Taira no Takakiyo (平高清)
TAIRA no Takakiyo (TAIRA no Rokudai) 1173 - March 10, 1199) was a member of the Taira clan who lived from the end of Heian period to early Kamakura period. His father was TAIRA no Koremori. He was the great-grandchild of TAIRA no Kiyomori. His mother was Shindainagon no Tsubine, who was the daughter of FUJIWARA no Narichika, who had a title of Gon no Dainagon (Provisional Major Councilor).
Biography
Since he was the direct sixth descendant of TAIRA no Masamori, he was given the childhood name of "Rokudai" (the sixth direct descendant). His real name, Takakiyo, is recorded in "Koya Shunju hennen shuroku" (Compilation of many spring and falls of Koya) but since "Heike Monogatari" (The Tale of Taira family) continued to use the childhood name, Rokudai, it was common to call him as 'Taira Rokudai' (In this clause, he will be referred as '(Taira) Rokudai' unless there is some issues involved).
When the Taira clan decided to leave Kyoto while under attacks by MINAMOTO no Yoshinaka in 1183, Koremori felt uneasy to make his wife who was used to Miyako (Kyoto) to die with him in western countries from Kinki district and left his wife and child in Miyako to travel west along with his followers. Koremori pleaded to his wife to take care of his child and told her that if something happened to him, he wants her to remarry ("Heike Monogatari").
Rokudai hid along with his mother in Oku Daikaku-ji Temple of Fusho-ji Temple, Kyoto, but was captured after a search conducted by Tokimasa HOJO after the Taira clan fell in December 1185. Since he was the great-grandson of Kiyomori, it was natural to send him to Kamakura to face decapitation, but he was dismissed due to a plead by Priest Mongaku shonin to spare his life and was exempted from execution, and his custody was passed over to Mongaku. It is believed that Rokudai spared his life since the wife of Koremori (mother of Rokudai) remarried Tsunefusa YOSHIDA, who was the Kugyo and deeply trusted by Yoritomo, after the death of her husband. Rokudai performed Teihatsu (tonsure) in 1189 and received the Go (byname) of Myokaku. He had an audience with MINAMOTO no Yoritomo through OE no Hiromoto in 1194 and told him that he became a priest without plans of treason. However, it is said that Yoritomo saw through Rokudai and regarded him as dangerous. However, Yoritomo did not take this into account at that time and assigned Rokudai as the Betto shiki post (secretary in the office of temple) to one temple.
He later travelled around provinces on his trip for ascetic monk training. However, when Mongaku, who was a patron, was charged for scheming to attack Michichika TSUCHIMIKADO and was exiled to Oki Province, Rokudai was also captured by Sukekane ABE of Kebiishi (an officer in the Office of Police and Judicial Chief) at the lodging of Inokuma and was executed in Tagoe-gawa River. He died at the age of 27. There were theories that claim that the year he died was 1198 and 1205, and the place of his death differ in various books of "Heike Monogatari."
His grave: It is at Kona Yanagisaku, Tagoegawa District designated as a historic district of Zushi City.
The direct descendants of Kiyomori were completely annihilated by the death of Rokudai,