[1][2][3] Following Toyotomi Hideyoshi's conquest of Kyushu of 1586-1587, he assigned Kobayakawa Hidekane a fief of 75,000 koku in three counties of Chikugo Province and renovated Kurume Castle to be his stronghold.

The significant increase in kokudaka was a reward for his successes during the Siege of Osaka, although history does not record any details as to the nature of these achievements.

Although he was old, he led his forces to Shimabara in person, and during the campaign the domain dispatched more than 6,300 troops and suffered 173 killed and 1412 wounded.

From 1664 to 1676, the domain carried out extensive public works projects for flood control and irrigation on the Chikugo River.

However, the Kyōhō famine of 1732 caused many deaths from starvation at a time when the domain was burdened by the shogunate with expenses in rebuilding palaces and repairs along to Tōkaidō.

The daimyō, Arima Yoritaka, loved sumo and sponsored many wrestlers (including yokozuna Onogawa Kisaburō), he devoted himself to his many hobbies, such as collecting dogs, and ignored the deteriorating finances of the domain.

However, in 1868, the Sonnō-jōi faction was restored when word was received of the defeat of Tokugawa forces at the Battle of Toba-Fushimi and in the domain became an enthusiastic supporter of the new government in the Boshin War.