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The Taira clan was one of the four most prominent families of court aristocracy in the [[Heian period]], along with the [[Minamoto clan|Minamoto]], [[Tachibana clan|Tachibana]], and [[Fujiwara clan]]s; in the 1150s-1180s, under [[Taira no Kiyomori]], they became the most powerful clan in the realm. The Taira were defeated by the Minamoto, however, in the [[Genpei War]] of [[1180]]-[[1185]], and all but destroyed. The Taira would never achieve prominence again, but many prominent [[samurai]] clans claimed descent from the Taira, whether legitimately, or in order to claim more elite ancestry, and legitimacy as rulers.

The Taira clan was one of the four most prominent families of court aristocracy in the [[Heian period]], along with the [[Minamoto clan|Minamoto]], [[Tachibana clan|Tachibana]], and [[Fujiwara clan]]s; in the 1150s-1180s, under [[Taira no Kiyomori]], they became the most powerful clan in the realm. The Taira were defeated by the Minamoto, however, in the [[Genpei War]] of [[1180]]-[[1185]], and all but destroyed. The Taira would never achieve prominence again, but many prominent [[samurai]] clans claimed descent from the Taira, whether legitimately, or in order to claim more elite ancestry, and legitimacy as rulers.

The most prominent and powerful lineage or family within the broader clan was the ''Kammu Heishi'', who claimed descent from [[Emperor Kammu]], through four of the eight sons of Takamochi, son of Takami, who in turn was the son of [[Prince Kazurahara]], eldest son of Emperor Kammu.<ref>Karl Friday, ''Samurai Warfare and the State in Early Medieval Japan'', Routledge (2004), 9. </ref> The Kammu Heishi, at that time based chiefly in [[Ise province]], rose to prominence in the 11th century as warriors in the service of certain retired emperors, just at the same time that the [[Seiwa Genji]], the most prominent lineage of the Minamoto clan, similarly rose to prominence defeating enemies of the Court in [[Tohoku|Tôhoku]]. The Kammu Heishi, led by Taira no Kiyomori, gained further power in the [[Hogen Rebellion|Hôgen Rebellion]] of [[1156]], and the following [[Heiji Rebellion]] of [[1159]], as he led forces in the service of Retired [[Emperor Go-Shirakawa]], alongside some Minamoto leaders, to victory against other Taira and Minamoto forces.<ref>William de Bary, ''Sources of Japanese Tradition'', vol 1, Columbia University Press (2001), 270.</ref>

The most prominent and powerful lineage or family within the broader clan was the ''Kammu Heishi'', who claimed descent from [[Emperor Kammu]], through four of the eight sons of Takamochi, son of Takami, who in turn was the son of [[Prince Kazurahara]], eldest son of Emperor Kammu.<ref>Karl Friday, ''Samurai Warfare and the State in Early Medieval Japan'', Routledge (2004), 9. </ref> The Kammu Heishi, at that time based chiefly in [[Ise province]], rose to prominence in the 11th century as warriors in the service of certain retired emperors, just at the same time that the [[Seiwa Genji]], the most prominent lineage of the Minamoto clan, similarly rose to prominence defeating enemies of the Court in [[Tohoku|Tôhoku]]. The Kammu Heishi, led by Taira no Kiyomori, gained further power in the [[Hogen Rebellion|Hôgen Rebellion]] of [[1156]], and the following [[Heiji Rebellion]] of [[1159]], as he led forces in the service of Retired [[Emperor Go-Shirakawa]], alongside some Minamoto leaders, to victory against other Taira and Minamoto forces.<ref>William de Bary, ''Sources of Japanese Tradition'', vol 1, Columbia University Press (2001), 270.</ref> The Kammu Heishi gained power especially in maritime trade, dominating the port of [[Owada no tomari|Ôwada no tomari]] (modern-day [[Kobe]]), among others throughout the [[Inland Sea]] and beyond. Though the Taira were unsuccessful in encouraging a greater volume of [[Song Dynasty|Chinese]] trade at Ôwada, and in seeking greater influence in the port of [[Hakata]], the Taira did seize control of the [[gold]] mines of [[Mutsu province]] from the [[Oshu Fujiwara|Ôshû Fujiwara]], and held [[shoen|estates]] in [[Ise province]] which were notable sources of pearls and mercury.<ref>Richard von Glahn, "The Ningbo-Hakata Merchant Network and the Reorientation of East Asian Maritime Trade, 1150-1350," ''Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies'' 74:2 (2014), 269.</ref>

The story of the fall of the Taira is related in the eponymous romantic / fictionalized epic, ''[[The Tale of the Heike]]''.

By the late 12th century, the Taira had intermarried with the Imperial family, and effectively dominated Imperial politics. They fell from power, however, following the [[Genpei War]] of [[1180]]-[[1185]], after which the [[Minamoto clan]] made efforts to systematically hunt down and wipe out the lineage. Though there are folktales and local myths suggesting that members of the Taira fled to locales in Shikoku, Kyushu, or the [[Ryukyu Islands]], the historical veracity of any notable Taira survivals is unclear. The story of the fall of the Taira is related in the eponymous romantic / fictionalized epic, ''[[The Tale of the Heike]]''.

==Taira Lineage==

==Taira Lineage==