Arrowsmith was first apprenticed to William Faden and then employed by John Cary Senior before setting up on his own. He was responsible for a series of extraordinary wall maps which combined the thirst for knowledge prevalent at the beginning of the 19th century together with the stark aesthetic associated with the Enlightenment. He is often cited as the most naturally gifted mapmaker of his generation.

His map of India reflects the sub-continent's growing importance to the British Empire and uses a selection of sources including the seminal work by James Rennell, D'Anville's important scientific maps and most importantly of all, route surveys carried out by the army. The dedicatee, Col. Mark Wood (later Sir Mark Wood), was Surveyor General and Chief Engineer in Bengal in the late 1780s. This is one of the greatest wall maps of India.

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