Background
Fujiwara no Kiyohira was born in 1056. The son of Tsunekiyo Watari. His mother was the daughter of Abe no Yoritoki who's name is unknown.
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Fujiwara no Kiyohira
Edit Profile藤原清衡
Career
After Thisunekiyo was killed in Zen Kunen No Eki (civil war in the Ou district, 1051-62), his mother married Takesada Kiyohara, a warlord in Ou, taking Kiyohira with her. After that he assumed the family name of Kiyohara. After Takesada died, trouble arose in the Kiyohara family and it developed into Go Sannen No Eki (another civil war in Ou, 1083-1087). Kiyohira at first fought against Yoshiie Minamoto, military governor of Mutsu (Ou district), but surrendered to him. With the assistance of Yoshiie, he defeated Iehira and Takehira of the Kiyohara family and brought the Ou district under his control. During the Kanji Era (1087-1093), Kiyohira assumed the family name of Fujiwara after winning the favor of Kampaku (Adviser to the Emperor) Morozane Fujiwara by presenting him fine horses. He set up his headquarters at Hiraizumi and there built many religious and cultural institutions patterned after Kyoto’s. Among them was the Chusonji Temple, which was dedicated to the dead in the two civil wars in the Ou district, Gosannen and Zenkunen. Its splendor surpassed even that of the best temples in Kyoto. He established the powerful Fujiwara family in Ou by ruling the district for 30 years. His enormous wealth might have been due to alluvial gold produced in his territory.
