Heishi

Japanese: 平氏 - へいし

A powerful clan bestowed with the surname of the Imperial Family. It began when the descendants of four princes, the sons of Emperor Kanmu, Katsurabara, Manda, Nakano, and Kaya, were given the surname Taira and demoted to the status of subjects. In addition, the descendants of Prince Masamune and Prince Yukitada, grandsons of Emperor Ninmyo (Ninmyo-Taira clan), the descendants of Prince Korehiko, son of Emperor Montoku (Montoku-Taira clan), and the descendants of Prince Koretada, son of Emperor Koko (Kotaka-Taira clan), were also given the surname Taira, but the line of Prince Kuzuhara developed (→Kanmu-Taira clan). Prince Takamune, son of Prince Kuzuhara, was given the surname Taira in 825, and many of his descendants held important positions as ritsuryo officials. Meanwhile, Prince Takamochi, son of Prince Takami, was given the surname Taira in 890, and his descendants settled in the eastern part of the country and developed as warriors. Prince Takamochi became the governor of Kazusa and settled in his province, and his sons Kunika, Yoshikane, Yoshimochi, Yoshifumi, and Yoshishige also settled in various parts of the Kanto region. Taira no Masakado, the son of Yoshimochi or Yoshimasa, started the Tenkei Rebellion (→Johhei-Tengyo Rebellion) and was destroyed, but the descendants of Yoshifumi and Yoshishige, known as the "Sando Eight Heishi" in Chichibu, Chiba, Kazusa, Miura, Tohi, Oba, Kajiwara, and Nagao, organized a strong samurai group throughout the Kanto region and contributed to the establishment of the Kamakura Shogunate. Meanwhile, Kunika's grandson Korehira expanded his influence into the Ise region and was known as the Ise Heishi. Among his descendants were Tadamori and his son Kiyomori, who were appointed as samurai in the northern side of the Imperial Court and expelled the Minamoto clan in the Hogen-Heiji Rebellion, establishing the first samurai government in Rokuhara and ushering in the heyday of the Taira clan, but were annihilated by the Minamoto clan at Dannoura in Nagato in March 1185. However, the Hojo clan, descended from Kunikane, held important positions in the Kamakura Shogunate, and after the end of the Minamoto Shogunate, they held real power as regents. Even after that, there was a tendency among warriors to refer to themselves as either Genji or Taira, and Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi also claimed to be of Taira descent.

Taira Clan

Please see the "Taira" page.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

皇族賜姓の豪族。桓武天皇の皇子葛原（かつらばら），万多（まんだ），仲野，賀陽（かや）の 4親王の子孫が平姓を与えられて臣籍に降下したのに始まる。ほかにも仁明天皇の孫雅望王と行忠王の子孫（仁明平氏），文徳天皇の子惟彦親王の子孫（文徳平氏），光孝天皇の子是忠親王の子孫（光孝平氏）も平姓を与えられたが，葛原親王の系統が発展した（→桓武平氏）。葛原親王の子高棟王は天長2（825）年平姓を与えられ，その子孫は律令官人として重要な地位を得たものが多かった。一方，寛平2（890）年高見王の子高望王が平姓を与えられ，その子孫は東国に土着して武士として発展した。高望王は上総介となって任国に土着し，その子国香，良兼，良持，良文，良茂らも関東各地に土着した。良持または良将の子平将門は天慶の乱（→承平・天慶の乱）を起こして滅亡したが，良文，良茂の子孫は秩父，千葉，上総，三浦，土肥，大庭，梶原，長尾の「坂東八平氏」と称され関東一円に強固な武士団を組織し，鎌倉幕府の創立に貢献した。一方，国香の孫維衡は伊勢地方に勢力を拡大して伊勢平氏と称された。その子孫から忠盛，その子清盛が出て，院の北面の武士に登用され，保元・平治の乱で源氏を追放して，武士による初めての政権を六波羅に樹立し，平氏全盛時代を現出したが，元暦2（1185）年3月源氏によって長門壇ノ浦に滅ぼされた。しかし国香の流れをくむ北条氏は鎌倉幕府に重要な地位を占め，源家将軍断絶後は執権として幕府の実権を握った。その後も武人の間では源平いずれかを称する風潮があり，織田信長，豊臣秀吉なども平氏出身と称した。