Born the fourth son of Maeda Toshiharu, a warrior of Arako in Owari (Nagoya) (birth year debated).
Around this time he entered the service of the young Oda Nobunaga. A master of the long spear, he was called "Matazaemon of the Spear", and is said to have been a flamboyant kabukimono.
He married his cousin Matsu, then still a girl, who later became known as a wise wife supporting Toshiie and bore many children.
After a quarrel he cut down a favourite tea attendant of Nobunaga, and was barred from Nobunaga's service.
Without permission he joined the Battle of Okehazama and won distinction. After more feats the next year, he was finally allowed back into Nobunaga's service.
On Nobunaga's orders he succeeded to the Maeda house in place of his elder brother, and went on to fight with distinction in many campaigns.
Fighting in the Hokuriku under Shibata Katsuie, he was granted the province of Noto and became a daimyō.
At Shizugatake he was in Katsuie's army but withdrew his troops mid-battle. He then sided with his old friend Hideyoshi and took up residence at Kanazawa castle in Kaga.
He relieved Suemori castle, besieged by Sassa Narimasa of Etchū, strengthening his position in the Hokuriku.
He became one of the Five Elders of the Toyotomi government and, before Hideyoshi's death, was entrusted with the care of the young Hideyori, standing on a par with Tokugawa Ieyasu.
He died of illness in Osaka. With no one left to restrain Ieyasu, events moved toward Sekigahara. The Maeda endured through the Edo period as lords of the million-koku Kaga domain.
Shibata KatsuieOda NobunagaTokugawa IeyasuAsano NagamasaOda Nagamasu (Urakusai)Takayama UkonIshida MitsunariFukushima Masanori
Niwa NagahideAshikaga YoshiteruToyotomi HideyoshiAshikaga YoshiakiHōjō UjimasaAshikaga YoshihideImagawa UjizaneNabeshima Naoshige
People of the Sengoku/Azuchi-Momoyama period ・ People by period
Based on facts found in textbooks and biographies. Uncertain points are marked as such.