Since Kiyomori's legitimate first son, Shigemori, had already died of illness and his second son, Motomori, had also died young, after Kiyomori's death, Kiyomori's third son, Munemori, became the head of the Taira clan; however, he was an ordinary person and was not as capable as Kiyomori, and he therefore could not control rebellions that occurred across the country and was always swayed by eccentric ideas of Goshirakawa, allowing the cloister government to regain power, and as a result, the Taira clan was gradually driven into a corner.
清盛の死後、嫡男の重盛はすでに病死し、次男の基盛も早世していたため、平氏の棟梁の座は三男の宗盛が継いだが、凡庸な宗盛は清盛のような器量もなく、全国各地で相次ぐ反乱に対処できず、後白河の奇謀に翻弄され院政勢力も勢力を盛り返すなど、平氏は次第に追いつめられていった。