The Black Hole of Calcutta: Myth and Reality

In June 1756, the Nawab of Bengal Siraj-ud-Daulah captured Calcutta from the British East India Company. That night, according to a famous account by John Zephaniah Holwell, 146 British prisoners were locked in a tiny guardroom called the Black Hole, and by morning only 23 survived. But how much of that story is true? In this episode, Lucas and Luna sift through the evidence—examining Holwell's own evolving narrative, the size of the room, the number of prisoners, and contemporary Indian sources that tell a different story. They explore why the Black Hole became a propaganda tool that helped justify Robert Clive's invasion of Bengal, and how it shaped British attitudes toward Indian rule for generations. Along the way, they touch on the politics of memory, the dangers of colonial atrocity narratives, and the way history gets weaponized in times of war. A nuanced look at one of the most contested episodes in the British conquest of India. #BlackHoleOfCalcutta #SirajUdDaulah #JohnZephaniahHolwell #BattleOfPlassey #RobertClive #EastIndiaCompany #Bengal1756 #ColonialMyth #AtrocityPropaganda #FortWilliam #Calcutta #MughalHistory #BritishEmpire #HistoryDebunked #IndianHistory #18thCentury #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo