Founded in 1923, it consisted of these five princely states (by precedence) : Prior to 1923, the five states have been subject to the government of the Madras Presidency which was represented in each state by a resident usually the District Collector[1] of a neighbouring Madras district.

[2] When in 1923, all the states were brought under the direct control of the Government of India, the individual residencies were abolished and replaced with a single unitary agency responsible to the Governor-General of India.

The agent was based in Trivandrum, the capital of Travancore.

He supervised the foreign relations of the princely states and their relationship with the Central government in New Delhi.

On 1 April 1937, the Madras States Agency was converted into a residency and on 1 January 1939, the princely states of Banganapalle and Sandur were transferred to the Mysore Residency.