Taira no Kiyomori
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Taira no Kiyomori (平 清盛 1118 - 1181) was a general of the late Heian period of Japan. He established the first samurai-dominated administrative government in the history of Japan.
After the death of his father Taira no 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 Hōgen Rebellion. This established the Taira and Minamoto samurai clans as the top warrior clans in Kyoto. However, their new strength in effect caused the allies to become bitter rivals which culminated three years later during the Heiji Rebellion in 1159. Kiyomori, emerging victorious with Yoshitomo and his two eldest killed, was now the head of the single most powerful warrior family/clan in Kyoto. However, it should be noted that his clan's power and influence in the provinces at this time is a matter of debate. At the request of his wife, Kiyomori showed mercy and exiled Yoshitomo's three youngest sons Yoritomo, Noriyori, and Yoshitsune.
Due to his status as the head of the sole remaining courtier/warrior clan, Kiyomori was in a unique position to manipulate the court rivalry between the retired sovereign Go-Shirakawa and his son, Nijo tenno (tenno - sovereign). Via 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 the patronage of the retired sovereign Go-Shirakawa. This culminated in 1167, when Kiyomori became the first courtier of a warrior family to be appointed Daijō Daijin, 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 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. It should be noted that many of the courtiers from traditional (non-warrior noble families) were less than pleased with both Kiyomori's attainment of the rank of Daijō-daijin and how he comported himself with regard to other high ranking courtiers.
In 1171, Kiyomori arranged a marriage between the Emperor Takakura and his daughter Tokuko. Their first son, Prince Tokihito was born in 1178. 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. He then filled the open government positions with his allies and relatives, and imprisoned 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 son Munemori to preside over the downfall and destruction of the Taira at the hands of the Minamoto in 1185.
Taira no Kiyomori is also the main character in the Kamakura period epic, the Tale of Heike.
[edit] Modern Depictions of Kiyomori
- Taira Kiyomori is the enemy in the PlayStation 2 game, 'Dawn of the Samurai and is portrayed as using mystical stones named 'Amahagane' to defeat his enemies.
- There is a walking robot named Kiyomori that has been developed in Japan by Tmsuk in association with the Atsuo Takanishi Laborotary of Waseda University. Its walk is more humanlike than most bi-pedal robots as its pelvis has two degrees of movement, like humans and it has 39 joints within its frame. See http://kiyomori.jp/
- There is an alternative rock band in the UK named after Kiyomori. Kiyomori comprise of Adam Kidd (vocals, guitar), Sean-Lee Duncan (bass guitar) and Ben Kidd (drums). They have just released their first EP: 'Uprising'. See http://kiyomori.co.uk/
- Koreya Senda portrayed Kiyomori in Teinosuke Kinugasa's film Jigokumon
