Minamoto clan

• Japanese: 源氏 (Minamoto-shi, Genji)

The Minamoto clan was a prominent clan in the Heian period, and the clan from which all shogun have claimed descent. Defeating the Taira clan in the Genpei War (1180-1185) and uniting Japan, the Minamoto established the first shogunate, marking the rise of the samurai class and the beginning of a period of over 600 years during which Japan would be under samurai (warrior) rule.

History

Along with the Fujiwara, Tachibana, and Taira clans, the Minamoto were one of four clans which dominated Heian politics and court society. Originally an honorary surname granted by the emperor, the Minamoto originally served as agents of the court, suppressing rebellions and guarding the state's borders.

In the 11th and 12th centuries, struggles for power emerged within the Imperial court. Though the sides in these conflicts were originally not drawn along clan lines, by the middle of the 12th century, the conflict came to be primarily one between the Minamoto and Taira clans. The Hôgen Disturbance of 1156 is frequently cited as marking this dramatic shift. Both sides in the conflict included members of the Taira, Minamoto, and Fujiwara clans, but the end of the conflict set the stage for rivalry to develop between the Minamoto, led by Minamoto no Yoshitomo, and the Taira, led by Taira no Kiyomori. The two clans faced off three years later, in the 1159 Heiji Disturbance, which ended in a Taira victory. Several of Yoshitomo's sons were killed, and several exiled, Yoshitomo himself being killed shortly later. Kiyomori came to dominate the Imperial court, establishing the first informal samurai-dominated government.