Genpei

Genpei, or the Genpei War, was a major civil conflict in late Heian Japan fought between the Minamoto clan (Genji) and the Taira clan (Heike). The name Genpei itself comes from a contraction of Genji and Heike. The war lasted from 1180 to 1185 and ended with the defeat of the Taira and the rise of the Kamakura shogunate under Minamoto no Yoritomo, marking a turning point in Japanese governance as military rulers gained political authority.

Causes of the war lay in the Taira clan’s dominance of court life and imperial politics, which alienated the rival Minamoto and other power groups. After a period of political maneuvering, open conflict began when Yoritomo, who had been forced into exile, organized a rebellion and sought to challenge Taira control over Kyoto and the realm. The clash drew in samurai from across eastern and western provinces and involved both land and naval operations.

Key campaigns included the Battle of Uji in 1180, the Battle of Ichi-no-Tani in 1184, and the naval engagements at Yashima and culminated at the Battle of Dan-no-ura in 1185 off Shimonoseki. The Dan-no-ura defeat secured Minamoto supremacy, the death of the Taira leadership, the drowning of the young Emperor Antoku, and a decisive end to Taira political power.

Aftermath and significance include the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate in 1192, shifting real power from the Kyoto court to a military government in eastern Japan. The Genpei War also left a lasting cultural legacy, notably in the Heike Monogatari, which chronicles the war and its heroic and tragic figures.