blackhole of calcutta

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what is the black hole of calcutta?

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In 1756 the Nawab of Begal captured Fort William from the British East India Company. It was reported that 146 POWs were imprisoned in a tiny windowless prison cell (24ft by 18ft) in the height of the summer with no food, air or water. The next day, the cell door was opened and only 23 men had survived. John Zephaniah Holwell was a survivor and the 'facts' are based on his account. The incident was used as a propaganda tool to portray the Indians as barbaric and cruel. It is widely considered that Holwell's account is either greatly embellished or a complete fabrication as the facts do not correlate with information from other sources.