Sir Arthur Cotton believed in the possibility of constructing a complete system of irrigation and navigation canals throughout India, and devoted the whole of a long life to the partial realization of this project, often in the face of opposition and discouragement from the Madras government.
He entered the Madras engineers, and served in the First Burmese War. After, he built dams on several rivers, transforming the drought-stricken Tanjore (now Thanjāvūr) district into the richest part of the state of Madras.
Before the beginning of his work Tanjore and the adjoining districts were threatened with ruin from lack of water; on its completion they became the richest part of Madras, and Tanjore returned the largest revenue of any district in India. In the minutes of the 15th of May 1858, the Madras government paid an ample tribute to the genius of Cotton’s master mind.”
He founded the Indian school of hydraulic engineering, and was knighted in 1861. His name is much honored to this day in India
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