Only members of the line of regents (including the Naka no mikado branch, Kazanin branch), Murakami-Genji (Minamoto clan) and Kanin branch were allowed to be promoted to Daijin (Minister) so Kiyomori's promotion was unheard of.
大臣に昇進できたのは摂関家（中御門流・花山院流も含む）・村上源氏・閑院流に限られていて、清盛の昇進は未曾有のものだった。