f the most powerful lords of the Warring States era. Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, and Ieyasu were primarily responsible for the reunification of Japan after 150 years of civil war; however Toshiie�s role has usually been obscured by the Big Three. Nevertheless, Toshiie was a very powerful lord, and the close friend and confidant of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and it was only his death in 1599 that prevented him from playing a larger role in the establishment of the Tokugawa Shogunate.
After his father died in 1569, Toshiie found himself the head of the Maeda Clan, and the lord of Arako Castle with its fairly minor 2450 kan income. He was known as a formidable warrior: in 1551, the fifteen-year-old Toshiie won his first victory at the Battle of Kayazu. He took his first head in that battle, and in another battle in 1556 he defeated a man known for his ferocity, earning the praise of Nobunaga. Toshiie's income was tripled, and due to his courage he was given a position directly serving Nobunaga. In 1573, Toshiie was given 100,000 koku in Nibu, in the south of Echizen Province, and thus, at the age of 39, became a daimyo, or domain lord. He was set there to keep an eye on Shibata Katsuie, who controlled eight counties in the region.
In 1581, the 45-year-old Toshiie was granted the 230,000 koku fief of Noto, and became the lord of an entire province. Leaving Fuchu Castle in Echizen, Toshiie and his family moved to Noto and the next year he built Komaruyama Castle in Tokoroguchi (present-day Nanao). In the Battle of Shizugatake (1583) between Hideyoshi and the powerful lord Shibata Katsuie, Toshiie took a neutral position. At first he had set out with the Shibata forces, but withdrew part-way, retreating to Fuchu Castle and going over to Hideyoshi. Toshiie's position was delicate. Katsuie had his third daughter, Ma'a, as hostage, but two more of his daughters had been adopted into Hideyoshi's family. However, for the preservation of his clan, Toshiie had to make the most
