Hideyoshi, who was from a family of ordinary commoner and had no hereditary vassals of the family, tried to strengthen his reign as the head of the uji no choja (the head) of the Toyotomi clan, by granting the name of the 'Toyotomi' or his myoji (family name) 'Hashiba' to those influential daimyo (feudal lords) and samurai families, when he appointed them to a certain government post.
凡下平民の出自でこれといった一門衆家臣団を持たない秀吉は、有力家臣である大名や武家に任官の際に豊臣姓や羽柴の名字を与え、自らは豊臣氏の氏長者となることで統治しようとした。