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Heiji RebellionThe Heiji Rebellion (平治の乱) was fought between rival subjects of the cloistered emperor Go-Shirakawa of Japan in 1159. It was preceded by and a result of the Hogen Rebellion in 1156. Early in 1160 (or late 1159, by the lunar calendar), Taira no Kiyomori, head of the Taira clan and supporter of Emperor Nijo, left Kyoto with his family, on a personal pilgrimage. This left his enemies, Fujiwara no Nobuyori and the Minamoto clan, a perfect opportunity to effect an uprising. In the Siege of Sanjo Palace, Nobuyori and his Minamoto allies abducted the former Emperor Go-Shirakawa and set fire to the Palace. Minamoto no Yoshitomo and Fujiwara no Nobuyori placed Go-Shirakawa under house arrest and killed his retainer, the scholar Fujiwara no Michinori. Nobuyori had himself declared Imperial Chancellor, and began to see his plans for political power fall into place. However, the Minamoto did not plan well enough, militarily, and were unprepared to defend the city against Kiyomori's return. Upon his return, the Minamoto made no decisive moves, hesitating. Ultimately, Taira no Kiyomori defeated Yoshitomo and killed his two eldest sons, killed Nobuyori, and released Go-Shirakawa. Yoshitomo was eventually betrayed and killed by a retainer while escaping from Kyoto in Owari. Afterwards, Taira no Kiyomori banished Yoshitomo's son Minamoto no Yoritomo, seized the Minamoto wealth and land, and eventually formed the first samurai dominated government, led by the Taira, in the history of Japan. ... The Kamakura period epic Tale of Heiji is about the exploits of the samurai that participated in the Heiji Rebellion. Together with the Tale of Hogen and the Tale of Heike, they describe the rise and fall of the Minamoto and Taira samurai clans.
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