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The 'Hōgen Rebellion' (保元の乱) was a Japanese civil war fought in 1156 over Japanese imperial succession and control of the Fujiwara clan of regents.^[1] However, it also succeeded in establishing the dominance of the samurai clans and eventually the first samurai-led government in the history of Japan.
After the death of the cloistered Emperor Toba, Emperor Go-Shirakawa and the retired Emperor Sutoku disputed over succession to the throne and continuation of the cloistered government. Sutoku and Go-Shirakawa were sons of Toba. Fujiwara no Tadamichi, first son of regent Fujiwara no Tadazane, sided with Go-Shirakawa while his younger brother Fujiwara no Yorinaga sided with Sutoku. Each rival side in turn beckoned the Minamoto and Taira clans of samurai. Minamoto no Tameyoshi, head of the Minamoto clan, and Taira no Tadamasa sided with Sutoku and Yorinaga while on the other hand Minamoto no Yoshitomo, first son of Minamoto no Tameyoshi, and Taira no Kiyomori, head of the Taira clan and nephew of Taira no Tadamasa, sided with Go-Shirakawa and Tadamichi.
On July 10, both forces faced each other in Kyoto. On the Sutoku side, Minamoto no Tametomo (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.
At night of July 11, 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.
The forces of Go-Shirakawa went on to defeat Sutoku making the way for Emperor Nijō to be appointed to the throne and Go-Shirakawa becoming the new cloistered emperor in 1158. Sutoku was banished to Sanuki province of Shikoku, Fujiwara no Yorinaga was killed in battle, and Minamoto no Tameyoshi and Taira no Tadamasa were executed. Tametomo survived the battlefield and 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 Kyoto.
The outcome of the Hōgen Rebellion and the rivalry established between the Minamoto and Taira clans led to the Heiji Rebellion in 1159.^[2]
The Kamakura period epic ''Tale of Hōgen'' is about the exploits of the samurai that participated in the Hōgen Rebellion. Together with the ''Tale of Heiji'' and the ''Tale of Heike'', they describe the rise and fall of the Minamoto and Taira samurai clans.

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References

Notes

1. ''"Hōgen"'' refers to the Japanese era name after ''"Kyūju"'' and before ''"Heiji,"'' which was a period spanning the years from 1156 through 1159.''
2. ''"Heiji"'' refers to the Japanese era name after ''"Hōgen"'' and before ''"Eiryaku,"'' which was a period spanning the years from 1159 through 1160.

Further reading

★ Kitagawa, Hiroshi and Bruce T. Tsuchida, eds. (1975). ''The Tale of the Heike.'' Tokyo: University of Tokyo Press. ISBN 0-86008-128-1

See also

★ Siege of Shirakawa-den