Black Hole of Calcutta facts for kids
The Black Hole of Calcutta was a small, dark prison room inside an old fort in Calcutta, India. This room was about 18 feet (5.5 meters) long and 14 feet (4 meters) wide. It only had two small windows.
The British built this fort to protect their trading business in Calcutta. In 1756, a conflict broke out. The army of the Nawab of Bengal took control of the fort on June 20.
Contents
The Story of the Black Hole
A British person named John Zephaniah Holwell was there. He later wrote a story about what happened. He claimed that 146 people captured at the fort were forced into this small prison room. He said that only 23 of them survived the night.
Was the Story True?
Many people today believe that Mr. Holwell made the number of captives much higher than it really was. It would have been impossible for 146 people to fit into such a small room. Most historians now agree that the actual number of people involved was much smaller.
After the Incident
Later, the British fought back and defeated the Nawab. A tall stone monument, called an obelisk, was built to remember the people who died in the Black Hole. Modern historians and experts have questioned Mr. Holwell's story over time.
Images for kids
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The Black Hole of Calcutta (20 June 1756) from the Hutchinson's story of the nations
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Text on the Memorial in St John's Churchyard
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Black Hole Monument
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Holwell Monument, c. 1905
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Inscription dating relocation
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Scene of the Black Hole, c. 1905
See also
In Spanish: Agujero negro de Calcuta para niños
