Cloistered Rule and the Rise of the Samurai

In the latter part of the Heian period, retired emperors began ruling through “cloistered rule” to oppose the Fujiwara clan. At the same time, samurai gained power in the provinces, and after the Hogen and Heiji Disturbances, the Taira government was established.

Basic Knowledge

Cloistered rule was a system in which a retired emperor（an ex-emperor, or “in”）left the court's political structure（Fujiwara regent politics）and governed independently.
In 1086, Emperor Shirakawa ceded the throne to his son Emperor Horikawa, became an ex-emperor, and governed himself. This marked the beginning of cloistered rule.
Reasons cloistered rule became possible:
・Emperor Go-Sanjo, who had no maternal relationship with the Fujiwara clan, ascended the throne（1068）
・The ex-emperor established the In Office and had independent close advisers
・Personal advisers of the ex-emperor（middle- and lower-ranking aristocrats from provincial governors' families）supported cloistered rule
Cloistered rule continued for about 100 years under Ex-Emperor Shirakawa, Ex-Emperor Toba, and Ex-Emperor Go-Shirakawa, while the samurai rose to power.
In the provinces, samurai were growing in strength. Origins of the samurai:
・Powerful local farmers armed themselves
・They defended themselves against provincial governors
・They came to Kyoto to guard aristocrats and serve as warrior monks at temples
・They played active roles in suppressing rebellions（the Rebellion of Taira no Masakado and the Rebellion of Fujiwara no Sumitomo）
Major samurai clans: the Minamoto（Seiwa Genji）and the Taira（Kanmu Heishi）, the two major warrior clans

Further Study (Background and Influence)

The significance of cloistered rule was that it was a political reform intended to regain real power from Fujiwara regent politics. As the father or grandfather of the emperor, an ex-emperor possessed strong authority and could govern without being controlled by the Fujiwara clan.
Ex-Emperor Shirakawa was a powerful autocrat. It was said that only three things did not go as he wished: “the waters of the Kamo River, the dice of backgammon, and the warrior monks of Mount Hiei”（floods of the Kamo River, the numbers on dice, and the warrior monks of Mount Hiei）.
The emergence of the samurai was one of the most important events of the late Heian period. Samurai began when powerful local farmers armed themselves for self-defense, gradually organized, and formed warrior bands.
・Rebellion of Taira no Masakado（935-940）: Taira no Masakado rebelled in the Kanto region and called himself the “New Emperor” → suppressed by Taira no Sadamori and Fujiwara no Hidesato
・Rebellion of Fujiwara no Sumitomo（939-941）: Fujiwara no Sumitomo led pirates in a rebellion in the Inland Sea
・Together, these are called the Johei-Tengyo Rebellions
The Minamoto and Taira clans grew powerful among the warrior bands. The Minamoto based their power in eastern Japan, while the Taira based theirs in western Japan.
The Hogen Disturbance（1156） was a complex conflict involving the opposition between Emperor Go-Shirakawa and Ex-Emperor Sutoku, the rivalry between Fujiwara no Tadamichi and Yorinaga, and struggles over leadership within the Minamoto and Taira clans. The Go-Shirakawa side won, and the participation of Taira no Kiyomori and Minamoto no Yoshitomo gave them an opportunity to enter central politics.
In the Heiji Disturbance（1159）, Taira no Kiyomori defeated Minamoto no Yoshitomo and became the first warrior to reach the top of central politics. In 1167, he became grand minister of state, married his daughter Tokuko to Emperor Takakura, and had their son（Emperor Antoku）ascend the throne, practicing maternal-relative politics like the Fujiwara clan. This was the Taira government. However, its power became so great that it was said, “Anyone who is not of the Heike is not a person,” provoking opposition from Minamoto no Yoritomo and others. The Taira clan was destroyed at the Battle of Dannoura in 1185.

Points to Note (Easily Confused)

① Cloistered rule began with Ex-Emperor Shirakawa in 1086. ② Difference between an ex-emperor and an emperor: an ex-emperor had abdicated, while an emperor was the current ruler. Under cloistered rule, the ex-emperor held real power. ③ Do not confuse the Rebellion of Taira no Masakado（935-940, Kanto）with the Rebellion of Fujiwara no Sumitomo（939-941, Inland Sea）. Together they are the Johei-Tengyo Rebellions. ④ Distinguish the years and content of the Hogen Disturbance（1156）and the Heiji Disturbance（1159）. Hogen involved conflicts within the imperial family and Fujiwara clan; Heiji involved conflict among warriors. ⑤ The Minamoto were represented by the Seiwa Genji, and the Taira by the Kanmu Heishi. Both were lineages descended from the imperial family. ⑥ 1185 = destruction of the Taira clan = year of the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate（there are differing theories）.

Practice

1. State the ex-emperor who began cloistered rule and the year it began.
2. State the person who established the Taira government and the year he became grand minister of state.
3. Name two representative 10th-century rebellions showing the rise of the samurai.