Ud-Daulah, who was said to be Anti-European, was also aware of the interests the British had in colonization and wary of what they might try. In addition, he also accused British merchants of The Company of attempting to oust him. They also provided shelter to some of ud-Daulah’s officers who had misappropriated government funds, making it impossible for him to punish them. For instance, they grossly abused trade privileges that had been granted them by the Mughal rulers, which then resulted in heavy losses in custom duties for ud-Daulah’s government. The East Indian Company, or The Company as it was called, interfered constantly in his province. Moreover, if the event had occurred on an American Naval ship (named Calcutta), the event would have been called “The Brig of Calcutta.Fort William in 1754. Whereas the term “black hole” seems almost poetic or purposeful, the prison itself was no more different that any prison of that time period. Also, before penal reform in the mid to late-eighteen century, all prison were dungeons. During this time period, “black hole” was the official term used to title an English-controlled military prison. However, a fact that most people are unaware of is that The Black Hole of Calcutta is not an symbolic name given to the event by the outraged public. The most common definition for the term black hole is: “a region of space having a gravitational field so intense that no matter or radiation can escape.” If you think about it, black hole is the perfect allegorical term to properly describe the prison. While I cannot debunk any of the aforementioned questions about the prison cell dimensions, the number of people crammed into these cells, or whether or not Holwell made it all up, I can shed light on one aspect–the name. Could it be that this story was conjured up to support the need for retaliation? As a result of this event, the British army, under the direction of Robert Clive, came in full force to overthrow the Nawab of Bengal, in the Battle of Plassey. There are several documented episodes where Holwell was caught fabricated events earlier in his career–could it be that this is another case of exaggeration? There are also those that believe that it was propaganda. There are some that say Holwell is a liar. Based on Holwell’s account, 123 out of the 146 perished overnight of those who died, Holwell was able to identify 69 of them. Holwell tells of a horrific account, one in which those who fell down “were instantly trod to death by their fellows” and those bodies which died standing were “unable to fall by the throng and equal pressure all around.” There were so many people, that those who died were left standing because the bodies literally could not move to fall. Unfortunately, as no other accounts were recorded, intrigue will have to do for all we have to go by is what Holwell says. There are those that believe it impossible that 146 prisoners were placed in The Black Hole of Calcutta. While the research, controversy, and impossibilities of debatable historical events are intriguing and thought-provoking, sometimes the urge to know the truth trumps the intrigue. In fact, there is much we don’t know about what occurred in The Black Hole of Calcutta. The majority of the prisoners inside would die overnight due to crushing, suffocation, and heat exhaustion. As the cell was demolished hundreds of years ago, we will never know the real size however, estimates range from 18 x 14, to 22 x 14. After surrendering the fort over to the Nawab of Bengal, the 146 survivors–comprised of British soldiers, Angle-Indian soldiers, and civilians–were crammed into a small prison cell (one with arguable dimensions). In A Genuine Narrative of the Deplorable Deaths of the English Gentlemen and others who were suffocated in the Black Hole, Holwell describes the abominable and reprehensible manner in which 146 prisoners were treated. The account of the tragedy to follow, best known as The Black Hole of Calcutta, is based on the account as told by John Zephaniah Holwell.
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