina'') was Norihito''-shi ...
. Their first son, the future Emperor Antoku
was the 81st emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1180 through 1185.
During this time, the Imperial family was involved in a bitter struggle between warring clans. Minamoto no Yo ...
, was born in 1178.[ The next year, in 1179, Kiyomori staged a coup d'état forcing the resignation of his rivals from all government posts and subsequently banishing them. He then filled the open government positions with his allies and relatives, and imprisoned the cloistered ]Emperor Go-Shirakawa
was the 77th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His de jure reign spanned the years from 1155 through 1158, though arguably he effectively maintained imperial power for almost thirty-seven years through the ''ins ...
. Finally, in 1180 Kiyomori forced Emperor Takakura to abdicate and give Prince Tokihito the throne, who then became Emperor Antoku
was the 81st emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1180 through 1185.
During this time, the Imperial family was involved in a bitter struggle between warring clans. Minamoto no Yo ...
.[
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
(died June 1180), also known as the Takakura Prince, and as Minamoto no Mochimitsu (源 以光), was a son of Emperor Go-Shirakawa of Japan. He is noted for his role in starting the Genpei War.
Believing that Taira no Kiyomori was causing suffe ...
, brother of Emperor Takakura
was the 80th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1168 through 1180.
Genealogy
Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name (his ''imina'') was Norihito''-shi ...
, 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 the next year from sickness, leaving his son Munemori to preside over the downfall and destruction of the Taira at the hands of the Minamoto in 1185.[
''The Tale of the Heike'' states that as he lay dying, Kiyomori's fever was so high that anyone who attempted to even get near him would be burned by the heat.]
Cultural references
Taira no Kiyomori is the main character in the Kamakura period
The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first ''shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the Genpei War, which saw the struggle bet ...
epic, the ''Tale of Heike
is an epic account compiled prior to 1330 of the struggle between the Taira clan and Minamoto clan for control of Japan at the end of the 12th century in the Genpei War (1180–1185). Heike () refers to the Taira (), ''hei'' being the ''on'yo ...
''.
The Daiei Film
Daiei Film Co. Ltd. ( Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ''Daiei Eiga Kabushiki Kaisha'') was a Japanese film studio. Founded in 1942 as Dai Nippon Film Co., Ltd., it was one of the major studios during the postwar Golden Age of Japanese cinema, producing ...
production of Kenji Mizoguchi
was a Japanese film director and screenwriter, who directed about one hundred films during his career between 1923 and 1956. His most acclaimed works include ''The Story of the Last Chrysanthemums'' (1939), '' The Life of Oharu'' (1952), ''Ugets ...
's 1955 film '' Shin Heike Monogatari'' (variously translated as ''Taira clan
The Taira was one of the four most important clans that dominated Japanese politics during the Heian, Kamakura and Muromachi Periods of Japanese history – the others being the Fujiwara, the Tachibana, and the Minamoto. The clan is divi ...
Saga, Tales of the Taira Clan'', and ''The Sacrilegious Hero'') credits its story as "from the novel by Yoshikawa Eiji", which in turn is a 1950 retelling of the 14th-century epic ''The Tale of the Heike
is an epic account compiled prior to 1330 of the struggle between the Taira clan and Minamoto clan for control of Japan at the end of the 12th century in the Genpei War (1180–1185). Heike () refers to the Taira (), ''hei'' being the ''on'yo ...
''. The opening introduction to the film, in its English subtitles, is
Unlike most other tellings, Mizoguchi's film includes only the story of Taira no Kiyomori's youth, depicting him as a heroic character, particularly in breaking the power of the tyrannical armed monks and their palanquin shrines, where he says at his father's grave "Father, with two arrows from my bow I destroyed a superstition that gripped men for centuries. The courtiers and priests have tried to have me for blasphemy. But others have supported me, more than I expected. Some of them are lords, too. Father, a greater battle lies ahead. But I remain undaunted. No matter how I am beaten, I shall rise again". The film then ends with Kiyomori approaching an alfresco Fujiwara dance, vowing to himself, "Dance, my Lords, dance. Your end is near. Tomorrow will be ours!"
Taira no Kiyomori was featured by 19th-century woodblock print artists as an exemplar of guilt and retribution, see the accompanying print by Yoshitoshi
Tsukioka Yoshitoshi ( ja, 月岡 芳年; also named Taiso Yoshitoshi ; 30 April 1839 – 9 June 1892) was a Japanese printmaker.Louis-Frédéric, Nussbaum, Louis Frédéric. (2005)"Tsukoka Kōgyō"in ''Japan Encyclopedia,'' p. 10 ...
. The famous print generally known as ''The Vision of Kiyomori'' by Utagawa Hiroshige
Utagawa Hiroshige (, also ; ja, 歌川 広重 ), born Andō Tokutarō (; 1797 – 12 October 1858), was a Japanese ''ukiyo-e'' artist, considered the last great master of that tradition.
Hiroshige is best known for his horizontal-format l ...
depicts the actor Nakamura Utayemon IV in the character of Kiyomori, confronted by the horrific vision of his snow-filled garden transformed into the heaped bones and skulls of his slaughtered enemies.
In video games, Kiyomori appears in ''Warriors Orochi
is a hack and slash video game for PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360, developed by Koei and Omega Force. It is a crossover of two of Koei's popular video game series, ''Dynasty Warriors'' and '' Samurai Warriors'' (specifically ''Dynasty Warriors 5'' a ...
'' 2, 3 and 4 fighting for Orochi's army and using prayer beads as weapons. He also makes an appearance in '' Dynasty Warriors Strikeforce'', as a boss in one of the game's Crossover Missions. Additionally, he is the main antagonist in ''Harukanaru Toki no Naka de 3
is a PlayStation 2 ''otome'' adventure game developed by Ruby Party and published by Koei. ''Harukanaru Toki no Naka de 3'' is the third installment in the '' Harukanaru Toki no Naka de'' series.
The stage of the game takes place 100 ...
''.
Kiyomori also features prominently as a sympathetic villain in Osamu Tezuka's Phoenix series in the first half of the ninth volume, ''Turbulent Times'' (retitled ''Civil War'' in English), another Genpei War epic. Like most villains in the series he desires the titular bird for its immortality granting blood, due to his desire to continue to lead and protect the Taira clan and lack of confidence in his successors, but winds up being tricked into buying an imported peacock
Peafowl is a common name for three bird species in the genera '' Pavo'' and '' Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae, the pheasants and their allies. Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and female peafowl are r ...
instead.
A character named Lord Kiyomori appears in Book 6, "The Lords of the Rising Sun" in the Fabled Lands
Fabled Lands is a series of fantasy gamebooks written by established gamebook authors Dave Morris and Jamie Thomson and published by Pan Books, a division of Macmillan in the mid 1990s. Cover art was by Kevin Jenkins with Russ Nicholson and Aru ...
adventure gamebook series, where he is portrayed as the Imperial Sovereign Takakura's chancellor, and on the verge of war with the self-proclaimed shogun by the name of "Yoritomo".
The 2012 NHK Taiga drama was about him.
Honours
*Junior First Rank
The court ranks of Japan, also known in Japanese as ''ikai'' (位階), are indications of an individual's court rank in Japan based on the system of the state. ''Ikai'' as a system was originally used in the Ritsuryo system, which was the politi ...
(11 February 1167)
See also
* Taira no Shigemori
was the eldest regent of the Taira clan patriarch, Taira no Kiyomori. He supported his father in the Heiji Rebellion. He died two years before his father. His son, Taira no Koremori, became a monk in 1184, and drowned himself. Oda Nobunaga cl ...
* Shishigatani incident
* Fukuhara-kyō
* Itsukushima Shrine
* Siege of Shirakawa-den
The siege of the Shirakawa-den (白河殿夜討) was the central event of the Hōgen Rebellion, a succession dispute which broke out after the death of the cloistered Emperor Toba. The conflict grew to involve the Fujiwara, Minamoto, and Taira c ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Taira no, Kiyomori
1118 births
1181 deaths
Taira clan
People of Heian-period Japan
Deified Japanese people
Heian period Buddhist clergy
Japanese Buddhist clergy
12th-century Buddhist monks