The Heiji rebellion (1159) and the subsequent rise of the Taira
Taira clan
Taira clan was a major Japanese clan of samurai. In reference to Japanese history, along with Minamoto, Taira was a hereditary clan name bestowed by the emperors of the Heian period to certain ex-members of the imperial family when they became subjects. The Taira clan is often ref…
What was the result of the Gempei War?
Gempei War. Gempei War, (1180–85), final struggle in Japan between the Taira and Minamoto clans that resulted in the Minamoto’s establishment of the Kamakura shogunate, a military dictatorship that dominated Japan from 1192 to 1333. The Taira clan had dominated the Imperial government from 1160 to 1185.
What was the cause of the Genpei War?
The Genpei War was the culmination of a decades-long conflict between the two aforementioned clans over dominance of the Imperial court and, by extension, control of Japan. In the Hōgen Rebellion and in the Heiji Rebellion of earlier decades, the Minamoto attempted to regain control from the Taira and failed. : 255–259
What was the Gempei War (1180-1185)?
The Gempei War ( 1180 - 1185) was a Japanese civil war that pitted two great warrior clans - the Taira and the Minamoto - in a struggle for control of Japanese politics.
How long did the Genpei War last?
The Genpei War lasted five years from 1180-1185 and is a fascinating, epoch defining event of Japanese history. It was fought between the two great warrior clans of the late Heian period, the Taira and the Minamoto.
When did the Genpei War start?
1180 – 1185Genpei War / Period
Why did the Japanese clans fight one another?
The Genpei War (Genpei No Soran) was a civil war for dynastic control in Japan between two powerful clan groups who each claimed a rightful inheritance to the imperial throne.
Why was the Genpei War significant?
Gempei War, (1180–85), final struggle in Japan between the Taira and Minamoto clans that resulted in the Minamoto's establishment of the Kamakura shogunate, a military dictatorship that dominated Japan from 1192 to 1333. The Taira clan had dominated the Imperial government from 1160 to 1185.
Do you know who the Gempei war was fought between?
More than 800 years ago, the decisive battle in the Genpei War took place in Yashima. It was a battle between the Taira clan led by TAIRA no Munemori, which was at the height of its prosperity, and the Minamoto clan led by MINAMOTO no Yoshitsune, a genius in battle.
How did samurai not fear death?
The belief in a protective divine shield—as well as in Zen Buddhism, which allowed soldiers to overcome their fear of dying—became essential to the samurai way of life. The warriors believed they were largely safeguarded from death but needed to prepare for the possibility in order to perform their best in battle.
Did the samurai protect Japan?
Contents. The samurai, members of a powerful military caste in feudal Japan, began as provincial warriors before rising to power in the 12th century with the beginning of the country's first military dictatorship, known as the shogunate.
Who won the Gempei wars?
The Minamoto clanThe Minamoto clan won the Gempei War, battle between the Taira and Minamoto clans of Japan between 1180 and 1185.
What was the aftermath of the Genpei War?
The end of the Genpei War and beginning of the Kamakura shogunate marked the rise of military (samurai) power and the suppression of the power of the emperor, who was compelled to preside without effective political or military authority until the Meiji Restoration more than 650 years later.
What happened after the Genpei War?
After the Genpei War, Minamoto Yoritomo formed the first bakufu and ruled as Japan's first shogun from his capital at Kamakura. The Kamakura shogunate was the first of various bakufu that would rule the country until 1868 when the Meiji Restoration returned political power to the emperors.
What's a shogun in Japan?
Shoguns were hereditary military leaders who were technically appointed by the emperor. However, real power rested with the shoguns themselves, who worked closely with other classes in Japanese society. Shoguns worked with civil servants, who would administer programs such as taxes and trade.
What do you mean by bakufu?
Baku is an abbreviation of bakufu, meaning "military government"—that is, the shogunate. The han were the domains headed by daimyō.
What clans fought the genpei war?
The Genpei War (源平合戦, Genpei kassen, Genpei gassen) (1180–1185) was a national civil war between the Taira and Minamoto clans during the late-Heian period of Japan.
How did clans work in Japan?
Early Japan's Clan System Before the emperors, Japan had a system of clans, each made up of people that were related to each other by either blood or marriage, and a common ancestor. Every clan was ruled by a few powerful nobles, who were also the religious leaders for the clan.
What was the most powerful clan in Japan?
The Shimadzu family were one of Japan's most powerful clans and ruled over southern Kyushu for a period of over 700 years. Learn about how this influential warrior clan survived through the age of the samurai and played a key role in the modernisation of Japan in the late 19th century.
What Japanese clans still exist?
List of Samurai & Samurai Clans that Still Exist (Modern Day Samurai)1.2.1 1) Tokugawa Clan.1.2.2 2) Shimazu Clan.1.2.3 3) Oda Clan.1.2.4 4) Imperial Clan.1.2.5 5) Date Clan.
What were Japanese clan leaders called?
Clan name and hereditary title were originally held by people of the governing classes and these titles were such as Omi, Muraji, Tomo no Miyatsuko, Kuni no Miyatsuko composing Yamato Sovereignty (the king and his family were excluded).
What was the beginning of the Genpei War?
Beginnings of the war. Scene of the Genpei war (1180-1185), Kanō Motonobu (1476-1569), Muromachi period (1336 and 1573). The actions of Taira no Kiyomori having deepened Minamoto hatred for the Taira clan, a call for arms was sent up by Minamoto no Yorimasa and Prince Mochihito.
Where did the name Gempei come from?
The name "Genpei" (sometimes romanized as Gempei) comes from alternate readings of the kanji "Minamoto" (源 Gen) and "Taira" (平 Hei, pronounced as the second element in some compounds as -pei ). The conflict is also known in Japanese as the Jishō-Juei War (治承寿永の乱, Jishō - Juei no ran), after the two Imperial eras between which it took place.
What happened to the Taira in 1183?
In 1183, the Taira loss at the Battle of Kurikara was so severe that they found themselves, several months later, under siege in Kyoto, with Yoshinaka approaching the city from the north and Yukiie from the east. Both Minamoto leaders had seen little or no opposition in marching to the capital and now forced the Taira to flee the city. Taira no Munemori, head of the clan since his father Kiyomori's death, led his army, along with the young Emperor Antoku and the Imperial regalia, to the west. The cloistered emperor Go-Shirakawa defected to Yoshinaka. Go-Shirakawa then issued a mandate for Yoshinaka to "join with Yukiie in destroying Munemori and his army".
What was the Genpei War?
The Genpei War (源平合戦, Genpei kassen, Genpei gassen) (1180–1185) was a national civil war between the Taira and Minamoto clans during the late- Heian period of Japan. It resulted in the downfall of the Taira and the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate under Minamoto no Yoritomo, who appointed himself as Shōgun in 1192, ...
What battles did Minamoto fight?
1181 Battle of Yahagigawa – the Minamoto, retreating from Sunomata, attempt to make a stand. 1183 Siege of Hiuchi – the Taira attack a Minamoto fortress. 1183 Battle of Kurikara – the tide of the war turns, in the Minamoto's favor. 1183 Battle of Shinohara – Yoshinaka pursues the Taira force from Kurikara.
What was the name of the battle that ended the Genpei War?
The Genpei War came to an end one month later, following the battle of Dan-no-ura, one of the most famous and significant battles in Japanese history. The Minamoto engaged the Taira fleet in the Straits of Shimonoseki, a tiny body of water separating the islands of Honshū and Kyūshū.
What was the first battle of Genpei?
1180 First Battle of Uji – regarded as the first battle in the Genpei Wars, the monks of the Byōdōin fight alongside Minamoto no Yorimasa.
What was the Genpei War?
The Genpei War (also romanized as "Gempei War") in Japan was the first conflict between large samurai factions. Although it happened nearly 1,000 years ago, people today still remember the names and accomplishments of some of the great warriors who fought in this civil war. Sometimes compared with England's " War of the Roses ," ...
When did the war break out?
War Breaks Out. On May 5, 1180, Minamoto Yoritomo and his favored candidate for the throne, Prince Mochihito, sent out a call to war. They rallied samurai families related to or allied with the Minamoto, as well as warrior monks from various Buddhist monasteries.
What happened in 1180?
On November 9, 1180, at the so-called Battle of the Fujigawa (Fuji River), the Minamoto and allies faced an over-extended Taira army. With poor leadership and long supply lines, the Taira decided to withdraw back to Kyoto without offering a fight.
What happened to Yoritomo in the Battle of Ishibashiyama?
Yoritomo soon learned that there was a bounty on his head. He organized some local Minamoto allies, and escaped from the Taira, but lost most of his small army in the Battle of Ishibashiyama on September 14. Yoritomo escaped with his life, fleeing into the woods with Taira pursuers close behind.
Why did the Taira samurai jump into the sea?
When the tides of battle turned against them, so to speak, many of the Taira samurai jumped into the sea to drown rather than being killed by the Minamoto. The seven-year-old Emperor Antoku and his grandmother also jumped in and perished. Local people believe that small crabs that live in the Shimonoseki Strait are possessed by the ghosts of the Taira samurai; the crabs have a pattern on their shells that looks like a samurai's face .
What was the cause of the Taira retreat?
Whatever the true cause of the Taira retreat, there followed a two-year lull in the fighting. Japan faced a series of droughts and floods that destroyed the rice and barley crops in 1180 and 1181. Famine and disease ravaged the countryside; an estimated 100,000 died.
What happened at Fujigawa?
A hilarious and likely exaggerated account of the events at Fujigawa in the Heiki Monogatari claims that a flock of water-fowl on the river marshes was started into flight in the middle of the night. Hearing the thunder of their wings, the Taira soldiers panicked and fled, grabbing bows without arrows or taking their arrows but leaving their bows. The record even claims that Taira troops were "mounting tethered animals and whipping them up so that they galloped round and round the post to which they were tied."
How did the Gempei war affect Japan?
Traditions and values established in medieval times were to resurface in the modern age. To an extraordinary extent, they still informed the military mind-set of 20th-century Japan, as became evident in the war with Russia, the Sino-Japanese War, and in the Pacific theatre of World War II .
What was the Genpei War?
Varies. Varies. The Genpei War was a series of conflicts between the Minamoto and Taira families. With its feuding families, and its epic scale, the story of the Gempei Wars had the ring of heroic myth. Yet the conflict convulsed Japan for five terrible years, leaving a lasting historical and cultural legacy.
What was the conflict between the Minamoto and Taira clans?
Conflict, raging for generations between the powerful Minamoto and Taira clans, finally flared up into a full-blown civil war. The Hogen Rebellion of 1156 saw the Fujiwara themselves reduced to figureheads as the Minamoto and Taira fought over who should have power behind the scenes.
What is the Heike Monogatari?
What strikes the reader of the Heike Monogatari, the great 13th-century epic account of the Genpei War, is how up-close and intimate the fighting was. Like the heroes of Homer's Trojan War, warriors made stirring speeches before battle and trade insults as they engage in single combat. This is all part of the literary convention, affording an opportunity for building suspense. But it also reflects the realities of the time. There was no more noble calling than that of the soldier; samurai were schooled in their vocation as small boys. Horsemanship was held in high regard - memorable descriptions abound in the Heike Monogatari - even though the samurai fought mainly on foot. Accomplishment in archery was essential; not just with the full-length daikyu but also with the shorter hankyu - both bows could be used on horseback. The cult of the katana, or "samurai sword", was yet to be established, but the warrior still took great pride in his skill with the long, curved, tachi sword and with the dagger.
Where did Yoritomo take the Taira?
All at sea. In 1185 Yoritomo set out to take the Taira's main fortress at Yashima, off Shikoku. He had a party of men build fires in the hills inland to persuade the Taira that his army was approaching from that direction.
Who was the Emperor who forced Takakura to abdicate?
Taira Kiyomori, having forced Emperor Takakura to abdicate, had installed his one-year-old grandson on the throne. The Minamoto figurehead, Prince Mochihito, was the half-brother of Takakura and was angry about being cheated out of the succession. Taira no Kiyomori issued orders for Mochihito's arrest.
Who took up the leadership of Fujigawa?
Minamoto Yoritomo now took up the leadership. He struggled to begin with but, at Fujigawa, luck came to his rescue. Hearing the rustling of birds' wings in the night, the Taira sentries took fright, assuming it was a surprise attack: though superior in strength, the men were unnerved and fled.
How long was the Genpei War?
A brief history of the Genpei War. The Genpei War lasted five years from 1180-1185 and is a fascinating, epoch defining event of Japanese history. It was fought between the two great warrior clans of the late Heian period, the Taira and the Minamoto. Although centred on the capital of Kyoto, it spread to involve three of Japan’s four islands ...
What were the roots of the war?
The roots of the war lay in the incredibly complicated politics of the 12th century court and the imperial succession. The Taira and Minamoto were the two preeminent warrior clans in the capital, both seen as defenders of the emperor. Of course, when there is a succession crisis in which legitimate imperial candidates occupy opposing camps, ...
What was the battle between the Taira and Minamoto?
It was fought between the two great warrior clans of the late Heian period , the Taira and the Minamoto. Although centred on the capital of Kyoto, it spread to involve three of Japan’s four islands and the coastal sea. It also embroiled the other two pillars of Japanese society, the imperial court and the temples, ...
Who was the victor in the Heiji conflict?
The victor in the Heiji conflict was Taira no Kiyomori, supporting the emperor Go-Shirakawa. Kiyomori’s erstwhile ally in the Hogen conflict, Minamoto no Yoshitomo, had chosen the losing side in the Heiji, and was killed. Kiyomori planned to execute Yoshitomo’s sons, particularly his eldest, Yoritomo.
Where did the Taira fight?
Yoshitsune forced them into a decisive naval battle at Dan-no-Ura in March, 1185, and the Taira were defeated.
Did all Minamoto die in the Hogen war?
Not all the Minamoto were dead or in exile in the provinces. Clans had been internally divided during the Hogen and Heiji conflicts and some Minamoto who had fought for Go-Shirakawa remained in the capital as loyal and highly placed imperial servants. The most senior of these was the respected Minamoto no Yorimasa (we first meet him in 1177 during the Taiken Gate incident). He had seen enough of Taira arrogance and impiety and secretly petitioned Mochihito, a forgotten son of retired emperor Go-Shirakawa, to raise rebellion and claim the throne for himself. This they duly did, raising a force of warrior monks and local Minamoto loyalists, but were defeated by the Taira and both killed at the first battle of Uji in 1180.
What was the Gempei War?
The Gempei War ( 1180 - 1185) was a Japanese civil war that pitted two great warrior clans - the Taira and the Minamoto - in a struggle for control of Japanese politics. Immortalized through the eyes of the losing Taira in the Tale of the Heike *, the Gempei War brought an end to Japan's fabled Heian Era, ...
When did the Gempei war start?
The Gempei war began in 1180 when Emperor Takakura abdicated and the head of the ascendant Taira clan, Taira Kiyomori, installed his 2-year-old grandson Antoku as emperor at the expense of the legitimate heir, Prince Mochihito. In an extraordinary turn of events Mochihito, rather than accede to the wishes of the vastly more powerful Kiyomori, ...
What was the name of the war that ended the Heian era?
1180-85. The civil war that brought an end to Japan 's fabled Heian era and initiated the Kamakura Bakufu or military govenment. The war was fought between the Taira and Minamoto clans, the former ensconced in Kyoto, where they had managed since the mid-twelfth century to supplant the Fujiwara, and the latter establishing themselves in ...
When did Minamoto capture the Taira fleet?
Finally, on April 24, 1185, the Minamoto fleet trapped the Taira fleet off the Dannoura penninsula and wiped out the remnants of the once mighty Taira clan. Kiyomori's widow leapt into the sea with young Antoku in her arms, drowning both, and was followed in drowning by Taira Tomomori and many other leading Taira.
What made the Genpei War so significant?
Of course, there had been battles between warriors rivals before, even in the same century. What made the Genpei War so significant was that the victors, large ly in the process of creating an effective alliance between great regional powers, had established policies and institutions that actually superseded aristocratic rule. Rather than simply usurping the old courtly offices or attaching themselves to aristocratic patrons, the Minamoto created new offices and appointed to them warriors whose allegiance was to the Minamoto clan first of all. Among these were stewards and constables with the authority to adjudicate in matters both economic and political. Of course, the new system was not stronger than the alliances on which it rested; but there can be no denying that it effectively challenged the power of the court in the most fundamental of ways.
Where did the Taira fight?
Fleeing westward down the Inland Sea, the Taira resisted valiantly in a series of battles on land and sea, but in the end, at Dan no Ura on the southern tip of Honshu, they were overcome. The young Emperor Antoku, a grandson of Taira no Kiyomori, was drowned, and most of the leaders of the Taira clan--all of them courtiers with high titles--were either killed in battle or executed. The Minamoto alliance had triumphed.
Where did Yoritomo go to negotiate with Go Shirakawa?
In a calculated symbolic gesture, Yoritomo remained at his eastern headquarters at Kamakura and sent emissaries to Kyoto to negotiate a settlement with retired emperor Go-Shirakawa - Yoritomo would not grovel before the court.
What war did the Minamoto clan fight in?
The Minamoto clan previously tried to topple the Taira, in the Hogen War of 1156 and the Heiji War of 1159–1160. In the first the Minamoto had supported a rival claimant to the throne and lost. In the second, they staged a surprise coup but were decisively defeated by the Taira.
When did Minamoto Yukiie attack Tomomori?
In 1181 Minamoto Yukiie attempted to attack Taira Tomomori, whose army was encamped along the Sunomata River. The Minamoto were driven back with heavy losses and retreated across the Yahagigawa River, pursued by the Taira. When Tomomori fell ill, the Taira pulled back. After a lull in fighting, in 1183 Taira Koremori launched an attack on a Minamoto castle at Hiuchiyama.
What was the name of the war between the Minamoto clan and the Taira clan?
Part of the Taira-Minamoto wars the Gempei War in Japan lasted from 1180 until 1185. It was fought between the Taira clan, which was losing influence, and the Minamoto clan, which hoped to replace the Taira clan. It resulted in a victory for the Minamoto clan, and the emergence of Minamoto Yoritomo as the shogun (“general who subdues barbarians”) ...
Who led the troops at the Battle of Buena Vista?
Despite the loss, he assumed the Mexican presidency the following month. Meanwhile, U.S. troops led by Gen. Winfield Scott landed in Veracruz and took over the city.
Where was gold discovered?
Did you know? Gold was discovered in California just days before Mexico ceded the land to the United States in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
What was the Mexican American War?
The Mexican-American War (1846-1848) marked the first U.S. armed conflict chiefly fought on foreign soil. It pitted a politically divided and militarily unprepared Mexico against the expansionist-minded administration of U.S. President James K. Polk, who believed the United States had a “manifest destiny” to spread across the continent to the Pacific Ocean. A border skirmish along the Rio Grande started off the fighting and was followed by a series of U.S. victories. When the dust cleared, Mexico had lost about one-third of its territory, including nearly all of present-day California, Utah, Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico.
Overview
The Genpei War (源平合戦, Genpei kassen, Genpei gassen) (1180–1185) was a national civil war between the Taira and Minamoto clans during the late-Heian period of Japan. It resulted in the downfall of the Taira and the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate under Minamoto no Yoritomo, who appointed himself as Shōgun in 1192, governing Japan as a military dictator from the eastern city of
Background
The Genpei War was the culmination of a decades-long conflict between the two aforementioned clans over dominance of the Imperial court and, by extension, control of Japan. In the Hōgen Rebellion and in the Heiji Rebellion of earlier decades, the Minamoto attempted to regain control from the Taira and failed.
In 1180, Taira no Kiyomori put his grandson Antoku (then only 2 years of age) o…
Beginnings of the war
The actions of Taira no Kiyomori having deepened Minamoto hatred for the Taira clan, a call for arms was sent up by Minamoto no Yorimasa and Prince Mochihito. Not knowing who was behind this rally, Kiyomori called for the arrest of Mochihito, who sought protection at the temple of Mii-dera. The Mii-dera monks were unable to ensure him sufficient protection, so he was forced to m…
Turning of the tide
In 1183, the Taira loss at the Battle of Kurikara was so severe that they found themselves, several months later, under siege in Kyoto, with Yoshinaka approaching the city from the north and Yukiie from the east. Both Minamoto leaders had seen little or no opposition in marching to the capital and now forced the Taira to flee the city. Taira no Munemori, head of the clan since his father Kiyomori's death, led his army, along with the young Emperor Antoku and the Imperial regalia, to t…
Final stages
As the united Minamoto forces left Kyoto, the Taira began consolidating their position at a number of sites in and around the Inland Sea, which was their ancestral home territory. They received a number of missives from the Emperor offering that if they surrendered by the seventh day of the second month, the Minamoto could be persuaded to agree to a truce. This was a farce, as neither …
Consequences of the Genpei War
The defeat of the Taira armies meant the end of Taira "dominance at the capital". In December 1185, Go-Shirakawa granted to Yoritomo the power to collect taxes, and "appoint stewards and constables in all provinces". Finally, in 1192, after Go-Shirakawa's death, Yoritomo was granted the imperial commission Sei-i Tai Shōgun. This was the beginning of a feudal state in Japan, with real power now in Kamakura. However, Kyoto remained the "seat of national ceremony and ritual."
Aftermath
The end of the Genpei War and beginning of the Kamakura shogunate marked the rise to power of the warrior class (samurai) and the gradual suppression of the power of the emperor, who was compelled to govern without effective political or military power, being effectively reduced to a purely symbolical and ceremonial head of state, until the Meiji Restoration over 650 years later, though there was a short-lived attempt to restore imperial rule in the 1330s, the Kenmu Restorati…
Definition
It has been pointed out that the Battle of Ōshū fought between the Kamakura government and the Northern Fujiwara in 1189 was in fact the last battle during this period of civil war, as it completed Yoritomo's nationwide domination through the annexation of Dewa and Mutsu Province, and that its end marked the establishment of the first military government, the Kamakura shogunate.
The terms Genpei kassen (源平合戦), Genpei sōran (源平争乱) and Genpei no tatakai (源平の戦 …
Lead-Up to The War
War Breaks Out
- On May 5, 1180, Minamoto Yoritomo and his favored candidate for the throne, Prince Mochihito, sent out a call to war. They rallied samurai families related to or allied with the Minamoto, as well as warrior monks from various Buddhist monasteries. By June 15, Minister Kiyomori had issued a warrant for his arrest, so Prince Mochihito was forced to f...
Yoritomo Takes Over
- The leadership of the Minamoto clan passed to the 33-year-old Minamoto no Yoritomo, who was living as a hostage in the home of a Taira-allied family. Yoritomo soon learned that there was a bounty on his head. He organized some local Minamoto allies, and escaped from the Taira, but lost most of his small army in the Battle of Ishibashiyama on September 14. Yoritomo escaped …
Minamoto In-Fighting
- Kyoto erupted in panic at the news of the Taira defeat in Kurikara. On August 14, 1183, the Taira fled the capital. They took along most of the imperial family, including the child emperor, and the crown jewels. Three days later, Yoshinaka's branch of the Minamoto army marched into Kyoto, accompanied by the former Emperor Go-Shirakawa. Yoritomo was nearly as panicked as the Tai…
End of The War and Aftermath
- What remained of the Taira loyalist army retreated into their heartland. It took the Minamoto some time to mop them up. Almost a year after Yoshitsune ousted his cousin from Kyoto, in February of 1185, the Minamoto seized the Taira fortress and make-shift capital at Yashima. On March 24, 1185, the final major battle of the Genpei War took place. It was a naval battle in the Shimonose…
Sources
- Arnn, Barbara L. "Local Legends of the Genpei War: Reflections of Medieval Japanese History," Asian Folklore Studies, 38:2 (1979), pp. 1-10. Conlan, Thomas. "The Nature of Warfare in Fourteenth-Century Japan: The Record of Nomoto Tomoyuki," Journal for Japanese Studies, 25:2 (1999), pp. 299-330. Hall, John W. The Cambridge History of Japan, Vol. 3, Cambridge: Cambrid…