← Explore on the interactive map

Taira no Kiyomori

Type Figure Region Japan Time 1118–1181 Also known as Ise Taira clan

Taira no Kiyomori (1118–1181), leader of the Ise Taira in the late Heian period, rose through regional administration, maritime trade, and court appo…

Timeline

  1. 1118–1140Ise Province · TōkaiSon of Taira no Tadamasa, from a cadet branch of the Ise Taira. In his youth he held provincial offices alongside his father, gaining military and administrative experience. The Taira drew revenue from Seto Inland Sea shipping and provincial estates, laying the foundation for Kiyomori's later rise.
  2. 1141–1150Heian-kyō · Capital regionIn the 1140s he served as Governor of Aki, controlling Seto Inland Sea trade and military force, and his wealth and influence grew rapidly. Kiyomori was active in Heian-kyō, approaching court nobles through appointments and marriages, becoming one of the samurai leaders the court relied on and paving the way for Taira dominance after the Hōgen Rebellion.
  3. 1151–1181Heian-kyō · Capital regionIn the Hōgen Rebellion of 1156 he led the Taira in supporting the Retired Emperor Go-Shirakawa to victory, with Minamoto no Yoshitomo and others defeated. Thereafter Kiyomori married daughters into the imperial family and became Grand Minister, filling court posts with Taira kinsmen and establishing Japan's first samurai-dominated court government, until his death in 1181.

Sources