Heike Monogatari has gone down in history for recounting the rise and fall of the Taira, or Heike clan. Their rise to power is described briefly in Book One, but little attention is focused on two military conflicts that brought them to political power: the Hōgen and Heiji Rebellions (or Disturbances).
The Hōgen Rebellion took place in 1156, roughly one year after Go-Shirakawa had ascended to the throne. It began as a dispute occurred between him and his brother, retired Emperor Sutoku, and expanded to encompass the discontent that some people felt regarding the amount of influence held by the Fujiwara family, who were at the time the most powerful family in Japan. When the previous emperor, Konoe, died in 1155, Sutoku believed that his son would become the next Emperor, but after much discussion it was decided that Go-Shirakawa would take the throne. The Fujiwara clan was split in two regarding the conflict. Some of them agreed with Sutoku, such as Fujiwara no Yorinaga. However, many Fujiwara, namely Fujiwara no Tadazane, sided with Go-Shirakawa’s rule, which enraged Sutoku. Using their influence, the Fujiwara sympathetic to Sutoku rallied a group of Genji and Heike warriors led by Minamoto no Tameyoshi in order to seize power, the opposing group of Fujiwara organized another force headed by Taira no Kiyomori to fight on the side of Go-Shirakawa. After setting fire to the enemy palace, at the suggestion of Minamoto no Yoshitomo, Kiyomori’s forces prevailed, and he was able to use the fact that he and his men defended the Emperor in his time of need in order to give more influence in political affairs to his clan. His daughter was married to the Emperor, and the Fujiwara were phased out power after nearly three hundred years.
Two years later in 1158, Emperor Go-Shirakawa abdicated, and his eldest son took the throne as Emperor Nijou. Shortly after in 1159, Kiyomori, who was now a powerful government figure, left Kyouto with his family. Minamoto no Yoshitomo, the then head of the Genji clan, saw this as an opportunity to take power for himself. Despite having fought beside Kiyomori during the Hougen rebellion, Yoshitomo had grown bitter after not being able get his father (Minamoto no Tameyoshi, who fought with Sutoku and was executed) a pardon. Additionally, the newfound absence of the Fujiwara family left the Genji and the Heike as the two biggest political rivals in Japan. Once Kiyomori’s was gone, he sent Minamoto to Nobuyori and his forces to Sanjou Palace, where they abducted both Go-Shirakawa and reigning Emperor Nijou, putting them under house arrest, and set fire to the palace. After this, Nobuyori declared himself imperial chancellor, and his plans for political power started to come to fruition. When Kiyomori returned to Kyouto, instead of immediately attacking Nobuyori and his forces, he devised a series of plans. First, he tried to set up a peace proposal, but amidst the discussion, Nobuyori’s carelessness allowed Go-Shirakawa and Nijou to escape. With prisoners no longer being an issue, Kiyomori sent his son, Taira no Shigemori, along with about three thousand men, to drive Nobuyori from the Imperial Palace. Nobuyori ran as soon as he got the chance, while Minamoto no Yoshihira fought back fiercely. Eventually, Kiyomori set another plan of his into motion by pulling his forces from the Imperial Palace. Some of the Genji forces followed them, where the Heike cut the Genji off and defeated them. Not only did the Genji clan fail their attempted coup d’état, but Kiyomori had successfully solidified his prominent role in government after coming to the imperial family’s aid for a second time.
Considering the events of the Hougen and Heiji Rebellions, it is very clear that they were a connected pair of events. That is to say, the Heiji Rebellion was a sort of direct response to the Hougen Rebellion and the events following it. The conflicts, despite not getting too much of a spotlight within Heike Monogatari, contribute in large part to the civil war that is about to unfold, roughly twenty years later; Yoshitomo’s change of sides to attempt a grasp of power clearly displays the lengths that either clan is willing to go to control the government, which firmly establishes the rivalry of the two. The conflict may have only lasted a total of three years and taken place well before the Genpei War actually started, but the importance of the Hougen and Heiji Rebellions in the context of Heike Monogatari should very much not be overlooked.
Sources:
Watanabe, Akira, and Yasuo Masai. “Japan.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 13 Apr. 2018, www.britannica.com/place/Japan/The-Heian-period-794-1185#ref276131.
Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Hōgen Disturbance.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 4 Mar. 2016, www.britannica.com/event/Hogen-Disturbance.