Although Motoshige was the eldest son, he was displaced in the line of succession for Saga Domain by his younger half-brother, Nabeshima Tadanao, whose mother was a daughter of Shōgun Tokugawa Ieyasu.

Motoshige was assigned a kokudaka of 73,000 koku, which was taken directly from Saga Domain's revenues, with no specific estates granted.

His son, Nabeshima Mototake rose to high positions within the Tokugawa shogunate under Shōgun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi; however, from his time onwards, the domain's financial situation was very severe and on the verge of bankruptcy, causing relations with the main line at Saga Domain to become increasingly strained.

During the Boshin War of the Meiji Restoration, Nabeshima Naotora, the 11th and final daimyō, supported the Satchō Alliance was called upon to lead Ogi's forces against the Tokugawa remnants at Akita in northern Japan.

For his loyalty to Emperor Meiji and efforts in the war, the revenues of Ogi Domain were raised by an additional 5,000 koku in August 1869.