After the collapse of the Ishida clan in the Battle of Sekigahara, Naomasa II, one of four generals serving Ieyasu TOKUGAWA, who distinguished himself in the battle, became the lord of the Sawayama Domain with 180,000 koku crop yields.
関ヶ原の戦いで石田氏が滅亡した後、佐和山には関ヶ原の戦いで武功を挙げた徳川四天王の一人・井伊直政が18万石で入った。