- In this Japanese name, the family name is Taira. in modern times usually consist of a Family name ( Surname) followed by a Given name. A family name or last name is a type of Surname and part of a person's name indicating the family to which the person belongs
Taira no Kiyomori (平 清盛? 1118–1181) was a general of the late Heian period of Japan. The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. He established the first samurai-dominated administrative government in the history of Japan. is the term for the military nobility of Pre-industrial Japan. The written history of Japan begins with brief references in the 1st century AD Twenty-Four Histories, a collection of Chinese historical texts
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. Taira no Tadamori (平忠盛 (1096-1153 was a Taira clan samurai father of Taira no Kiyomori, and member of the Kebiishi (Imperial police For other uses of the word Taira see Taira (disambiguation The was a major Japanese clan in historical Japan In 1156, he and Minamoto no Yoshitomo, head of the Minamoto clan, suppressed the Hōgen Rebellion. Minamoto no Yoshitomo (源 義朝 (1123 &ndash February 11, 1160) was the head of the Minamoto clan and a general of the late Heian period was one of the honorary surnames bestowed by the Emperors of Japan of the Heian Period ( 794 – 1185 AD on those of their sons and grandsons who were not The Hōgen Rebellion (保元の乱 was a Japanese Civil war fought in 1156 over Japanese imperial succession and control of the Fujiwara This established the Taira and Minamoto samurai clans as the top warrior clans in Kyoto. (IPA /kʲoːto / is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. However, their new strength in effect caused the allies to become bitter rivals which culminated three years later during the Heiji Rebellion in 1159. The was fought between rival subjects of the cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa of Japan 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. Kiyomori showed mercy and exiled a few of Yoshitomo's sons, including Yoritomo, Noriyori, and Yoshitsune – a benevolence that would turn out to be the Taira clan's downfall later on. was the founder and the first Shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate of Japan. (1156 &ndash 1193 was a late Heian period general who fought alongside his brothers Minamoto no Yoritomo and Minamoto no Yoshitsune at a number of battles Yoshitsune_with_benkeijpg|thumb|"Yoshitsune and Benkei Viewing Cherry Blossoms" by Yoshitoshi Tsukioka]] Minamoto no Yoshitsune (ja 源 義経 (1159 &ndash
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. The or Chancellor of the Realm was the head of the Daijō-kan, or Department of State in Heian Japan and briefly under the 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 Taira no Tokuko. Emperor Takakura (高倉天皇 Takakura-tennō) ( September 23, 1161 &ndash January 30, 1181) was the 80th emperor (1155&ndash1213 later known as, was the last Heike Imperial survivor from the modest vessel carrying the emperor in the great naval Battle of Dan-no-ura. 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. Emperor Go-Shirakawa (後白河天皇 Go-Shirakawa-tennō) ( October 18, 1127 &ndash April 26, 1192 Finally, in 1180 Kiyomori forced the emperor Takakura to abdicate and give Prince Tokuhito the throne, becoming the Emperor Antoku. Emperor Antoku (安徳天皇 Antoku-tennō) ( December 22, 1178 &ndash April 24, 1185) was the 81st emperor
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. (d July 1180 also known as the Takakura Prince, and as Minamoto Mochimitsu, was a son of Emperor Go-Shirakawa The ( 1180 &ndash 1185) were a Conflict between the Taira and Minamoto clans and in late- Heian period Japan. 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. Legend has it that at the time of his death, Kiyomori's fever was so high that anyone who attempted to even get near him would be burned by the heat & his corpse had to be left to cool for several hours before it could be removed.
Taira no Kiyomori is also the main character in the Kamakura period epic, the Tale of Heike. The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura Shogunate, officially established in 1192 by the first Kamakura Shogun The Tale of the Heike ( Heike monogatari, 平家物語 is an epic account of the struggle between the Taira and Minamoto Clans
In video games, Kiyomori appears in Warriors Orochi: Rebirth of the Demon Lord fighting for Orochi's army and using prayer beads as weapons. is a Video game developed by Koei and Omega Force for the Sony PlayStation 2.
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 as Civil War in English), another Genpei War epic. was a Japanese manga artist, Animator, producer and Medical doctor, although he never practiced medicine is a Manga series by Osamu Tezuka. Tezuka considered Phoenix his "life's work" it consists of 12 books each of which tells a separate self-contained Like most villains in the series he desires the titular bird for its immortality granting blood, due to his desire to continue to lead & protect the Taira clan & lack of confidence in his successors, but winds up being tricked into buying an imported Peacock instead. The term peafowl refers to Gallinaceous Birds classified within the genera Rheinardia Argusianus Afropavoand Pavo