Tale of the Heike

The Tale of the Heike depicts the struggle for power between two rival clans, the Taira and the Minamoto. The main events of The Tale take place from 1156 C.E., when the Taira first rise to power after the Hōgen Disturbance, to 1185 C.E., when the Minamoto clan defeat the Taira in the events of the Genpai War. Following their victory over the Taira, the Minamoto create the Kamakura Bakufu, the first shogunate, establishing a feudalistic form of government. Although the Minamoto were ultimately victorious, The Tale of the Heike, at its core, clearly reflects an elegiac account of the fall of Taira clan; this is evident through the depiction of Taira Kiyomori’s greatness in political conquests, the tragic role of Taira Shigemori, whose efforts at being a capable leader were overshadowed by his father’s cruelty, and the emphasis on the concept of mujo, the impermanence of all things.
The first half of the Tale of the Heike focused on the devious acts perpetrated by Taira Kiyomori which eventually led to the downfall of the Taira clan. The author of The Tale of the Heike depicted Kiyomori’s greatness and cruelty in equal light. Kiyomori’s primary concern was to not only maintain the dominance of the Taira, but to also secure influence over the royal family. In “The Naming of the Crown Prince”, when the child emperor Rokujo abdicated, the new emperor has Taira lineage, and Kiyomori, through family ties, became known as Taira Regent. This effectively made Kiyomori the ruler of the country, even though he was not a Fujiwara. This passage exhibited the extent of Kiyomori’s power and influence. In “The Pardon,” Kiyomori granted pardons to two out of three conspirators against the Taira, because he was afraid that their spirits were interfering with his daughter’s pregnancy; if the birth was successful, Kiyomori’s grandson would be a prince, securing the throne for future Taira generations. “The Pardon” showcases Kiyomori’s power to even vanquish vengeful spirits, as