Madhira is a municipality situated in the Khammam district of the Indian state of Telangana, falling within the Madhira Assembly Constituency. It is the headquarters of Madhira mandal of Khammam division and is positioned approximately 230 kilometres (140 mi) east of the state capital, Hyderabad. Additionally, it is situated 53 kilometres (33 mi) from the district headquarters of Khammam and is bordered by Andhra Pradesh on three sides.

Early Administration and Nizam Era (1900–1948) During the Asaf Jahi (Nizam) rule, Madhira served as a strategic Taluk headquarters within the Warangal Subah (Province). As a judicial and revenue hub, the town housed key administrative institutions, including a Munsif Magistrate Court and a Tahsildar Office, which governed dozens of surrounding villages. The region was a focal point for the Nizam government’s agricultural modernization efforts. A significant infrastructure project from this era is the Wyra Reservoir, constructed by the Public Works Department (P.W.D.) between 1929 and 1930. Official expenditure records from the time list the project cost at ₹34.83 Lakhs. The reservoir was designed to irrigate approximately 17,390 acres across 24 villages in the Madhira and Bonakal areas, significantly altering the agricultural landscape. Feudal System and Landlords The socio-economic structure of Madhira during this period was characterized by the Jagirdari and Deshmukh systems. The Kalluru Deshmukh family was the paramount feudal authority in the taluk, with historical records estimating their control over nearly 100,000 acres of land in the region. At the village level, administration was controlled by hereditary officials known as Vatandars (Patels and Patwaris), who acted as local rulers. These landlords resided in fortified mansions known as Gadis and enforced the Vetti system (forced labor). Villagers, including the neighboring communities of Madhira and the peasantry of Yerrupalem, were often subjected to unpaid labor and illegal levies (Nagadi) by these local chiefs. Role in Indian Independence and Telangana Rebellion Madhira is historically cited as a "land of freedom fighters" and was one of the earliest strongholds of the Telangana Rebellion.

First Incursion: Historical accounts note that the first mobilization of the peasant movement in the Telangana region occurred in the Madhira–Khammam belt, organized initially to protect the peasantry from the private militias of the local landlords.

Sardar Jamalapuram Kesava Rao: A native of Yerrupalem in Madhira Taluk, Kesava Rao—known as the "Sardar of the South"—was a prominent leader of the Hyderabad State Congress. He led the Satyagraha movements in 1947 against the Nizam's refusal to join the Indian Union, frequently facing imprisonment for his activities.

Mahatma Gandhi’s Visit: On February 5, 1946, Mahatma Gandhi visited Madhira. His train halted at the town, where he addressed a massive gathering and collected funds for the Harijan cause, an event that galvanized the local independence movement.

Post-Independence Reorganization Following the annexation of Hyderabad State into the Indian Union via Operation Polo (1948), Madhira remained a Taluk in the Warangal district. On October 1, 1953, it was one of the five key taluks carved out of Warangal to form the newly created Khammam District.

Madhira is located at 16°55′00″N 80°22′00″E / 16.9167°N 80.3667°E / 16.9167; 80.3667 in Khammam district of Telangana. It has an average elevation of 54 meters (177 ft).

As per the data provided by 2011 Census of India, the total population of Madhira town is 32,516. The male-female ratio per 1000 is approximately 956.12, indicating that there are slightly more females than males in the town.