Siege of Sanjo Palace
Encyclopedia
The Siege of the Sanjō Palace was the primary battle of the 1159 Heiji Rebellion
. In early January of 1160, after Taira no Kiyomori
left Kyoto on a family pilgrimage, Fujiwara no Nobuyori
and Minamoto no Yoshitomo
saw an opportunity to effect changes they sought in the government. With a force of roughly five hundred men, they attacked in the night, kidnapping former emperor Emperor Go-Shirakawa
, and setting fire to the Palace. They also abducted and imprisoned then current emperor, Emperor Nijō
, who supported their enemies, the Taira clan and Fujiwara no Michinori
.
They next attacked the manor house of Michinori, setting it too aflame and killing all those inside, with the exception of Michinori himself, who was captured later and decapitated. Nobuyori forced Emperor Nijō to name him imperial chancellor, completing one of the first important steps towards gaining power over his rivals.
However, Taira no Kiyomori returned soon afterwards, with his son Taira no Shigemori
and a small force. The Minamoto, reinforced with men from Kamakura
led by Yoshitomo's eldest son Minamoto no Yoshihira
, were the larger force but were unprepared, and hesitated at Kiyomori's return. The Taira were thus allowed to return to their family's mansion in the Rokuhara district, where they would plan tactics and strategies, and gain many more warriors.
At the end of January, the Taira smuggled the Emperor Nijō and his empress consort out of the Sanjō Palace and into the Rokuhara mansion, disguised as a lady in waiting. Meanwhile, the Taira also helped the former emperor Emperor Go-Shirakawa escape from the Minamoto as well.
On the morning of February 5th, Minamoto no Yoshitomo
and his men prepared to defend the Palace against the inevitable Taira assault. The defense held out for a time, until a portion of the Taira feigned a retreat, luring Minamoto warriors out of the Palace, and giving the rest of their force an opportunity to rush the Gates and, soon afterwards, drive the Minamoto out. Yoshitomo's men were then obliged to attack the Rokuhara mansion, but failed in their assault, and fled Kyoto, meeting resistance along the way from the warrior monks
of Mount Hiei
who they had attacked in decades past.
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 early January of 1160, after 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...
left Kyoto on a family pilgrimage, Fujiwara no Nobuyori
Fujiwara no Nobuyori
was one of the chief allies of Minamoto no Yoshitomo in the Heiji Rebellion of 1159. As a member of the Fujiwara clan, Nobuyori might have been in line to become regent, and he desired power, which he obtained for a short while following the Rebellion....
and 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:...
saw an opportunity to effect changes they sought in the government. With a force of roughly five hundred men, they attacked in the night, kidnapping former emperor Emperor Go-Shirakawa
Emperor Go-Shirakawa
Emperor Go-Shirakawa was the 77th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession...
, and setting fire to the Palace. They also abducted and imprisoned then current emperor, 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 :...
, who supported their enemies, the Taira clan and Fujiwara no Michinori
Fujiwara no Michinori
, also known as ', an aristocratic Confucian scholar and monk, was one of the chief advisors to Emperor Nijō, and one of the chief allies of Taira no Kiyomori, particularly during the Heiji Rebellion of 1159....
.
They next attacked the manor house of Michinori, setting it too aflame and killing all those inside, with the exception of Michinori himself, who was captured later and decapitated. Nobuyori forced Emperor Nijō to name him imperial chancellor, completing one of the first important steps towards gaining power over his rivals.
However, Taira no Kiyomori returned soon afterwards, with his son Taira no Shigemori
Taira no Shigemori
was the eldest son of the Taira clan patriarch, Taira no Kiyomori. He took part in the Hōgen and Heiji rebellions. He died of illness in 1179....
and a small force. The Minamoto, reinforced with men from Kamakura
Kamakura, Kanagawa
is a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, about south-south-west of Tokyo. It used to be also called .Although Kamakura proper is today rather small, it is often described in history books as a former de facto capital of Japan as the seat of the Shogunate and of the Regency during the...
led by Yoshitomo's eldest son Minamoto no Yoshihira
Minamoto no Yoshihira
Minamoto no Yoshihira was a Minamoto clan warrior who fought alongside his father, Minamoto no Yoshitomo, in the Heiji Rebellion....
, were the larger force but were unprepared, and hesitated at Kiyomori's return. The Taira were thus allowed to return to their family's mansion in the Rokuhara district, where they would plan tactics and strategies, and gain many more warriors.
At the end of January, the Taira smuggled the Emperor Nijō and his empress consort out of the Sanjō Palace and into the Rokuhara mansion, disguised as a lady in waiting. Meanwhile, the Taira also helped the former emperor Emperor Go-Shirakawa escape from the Minamoto as well.
On the morning of February 5th, 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:...
and his men prepared to defend the Palace against the inevitable Taira assault. The defense held out for a time, until a portion of the Taira feigned a retreat, luring Minamoto warriors out of the Palace, and giving the rest of their force an opportunity to rush the Gates and, soon afterwards, drive the Minamoto out. Yoshitomo's men were then obliged to attack the Rokuhara mansion, but failed in their assault, and fled Kyoto, meeting resistance along the way from the warrior monks
Sohei
were Buddhist warrior monks of feudal Japan. At certain points of history they held considerable power, obliging the imperial and military governments to collaborate....
of Mount Hiei
Mount Hiei
is a mountain to the northeast of Kyoto, lying on the border between the Kyoto and Shiga prefectures, Japan.The temple of Enryaku-ji, the first outpost of the Japanese Tiantai sect of Buddhism, was founded atop Mount Hiei by Saichō in 788. Both Nichiren and Honen studied at the temple before...
who they had attacked in decades past.