Editing Taira no Kiyomori (section)

==Career==
After the death of his father in 1153, Kiyomori assumed control of the [[Taira]] clan and ambitiously entered the political realm, in which he had previously only held a minor post. Before that though, in 1156, he and [[Minamoto no Yoshitomo]], head of the [[Minamoto]] clan, suppressed the rebels in the [[Hōgen Rebellion]]. This established the Taira and Minamoto as the top samurai clans in [[Kyoto]].  However, this caused the allies to become bitter rivals which culminated four years later during the [[Heiji Rebellion]] in 1160. Kiyomori, emerging victorious with Yoshitomo (whose two eldest sons were killed), was now the head of the single most powerful warrior clan in imperial capital [[Kyoto]].  However, his clan's power and influence in the [[Provinces of Japan|provinces]] at this time is a matter of debate. Kiyomori showed mercy and exiled a few of Yoshitomo's surviving sons, including [[Minamoto no Yoritomo|Yoritomo]], [[Minamoto no Noriyori|Noriyori]], and [[Minamoto no Yoshitsune|Yoshitsune]] – a benevolence that would turn out to be the Taira clan's downfall later on.<ref name=Sansom>{{Cite book |last=Sansom |first=George |title=A History of Japan to 1334 |publisher=Stanford University Press |year=1958 |isbn=0804705232 |pages=256–259}}</ref><ref name=Sato>{{Cite book |last=Sato |first=Hiroaki |title=Legends of the Samurai |publisher=Overlook Duckworth |year=1995 |isbn=9781590207307 |page=111}}</ref>

Due to his status as the head of the sole remaining warrior clan in imperial court, Kiyomori was in a unique position to manipulate the court rivalry between the [[Cloistered Emperor|retired emperor]], [[Go-Shirakawa]], and his son, [[Emperor Nijō]]. Because of this manipulation, Kiyomori was able to climb the ranks of government, though the majority of his promotions as well as the success of his family in gaining ranks and titles at court was due to Shirakawa's patronage.  This culminated in 1167, when Kiyomori became the first [[courtier]] of a warrior family to be appointed ''[[daijō-daijin]]'', chief minister of the government, and the ''[[de facto]]'' administrator of the imperial government.  As was the norm, he soon relinquished the position and leadership of the [[Taira]] clan, with the goal of maintaining the social and political prestige of having attained the highest office in the land, but being free of the attendant duties.  This had been a common practice for many years in the highest levels of ancient Japanese government and in doing so Kiyomori was asserting what he felt was his strong position in the [[Heian Palace|Kyoto government]].  However, many of the courtiers from traditional civil (non-warrior) noble families were less than pleased with both Kiyomori's attainment of power, and how he comported himself with regard to other high ranking courtiers.<ref name=Sansom/>{{rp|266–267}}

[[Image:Yoshitoshi The Fever.jpg|thumb|350px|right|While suffering from a [[fever]], Taira no Kiyomori is confronted by a vision of hell and the ghosts of his victims, in an 1883 print by [[Yoshitoshi]].]]

In 1171, Kiyomori arranged a marriage between his daughter [[Taira no Tokuko|Tokuko]] and [[Emperor Takakura]].  Their first son, the future [[Emperor Antoku]], was born in 1178.<ref name=Sansom/>{{rp|268,285}} The next year, in 1179, Kiyomori staged a [[coup d'état]] forcing the resignation of his rivals from all government posts and subsequently banishing them. He then filled the open government positions with his allies and relatives, and imprisoned (house arrest) the cloistered [[Emperor Go-Shirakawa]]. Finally, in 1180 Kiyomori forced Emperor Takakura to abdicate and give Prince Tokihito the throne, who then became [[Emperor Antoku]].<ref name=Sansom/>{{rp|275,285}}

With the exertion of Taira power and wealth and Kiyomori's new monopoly on authority, many of his allies, most of the provincial samurai, and even members of his own clan turned against him. [[Prince Mochihito]], brother of [[Emperor Takakura]], called on Kiyomori's old rivals of the Minamoto clan to rise against the Taira, beginning the [[Genpei War]] in the middle of 1180. Kiyomori died early the next year from sickness, leaving his son [[Taira no Munemori|Munemori]] to preside over the downfall and destruction of the Taira at the hands of the Minamoto in 1185.<ref name=Sansom/>{{rp|278,287}}

''The Tale of the Heike'' states that as he lay dying, Kiyomori's fever was so high that anyone who attempted to even get near him would be burned by the heat.<ref name=Watson>{{Cite book |translator=Burton Watson |title=The Tales of the Heike |publisher=Columbia University Press |year=2006 |isbn=9780231138031 |page=66}}</ref>

[[File:A man confronted with an apparition of the Fox goddess.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|left|[[Taira no Kiyomori]] encounters the fox goddess Kiko Tennō ([[Dakini|Dakiniten]]), by [[Utagawa Kuniyoshi]]]]
The rapid rise of certain notable figures to prominence, as well as their decline, have been popularly attributed to Dakiniten. A certain anecdote regarding the military leader [[Taira no Kiyomori]] found in the ''[[Genpei Jōsuiki]]'' (one of a number of variants of the ''[[Heike Monogatari]]'') claims that Kiyomori once shot an arrow at a fox during a hunt. The fox then transformed into a woman who promised to grant Kiyomori whatever he wanted in exchange for her life. Kiyomori, realizing this woman is none other than the goddess Kiko Tennō (貴狐天王, lit. "Venerable Fox [[Deva (Buddhism)|Deva]]-King", i.e. Dakiniten), spared her life. He subsequently became a devotee of the goddess, despite his awareness that the benefits obtained through the Dakiniten rite (吒天の法, ''Daten no hō'') would not be passed on to his progeny. The story thus attributes both Kiyomori's rise in power and the subsequent fall of [[Taira clan|his clan]] to his performance of the Dakiniten ritual.{{sfnp|Faure|2015b|pp=121, 224–225}}{{sfnp|Bathgate|2004|p=154}}{{sfnp|Smyers|1999|p=84}}