In the mid-to-late Heian period, the Sugawara clan was temporarily displaced from its dominant position in the field of Kidendo by the Oe clan and, as a result, and with the notable exceptions of Sugawara no Fumitoki (899-981) (Junior Third Rank, non-Councilor) and Sugawara no Sukemasa (925-1009) (Court Rank, Councilor, Dazaifu, foreign affairs office in Kyushu), members of the Sugawara clan were not ranked as Court nobles over this time, but at the beginning of the Kamakura period Sugawara no Tamenaga (1158-1246) was promoted to Senior Second Court Rank, Councilor, Treasury Office and his descendants were subsequently ranked as Court nobles, taking all the important Kidendo posts at Court.
平安時代中後期は、一時、紀伝道の分野で大江氏に優位を奪われ、菅原文時（899年～981年）（従三位・非参議）、菅原輔正（925年～1009年）（位階・参議・大宰府）のような例外を除いて公卿に列せられることはなかったが、鎌倉時代初期の菅原為長（1158年～1246年）が正二位・参議・大蔵省に昇進して以降、子孫は累代公卿に列せられ、朝廷における紀伝道の要職を独占。