Taira no Kiyomori

Taira no Kiyomori (平 清盛 1118 - 1181) 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 had previously only held a minor post. In 1156, he and Minamoto no Yoshitomo, head of the Minamoto clan, suppressed the Hōgen Rebellion. This established the Taira and Minamoto samurai clans as the top warrior clans in Kyoto. However, their new strength in effect caused the allies to become bitter rivals which culminated three years later during the Heiji Rebellion in 1159. Kiyomori, emerging victorious with Yoshitomo and his two eldest killed, was now the head of the single most powerful warrior family/clan in Kyoto. However, it should be noted that his clan's power and influence in the provinces at this time is a matter of debate. At the request of his wife, Kiyomori showed mercy and exiled Yoshitomo's three youngest sons Yoritomo, Noriyori, and Yoshitsune.
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