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Emperor Go-Shirakawa

Type Figure Region Japan Time 1127–1192 Also known as Retired Emperor Go-Shirakawa

Emperor Go-Shirakawa (1127–1192), the 77th emperor of Japan, acceded in 1155 and after abdicating in 1158 to Emperor Nijō inaugurated insei;…

Timeline

  1. 1127–1156Kyoto · KyotoFourth son of Emperor Toba, he acceded in 1155 as Emperor Go-Shirakawa. In the 1156 Hōgen Disturbance he allied with Taira no Kiyomori and Minamoto no Yoshitomo to defeat the side of Retired Emperor Sutoku and Fujiwara no Nobuyori, consolidating imperial power.
  2. 1151–1160Kyoto · KyotoIn 1158 he abdicated in favor of Emperor Nijō, inaugurating insei while still holding real power. In the 1159 Heiji Disturbance he supported Taira no Kiyomori, and Minamoto no Yoshitomo was defeated and killed. Between 1151 and 1160 he witnessed the Taira clan's growing power, and his relationship with Kiyomori shifted from cooperation to opposition.
  3. 1161–1192Kyoto · KyotoAfter Prince Mochihito rose in arms in 1180, Retired Emperor Go-Shirakawa maneuvered through the Genpei War, sometimes supporting the Taira and sometimes backing the Minamoto. After the Taira's destruction at the Battle of Dan-no-ura in 1185, he continued to influence Yoritomo's government through insei until his death in 1192.

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