Proby Cautley facts for kids

Portrait of Proby Cautley, Engineer and Paleontologist.

Sir Proby Thomas Cautley (born January 3, 1802 – died January 25, 1871) was an English engineer and scientist. He was born in Stratford St Mary, Suffolk. He is most famous for planning and building the Ganges canal in India. This happened when the British East India Company ruled India.

The Ganges Canal was a huge project. It stretched about 350 miles (560 km). It started near Haridwar and split into two parts. One part joined the Ganges river near Kanpur. The other part joined the Yamuna river in Etawah. When it was finished, it was the largest irrigation canal in the world. It moved more water than any other canal for farming.

Proby Cautley went to school at Charterhouse School. Then he studied at the East India Company's military school in Addiscombe. After less than a year, he became a second lieutenant. He was sent to India to join the artillery in Calcutta. In 1825, he helped Captain Robert Smith. Captain Smith was building the Eastern Yamuna canal. This canal was also called the Doab canal. Cautley was in charge of this canal for 12 years, from 1831 to 1843. By 1836, he was the main boss of all canals.

Building the Ganges Canal

Planning the Great Canal

In 1840, Cautley wrote a report about the idea for the Ganges canal. This canal would bring water to the land between the Ganges, Hindan, and Yamuna rivers. This was his most important work. Cautley started working on his dream. He spent six months walking and riding through the area. He took every measurement himself. He was sure that a 500-kilometer (310-mile) canal could be built.

There were many problems and people who disagreed with his project. Most of these problems were about money. But Cautley kept going. He finally convinced the British East India Company to support him. The project was approved in 1841. However, the work did not start until 1843. Even then, Cautley faced challenges. A powerful leader, Lord Ellenborough, was against his plans.

Overcoming Challenges

Digging for the canal began in April 1842. Cautley even had to make his own bricks. He built his own brick kilns and made mortar. At first, Hindu priests in Haridwar were against him. They worried that the holy water of the Ganges river would be trapped. But Cautley calmed them down. He agreed to leave a gap in the dam. This gap would let the water flow freely. He also helped the priests by fixing the bathing ghats along the river. He even started the dam's construction with a special ceremony. He worshipped Lord Ganesh, the god of good beginnings.

Building the dam faced many difficulties. One big problem was the mountain streams. These streams threatened to damage the canal. Near Roorkee, the land dropped sharply. Cautley had to build a special bridge, called an aqueduct. This aqueduct carried the canal for half a kilometer. Because of this, the canal at Roorkee is 25 meters (82 feet) higher than the original river.

Canal Completion and Impact

From 1845 to 1848, Cautley was in England because he was sick. When he returned to India, he became the director of canals. This was for the North-Western Provinces. The canal officially opened on April 8, 1854. Its main channel was 348 miles (560 km) long. Its branches were 306 miles (492 km) long. The smaller channels were over 3,000 miles (4,800 km) long. More than 767,000 acres (3,100 km²) of land in 5,000 villages were watered by the canal.

Cautley also helped create the Roorkee college. It was named the Thomason College of Civil Engineering in 1854. Today, it is known as IIT Roorkee. One of the student dorms at IIT Roorkee is named after him.

Expanding Dehradun's Canals

The first canal in Dehradun was built in the 1600s. But Cautley greatly expanded this network in the 1850s. Five new canals were built in the city. These canals watered the nearby villages. They also helped make the local weather cooler. Since 2000, Dehradun became a state capital. Sadly, much of the old canal system has been covered or removed. This was done to make roads wider for more traffic.

Discovering Ancient Fossils

Cautley was very active in fossil hunting. He worked with Dr. Hugh Falconer on fossil trips. These trips were in the Siwalik Hills. Cautley found a large collection of mammal fossils. These included hippopotamus and crocodile fossils. These finds showed that the area used to be a swamp. Other animal remains he found included the sabre-toothed tiger. He also found Elephis ganesa, an elephant with a very long trunk. Bones of a fossil ostrich were found too. He even discovered remains of giant cranes and tortoises.

He also wrote many papers about his findings. Some were with Falconer. These papers were for important groups like the Bengal Asiatic Society. They were also for the Geological Society of London. These writings were about the geology and fossils of the Sivalik Hills.

Cautley's Writings

Cautley's writings showed his many different interests. He wrote about a city that was buried twenty feet underground. This city was in the Doab region. He also wrote about coal and lignite found in the Himalayas. He wrote about finding gold in the Siwaliks. This was between the Sutlej and Yamuna rivers. He even wrote about a new type of snake. Other topics included the mastodons of the Siwaliks and how to make tar.

In 1860, he published a full book. It was all about how the Ganges canal was built.

Awards and Recognition

In 1837, Proby Cautley received the Wollaston medal. This is a special award from the Geological Survey of Great Britain.

A type of plant, called Cautleya, is named after him.

A student dorm at Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee is also named after him. It is called Cautley Bhawan.

Later Life and Death

After the Ganges canal opened in 1854, Cautley went back to England. There, he was made a KCB. From 1858 to 1868, he was a member of the Council of India. This group advised the British government on India. He passed away in Sydenham, near London, on January 25, 1871.