The Madras States Agency was a political office and an administrative unit of the British Empire in India that managed a collection of princely states of India. It was formed during the 1930s, based on the model of the Rajputana Agency and the Central India Agency. It was created entirely of princely states of India, which were controlled by native rulers and Indian princes. The agency was managed by a resident of British India, also known as political agent, who officially served as a diplomat but was also responsible for keeping the ruler to maintain the association and alliance with the British administration. The Resident influenced the princely states of the Governor General. The Madras States Agency consisted of 5 princely states of southern India, which were situated in the modern states of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Before the formation of the Madras States Agency, these Indian princely states were under the authority and control of the Madras Presidency. Later, the rulers of the states came under the suzerainty of the Governor General who directly reported to Delhi. After the British withdrawal and Indian independence in the year 1947, the princely states in the Madras States Agency were acceded to the newly formed Union of India, also known as the Dominion of India.

Princely States under the Madras States Agency
The Madras States Agency comprised of several Indian princely states which were included in the geographical territory of the agency. These are mentioned below-

Princely State of Banganapalle
Banganapalle was appointed as a princely state of India during the early 19th century. The British Governor of the Madras Presidency took control over the management and administration of the state due to financial misconduct from 1832 to 1848 and later in 1905 as well. The state was spread over a total area of 660 sq km and had a total population of 32,264 in 1901. It was acceded to newly formed Union of India and Banganapalle was included in Kurnool district of Madras Presidency.

Princely State of Travancore
The Princely State of Travancore or the Kingdom of Travancore was a Hindu feudal kingdom and was ruled by the Royal Family of Travancore. It had its capital in Trivandrum or Padmanabhapuram. The last ruler of Travancore state, Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma, acceded the state to the newly independent Union of India after the nation achived independence from the British Government of India. On 1st July 1949, Travancore was merged with the princely state of Cochin and the Indian state of Travancore Cochin was formed. Later it was amalgamated with the Malabar district of the Madras State to form the state of Kerala on 1st November 1956.

Princely State of Pudukkottai
The Princely State of Pudukkottai was in the Madras Presidency that existed from the year 1680 to 1948 during the rule of the British Empire in India. Pudukkottai was under political control administration of the Government of Madras. The region comprised of the entire of the present Pudukkottai district, in the state of Tamil Nadu. The Princely State of Pudukkottai was divided into 3 taluks, namely Thirumayam, Alangudi and Kolattur, for administrative purposes. The 9th and last ruler of the princely state of Pudukkottai, Raja Sri Brahdamba Dasa Raja Sri Rajagopala Tondaiman Bahadur, acceded to the Union of India on 3rd March 1948, after India became independent. Later it was included as a part of the Trichinopoly district of the Madras Presidency.

Princely State of Sandur
The princely state of Sandur was among the most renowned states prior to the independence of India and the capital of the state was at the town of Sanduru. The princely state was scattered across a total area of 433 sq km. The native ruler or Raja of the princely state of Sandur acceded his state to the Union of India, also known as the Dominion of India, on 1st April 1949. Sandur was merged and included into the district of Bellary, which was then a part of the Madras Presidency. Bellary District was later reassigned to the princely state of Mysore (now Karnataka) in the year 1953.

Princely State of Cochin
The princely state of Cochin or the Kingdom of Cochin, also known as Perumpadappu Swaroopam or Kochi was a former medieval Hindu kingdom on the Malabar Coast of southern India. Kochi was the initial princely state to enthusiastically accede to the Union of India after the nation attained independence from British dominance in 1947. The princely state of Cochin was merged with Travancore in order to form Travancore Cochin. Later, on 1st November 1956, the region was amalgamated with the Malabar district of Madras State to create the Indian state of Kerala.