The Heiji rebellion was a short civil war between rival subjects of the cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa of Japan in 1160 fought in order to resolve a dispute about political power. It was preceded by the Hōgen Rebellion in 1156. Heiji no ran is seen as a direct outcome of the earlier armed dispute; but unlike Hōgen no ran, which was a dispute between Emperors in which members of the same clan fought on different sides, this was rather a struggle for power between two rival samurai clans. It is also seen as a precursor of a broader civil war.
Emperor Nijō escaping from the imperial palace
Night Attack on the Sanjō Palace (handscroll detail)
Battle at Rokuhara
Image: Illustrated Tale of the Heiji Civil War : Scroll of the Imperial Visit to Rokuhara Google Art Project
Emperor Go-Shirakawa was the 77th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His de jure reign spanned the years from 1155 through 1158, though arguably he effectively maintained imperial power for almost thirty-seven years through the insei system – scholars differ as to whether his rule can be truly considered part of the insei system, given that the Hōgen Rebellion undermined the imperial position. However, it is broadly acknowledged that by politically outmaneuvering his opponents, he attained greater influence and power than the diminished authority of the emperor's position during this period would otherwise allow.
Emperor Go-Shirakawa
The Heiji Rebellion of 1160
Tomb of Emperor Go-Shirakawa in Kyoto
Signboard by Imperial Household Agency