The Siege of the Sanjō Palace was the primary battle of the 1159 Heiji Rebellion. In early January 1160, after Taira no Kiyomori left Kyoto on a family pilgrimage, Fujiwara no Nobuyori and Minamoto no Yoshitomo saw an opportunity to effect changes they sought in the government. With a force of roughly five hundred men, they attacked in the night, kidnapping former emperor Emperor Go-Shirakawa, and setting fire to the Palace. They also abducted and imprisoned then current emperor, Emperor Nijō, who supported their enemies, the Taira clan and Fujiwara no Michinori.