Black Hole of Calcutta
E165007
The Black Hole of Calcutta was a small prison cell in Fort William where a large number of British prisoners were allegedly confined overnight in 1756, resulting in many deaths and becoming a notorious symbol of colonial-era atrocity.
All labels observed (2)
Statements (49)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
colonial-era atrocity
ⓘ
historical event ⓘ mass fatality incident ⓘ |
| aftermath |
Battle of Plassey
ⓘ
surface form:
Battle of Plassey (1757)
recapture of Calcutta by British forces ⓘ |
| allegedDurationOfConfinement | one night ⓘ |
| associatedWith |
British East India Company
ⓘ
surface form:
East India Company
Fort William ⓘ Siraj ud-Daulah ⓘ |
| cause | capture of Fort William by Siraj ud-Daulah ⓘ |
| cellDimensions | about 14 feet by 18 feet ⓘ |
| cellType | prison cell ⓘ |
| commemoratedBy |
B.B.D. Bagh, Kolkata
ⓘ
surface form:
Black Hole Monument in Calcutta
|
| controversial | true ⓘ |
| country | India ⓘ |
| date | 20 June 1756 ⓘ |
| disputedAspect |
accuracy of Holwell's account
ⓘ
exact number of deaths ⓘ exact number of prisoners confined ⓘ |
| fieldOfStudy |
British Empire studies
ⓘ
South Asian history ⓘ colonial history ⓘ |
| hasInterpretation |
example of exaggeration in colonial narratives
ⓘ
genuine but embellished tragedy ⓘ |
| languageOfPrimaryAccount | English ⓘ |
| locatedIn |
Bengal
ⓘ
Calcutta ⓘ Fort William, Kolkata ⓘ
surface form:
Fort William, Calcutta
India ⓘ |
| monumentStatus | original monument removed in the 20th century ⓘ |
| numberOfSurvivorsClaimed | 23 ⓘ |
| numberOfVictimsClaimed | 146 ⓘ |
| partOf |
Anglo-French rivalry in India
ⓘ
surface form:
Anglo-French conflicts in India
Seven Years' War ⓘ |
| perpetrator | forces of Siraj ud-Daulah ⓘ |
| primarySource | John Zephaniah Holwell ⓘ |
| reportedBy | John Zephaniah Holwell ⓘ |
| result |
death of many prisoners
ⓘ
strengthening of anti-Indian sentiment in Britain ⓘ use as justification for British retribution in Bengal ⓘ widespread outrage in Britain ⓘ |
| symbolOf |
British victimhood narrative in India
ⓘ
Indian cruelty in British imperial propaganda ⓘ colonial-era atrocity ⓘ |
| timePeriod | 18th century ⓘ |
| usedIn | British imperial propaganda ⓘ |
| victim |
Anglo-Indian civilians
ⓘ
British prisoners of war ⓘ |
| year | 1756 ⓘ |
Referenced by (4)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.
this entity surface form:
A Genuine Narrative of the Deplorable Deaths of the English Gentlemen and Others Who Were Suffocated in the Black Hole