The Black Hole of Calcutta - The History Behind The Phrase

The Black Hole of Calcutta, India 1756.

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It’s like “The Black Hole of Calcutta”….its a phrase that British people use to describe an overcrowded, stuffy room.

But where does the phrase actually come from?
Well, it is based upon real events in history.

Back in 1756, a 146 British prisoners were confined in a tiny prison cell in India. Crushed together, dehydrated and suffocating in the humid and claustrophobic heat, less than a third were still alive in the morning.

This is the real story behind “The Black Hole of Calcutta”

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During the 1700’s. Rival European trading companies were vying for commercial advantage in India.

Often these companies acted as proxies for their governments.
Consequently, rivalries in Europe were often played out in India, usually involving local allies.

When the Seven Years War broke out in 1756 back in Europe (with Britain and France on opposing sides), both of their East India Companies decided to enhance their fortifications in Bengal.
The British fort was at Fort William, in Calcutta, the French one was slightly up river (inland) at Chandannagar.

The ruler of Bengal, the Nawab, was not at all impressed.
He ordered them to desist immediately.

The French obliged, the British didn’t.

The Nawab gathered an army of 50,000 troops, 50 cannon and 500 war elephants he advanced on Calcutta and on the 16th June 1756, laid siege to Fort William.

The british garrison was commanded by the wonderfully named John Zephaniah Holwell.

The account of what happened next is principally from Holwell, which has the benefits of an eye-witness account and also the opportunity for some personal spin.

After 4 days, in the afternoon of the 20th June the British garrison surrendered.

The jubilant victors rounded up their prisoners and looked for a place to house them.

They chose a small jail in the fort, that had been built to house petty criminals.
By all account, this prison cell measured 14 feet by 18 feet (4.3m x 5.5m).
It had 2 windows which were heavily barred - which didn’t help air circulation.

The British garrison had referred to it as “The Black Hole”.

And into it, the Nawabs men, herded 146 prisoners for the night.

Crammed together in the hot and humid temperature of Bengal, with no water, just 23 survived the night.
In 1902, that the British viceroy, Lord Curzon, ordered a monument to be erected to honour those who had died in the Black Hole of Calcutta.

The monument became a focal point of protest during the campaign for Indian independence and eventually it was moved to the graveyard of St. John’s church in the city.
It remains there, forlorn and pretty much forgotten, to this day.

But the phrase itself - the Black Hole of Calcutta - has not been forgotten.
It has passed into everyday language to describe an oppressive, over-crowded, uncomfortable space.
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Chapters
0:00 Intro
0:59 East India Company
2:12 Moghul Empire Fragments
2:53 Britain versus France
4:51 Carnatic Wars
5:21 European Forts
6:16 Nawab of Bengal
7:08 Siege of Calcutta 1756
7:34 John Zephaniah Holwell
9:11 The Black Hole
10:52 The Black Hole Ordeal
11:51 Just 23 survivors
13:05 Disputed facts
14:26 Robert Clive
15:23 Final French colonies
16:15 Holwell memorial
17:13 Conclusion
17:44 The History Chap

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My name is Chris Green and I love to share stories from British history. Not just because they are interesting but because, good or bad, they have shaped the world we live in today.

History should not be stuffy or a long list of dates or kings & queens.
So rather than lectures or Youtube animations, I tell stories that bring the past to life.

My aim is to be chat as if I were having a coffee or meal with you. Jean in Maryland, USA recently wrote: "Chris, is the history teacher I wish I had at school!"

Just for the record, I do have a history degree in Medieval & Modern history from the University of Birmingham.

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