Hogen Rebellion
Encyclopedia
The was a short civil war
Civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....

 fought in order to resolve a dispute about Japanese Imperial succession. The dispute was also about the degree of control exercised by the Fujiwara clan who had become hereditary Imperial regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...

s during the Heian period
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...

.

Hōgen no ran produced a series of unanticipated consequences. It created a foundation from which the dominance of the samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...

 clans would come to be established. It is considered the beginning in a chain of events which would produce the first of three samurai-led governments in the history of Japan
History of Japan
The history of Japan encompasses the history of the islands of Japan and the Japanese people, spanning the ancient history of the region to the modern history of Japan as a nation state. Following the last ice age, around 12,000 BC, the rich ecosystem of the Japanese Archipelago fostered human...

.

Context

A simmering power struggle in the Imperial court was focused on three figures in 1155. After the former Emperor Toba
Emperor Toba
was the 74th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Toba's reign spanned the years from 1107 through 1123.- Genealogy :...

 and the former Emperor Sutoku
Emperor Sutoku
was the 75th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Sutoku's reign spanned the years from 1123 through 1142.-Genealogy:Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name was Akihito ....

 abdicated, each intended to continue to wield various kinds of power behind the throne during the reign of Emperor Konoe
Emperor Konoe
was the 76th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Konoe's reign spanned the years from 1142 through 1155.-Genealogy:...

; however, when young Konoe died, the dynamics of the contending factions changed.
  • August 23, 1155 (Kyūju
    Kyuju
    was a after Ninpei and before Hōgen. This period spanned the years from October 1151 through April 1154. The reigning emperors were and .-Change of era:* February 14, 1154 : The new era name was created to mark an event or a number of events...

     2, 24th day of the 7th month
    ) : In the 14th year of Konoe-tennō 's reign (近衛天皇14年), the emperor died; and despite an ensuing dispute over who should follow him as sovereign, contemporary scholars then construed that the succession (senso) was received by a younger brother, the 14th son of former-Emperor Toba
    Emperor Toba
    was the 74th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Toba's reign spanned the years from 1107 through 1123.- Genealogy :...

    . Shortly thereafter, Emperor Go-Shirakawa
    Emperor Go-Shirakawa
    Emperor Go-Shirakawa was the 77th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession...

     is said to have acceded to the throne (sokui).


When Go-Shirakawa ascended the Chrysanthemum throne
Chrysanthemum Throne
The is the English term used to identify the throne of the Emperor of Japan. The term can refer to very specific seating, such as the takamikura throne in the Shishin-den at Kyoto Imperial Palace....

, a new phase of this multi-faceted power struggle began to unfold. A bitter dispute between two of Toba's sons was paralleled by divisions within the several kuge
Kuge
The was a Japanese aristocratic class that dominated the Japanese imperial court in Kyoto until the rise of the Shogunate in the 12th century at which point it was eclipsed by the daimyo...

families and others. Toba had forced one of his sons to abdicate in favor of the son of another consort; and after 1142, former Emperor Sutoku harbored the expectation that his son would follow Emperor Konoe on the throne. Sutoku's hopes were frustrated by the elevation of another brother who would become known as Go-Shirakawa.
  • July 20, 1156 (Hōgen
    Hogen (era)
    was a after Kyūju and before Heiji. This period spanned the years from April 1156 through April 1159. The reigning emperors were and .-Change of era:* January 24, 1156 : The new era name was created to mark an event or series of events...

     1, 2nd day of the 7th month
    ): The former-Emperor Toba died at the age of 54.


After the death of the Toba, forces loyal to reigning Emperor Go-Shirakawa and the forces supporting retired former Emperor Sutoku disputed the accession of Go-Shirakawa and his continued possession of the throne. The opposing groups were also contending over continuation of cloistered government
Cloistered rule
The Insei system , or cloistered rule, was a specific form of government in Japan during the Heian period. In this bifurcated system, an Emperor abdicated, but he retained power and influence. The emperors who withdrew to live in monasteries continued to act in ways which were intended to...

.

Combat

Go-Shirakawa and Sutoku were rival sons of Toba. Fujiwara no Tadamichi
Fujiwara no Tadamichi
was the eldest son of the Japanese regent Fujiwara no Tadazane and a member of the politically powerful Fujiwara clan. He was the father of Fujiwara no Kanefusa and Jien.In the Hōgen Rebellion of 1156, Tadamichi sided with the Emperor Go-Shirakawa....

, first son of regent Fujiwara no Tadazane
Fujiwara no Tadazane
was a Japanese noble and the grandson of Fujiwara no Morozane. He built a villa, Fukedono, north of the Byōdō-in Temple in 1114. He was the father of Fujiwara no Tadamichi....

, sided with Go-Shirakawa while his younger brother Fujiwara no Yorinaga
Fujiwara no Yorinaga
, of the Fujiwara clan, held the position of Imperial Palace Minister of the Right.Born in 1120, Yorinaga ascended quickly through the political ranks achieving formidable office by the age of 17...

 sided with Sutoku. Each rival side in turn beckoned the Minamoto and Taira clans of samurai. Minamoto no Tameyoshi
Minamoto no Tameyoshi
was head of the Minamoto samurai clan during his lifetime, and grandson of Minamoto no Yoshiie; he led the Minamoto in the Hōgen Rebellion. Tameyoshi is also known as ....

, head of the Minamoto clan, and Taira no Tadamasa sided with Sutoku and Yorinaga while on the other hand Minamoto no Yoshitomo
Minamoto no Yoshitomo
was the head of the Minamoto clan and a general of the late Heian period of Japanese history. His son Minamoto no Yoritomo became shogun and founded the Kamakura Shogunate, the first shogunate in the history of Japan.-Hōgen Rebellion:...

, first son of Minamoto no Tameyoshi, and Taira no Kiyomori
Taira no Kiyomori
was a general of the late Heian period of Japan. He established the first samurai-dominated administrative government in the history of Japan.After the death of his father Taira no Tadamori in 1153, Kiyomori assumed control of the Taira clan and ambitiously entered the political realm in which he...

, head of the Taira clan and nephew of Taira no Tadamasa, sided with Go-Shirakawa and Tadamichi.
  • July 28, 1156 (Hōgen 1, 10th day of the 7th month): Both forces faced each other in Kyōto
    Kyoto
    is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...

    . On the Sutoku side, Minamoto no Tametomo
    Minamoto no Tametomo
    was a samurai who fought in the Hōgen Rebellion of 1156. He was the son of Minamoto no Tameyoshi, and brother to Yukiie and Yoshitomo....

     (son of Minamoto no Tameyoshi) suggested a night attack on an enemy palace, but Fujiwara no Yorinaga rejected this strategy. Meanwhile, their enemy Minamoto no Yoshitomo suggested the same, and followed through on it.

  • July 29, 1156 (Hōgen 1, 11th day of the 7th month): At night, Kiyomori and Yoshitomo led 600 cavalry and attacked a palace of Sutoku. Kiyomori attacked West gate where Tametomo protected. Tametomo repulsed Kiyomori's force by his outstanding archery. Then Yoshitomo attacked Tametomo but also he was repulsed. Sutoku's samurai fought hard, and a fierce battle continued.


Yoshitomo suggested that they set aflame the enemy palace. This was done and, fighting both the flames and Go-Shirakawa's forces, the Sutoku's samurai fled leaving Go-Shirakawa's allies victorious on the battlefield.

Outcome

The forces of reigning Emperor Go-Shirakawa went on to defeat the forces of former Emperor Sutoku. This made way for Go-Shirakawa to abdicate while still continuing to exercise unfettered Imperial powers. Go-Shirakawa become the new cloistered emperor in 1158, and he would continue to exercise power throughout the reigns of five emperors — (Emperor Nijō
Emperor Nijo
Emperor Nijō was the 78th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spaned the years from 1158 through 1165.- Genealogy :...

, Emperor Rokujō
Emperor Rokujo
Emperor Rokujō was the 79th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1165 through 1168.-Genealogy:...

, Emperor Takakura
Emperor Takakura
Emperor Takakura was the 80th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1168 through 1180.-Genealogy:...

, Emperor Antoku
Emperor Antoku
Emperor Antoku was the 81st emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1180 through 1185. During this time, the imperial family was involved in a bitter struggle between warring clans...

, and Emperor Go-Toba
Emperor Go-Toba
was the 82nd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1183 through 1198....

) — until his death in 1192. Sutoku was banished to Sanuki province
Sanuki Province
was an old province of Japan on the island of Shikoku, with the same boundaries as modern Kagawa Prefecture. It was sometimes called .It faced the Inland Sea and bordered on Awa and Iyo Provinces. Across Naruto strait it bordered Awaji Province too. Administratively it was included as a part of...

 of Shikoku
Shikoku
is the smallest and least populous of the four main islands of Japan, located south of Honshū and east of the island of Kyūshū. Its ancient names include Iyo-no-futana-shima , Iyo-shima , and Futana-shima...

, Fujiwara no Yorinaga was killed in battle, and Minamoto no Tameyoshi and Taira no Tadamasa were executed. Tametomo survived the battlefield and was forced to flee. Minamoto no Yoshitomo became head of the Minamoto after the death of his father and together with Taira no Kiyomori, succeeded in establishing the two samurai clans as major new political powers in Kyōto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...

.

Legacy

The outcome of the Hōgen Rebellion and the rivalry established between the Minamoto and Taira clans led to the Heiji Rebellion
Heiji Rebellion
The was a short civil war fought in order to resolve a dispute about political power. The Heiji no ran encompassed clashes between rival subjects of the cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa of Japan in 1159. It was preceded by the Hōgen Rebellion in 1156...

 in 1159.

The Kamakura period
Kamakura period
The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura Shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo....

 epic Tale of the Disturbance in Hōgen
Tale of Hogen
is a Japanese war chronicle or military tale which relates the events and prominent figures of the Hōgen Rebellion. This literary and historical classic is believed to have been completed in the Kamakura period ca. 1320. Its author or authors remain unknown...

 is about the exploits of the samurai that participated in the Hōgen Rebellion. Together with the Tale of the Disturbance in Heiji
Tale of Heiji
The Tale of Heiji is a Japanese war epic detailing the events of the Heiji Rebellion of 1159-1160, in which samurai clan head Minamoto no Yoshitomo attacked and besieged Kyoto, as part of an Imperial succession dispute, in which he was opposed by Taira no Kiyomori, head of the Taira clan...

 and the Tale of Heike, these war stories (gunki monogatari
Monogatari
is a literary form in traditional Japanese literature, an extended prose narrative tale comparable to the epic. Monogatari is closely tied to aspects of the oral tradition, and almost always relates a fictional or fictionalized story, even when retelling a historical event...

) describe the rise and fall of the Minamoto and Taira samurai clans.
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