Despite their status of a shinpan daimyō and close ties to the Kii Tokugawa clan, in the Bakumatsu period, the domain was quickly showed an allegiance to the Meiji government and participated in the Boshin War as part of the government army. With the abolition of the han system in 1871, the domain became "Saijō Prefecture", which was later incorporated into Ehime Prefecture via Matsuyama Prefecture and Sekitetsu Prefecture. In 1884, the final daimyō of Saijō, Matsudaira Yorihide was ennobled with the title of viscount (shishaku) in the kazoku peerage.
