Tadayoshi placed strong efforts into the development of new rice lands, raising his actual revenues by an additional 15,000 koku .

However, this disparity and complaints from his subjects on harsh and excessive taxation, led to his son, Honda Tadahira, being transferred to Utsunomiya Domain in 1681.

His inability to resolve this crisis resulted in his demotion and replacement by another branch of the Matsudaira clan.

Matsudaira (Echizen) Naonori became daimyō of Shirakawa in 1692 and initially implemented plans to repair the domain's finances through fiscal restraint and reduction of the income of his retainers.

These policies were reversed in 1720 by the powerful Toki-faction within the clan, whose solution to the domain's finances was a drastic increase in taxation.

His adopted grandson, Matsudaira Sadanobu was immediately faced with his domain's economically disastrous position: of 110,000 koku that it was supposed to be able to produce, 108,600 had been reported "lost".

[1] Sadanobu worked ceaselessly to fix the economic situation in Shirakawa, finally saving it and bringing its finances and agriculture back to stability.

These reforms, coupled with Sadanobu's continued political maneuvering, brought him fame, and he was named chief councilor of the Shōgunate in the summer of 1787, and regent to the 11th shōgun Tokugawa Ienari early the following year.

Shirakawa was then assigned to the Abe clan of Oshi Domain, who ruled over eight generations to the Meiji restoration.

The 7th daimyō, Abe Masatō, rose to the post of rōjū, and played an important role in the opening of Japan.

He overcame the objections of the sonnō jōi party, and negotiated the opening of Hyōgo Port to the foreigners, but this act precipitated his forced retirement and loss of 40,000 koku.

During the Bakumatsu period, the 8th and final daimyō, Abe Masakiyo, was transferred to Tanakura Domain in 1866.

Shirakawa then became tenryō territory administered directly by the Tokugawa shogunate, but the Boshin War began before a new daimyō could be appointed.

Shirakawa joined the Ōuetsu Reppan Dōmei and Abe Masakiyo returned briefly in 1868, but the castle was destroyed by Satchō Alliance forces during the Battle of Aizu in the Boshin War.

[6] In 1822, the Tokugawa shogunate issued a decree rotating the daimyō of Oshi, Kuwana and Shirakawa Domains.

He was the 14th son of Matsudaira Nobuakira of Yoshida Domain and was adopted as heir to Abe Masaatsu.

The opening of Hyōgō was vehemently opposed by Emperor Kōmei and the anti-treaty faction within the shogunate, and after Abe gave in to the foreign demands, he was fired from his office.

However, in 1866, when his father was forced into retirement for his actions in the opening of the port of Hyōgo to foreign trade, Masakiyo was named daimyō of Shirakawa.

The very same day, he was transferred to Tanagura and Shirakawa Domain became tenryō territory under direct control of the Shogunate.