The Black Hole of Calcutta: Myth, Reality, and Empire

The Hidden History of Bengal: Kingdoms, Empires, and Revolution — Fexingo History · Jun 17, 2026 · 6m · transcript

In this episode, Lucas and Luna unpack the story of the Black Hole of Calcutta — the 1756 incident where British prisoners were allegedly locked overnight in a tiny cell at Fort William, with most suffocating to death. But how much of that narrative is historical fact versus colonial propaganda? They explore the contested accounts: the diary of John Zephaniah Holwell, the only European survivor who wrote the famous version; contemporary Indian sources like the Siyar-ul-Mutakherin; the political context of Siraj-ud-Daulah's attack on Calcutta; and how the Black Hole became a rallying cry…