145 Britishers were locked up in a small room with just one window. Only 21 survived the incident, and Britain took revenge by conquering entire India.
It was midnight howls of scream came from the corridors of Fort William in Calcutta. One hundred forty-five people imprisoned in a tiny room with only a window for ventilation and light. The group didn’t have water for more than 12 hours straight with children and women in the group. The next day morning, when the door of the room opened, only 21 were alive. This incident called the Black Hole of Calcutta would infuriate the East India Company to start the Battle of Plassey, which will forever seal the fate of India.
Fort William:
British East India Company (EIC) settled down with trade posts along the coastline in India. British East India Company’s competitor French East India Company, also settled close to the British settlements. EIC got permission from Siraj du Dawal, the Nawab of Bengal, to construct a trading post in Calcutta with a fort to protect the station from possible French invasion. The Nawab agreed to the proposal but restricted the defense capability of the Fort. With an increase in French interference in the area, the EIC strengthened defenses of Fort William against the wish of the Nawab. The Nawab sent warning messages to the EIC and asked them to stop the construction. The EIC didn’t head to the warning. The Nawab, along with his 5000 men troop and 500 elephants, laid siege to Fort William.
The Black Hole incident :
Many British residents escaped Fort William to nearby settlements. A few Britishers remained back. Siraj promised Governor Holwell that no harm would happen to the residents who surrender. The Fort fell in a day on 18th June 1756, and all the 145 inhabitants got locked up in a small room with just one window.
Suffocation and lack of water on a sunny day exhausted many of the prisoners. Holwell bribed some of the guards to get water, but it was not sufficient to feed everyone. As dusk fell, the strong ones pushed the weaker ones and rushed towards the only window for fresh air. The voices to open the door dwindled through the night.
The next morning, Siraj ordered the door of the room to be opened only to find that only 21 inhabitants survived. Siraj apologized to Holwell, but it wasn’t enough. Holwell compiled a detailed report of the Black Hole incident and sent it to the EIC headquarters in Madras. Relief forces under the command of Robert Clive reached Bengal.
Battle of Plassey:
With his wit and diplomacy, Robert Clive convinced Mir Jaffar, a close confidant of Siraj, to join the EIC side. The deal would offer the Nawab of Bengal seat to Mir Jaffar. Mir Jaffar switched sides, and Siraj was defeated. The revenue rights for the entire Bengal province changed hands to the EIC. Mughal emperor Shah Alam II who made Siraj as Nawab of Bengal, swiftly sprung into action. With the help of other Nawab Shah Alam II met the EIC in the battlefield. Shah Alam II faced defeat and signed the treaty of Allahabad, effectively gave the tax collection of entire India to EIC.
Aftermath:
The Black Hole of Calcutta incident let to a clash between EIC and local Indian rulers. The battle effectively let to sealed EIC dominance in India. Lord Holwell erected a monument in remembrance of the deceased in Calcutta.
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