The fall of the British garrison of Fort William in Calcutta

Compiled By: Syed Ali Shahbaz
On June 20, 1756 AD, with the fall of the British garrison of Fort William to Mirza Mohammad Siraj od-Dowla, the 18-year old Nawab of Bengal, John Zephaniah Holwell invented the myth of the "Black Hole of Calcutta" to tarnish the image of the Indian people by alleging that 146 Englishmen were crammed in a 14 by 18 feet (4.3 × 5.5 m) dungeon that resulted in the death of 123 of them. Holwell, who claimed to be a survivor, has long been disproved by historians and researchers. R.C. Majumdar in his book "An Advanced History of India" has dismissed the Black Hole story as entirely baseless. British scholar J.H. Little in his article, titled "The 'Black Hole'—The Question of Holwell's Veracity", argues that Holwell's version is nothing but "a gigantic hoax" – invented to rouse sentiments in Britain for military intervention in India.
Fort William was set up to protect the British East India Company's trade in Bengal from European rivals such as the French and the Dutch. Siraj od-Dowlah, who was the local ruler of Iranian origin, objected to the British interference in the internal affairs of Bengal, perceiving the militarization of Fort William as a threat to its independence. He ordered an immediate stop to military enhancement and when the British paid no heed, he laid siege and seized the fort. In 1757, the British sent a military force under Robert Clive and by bribing officers of Bengal including the Prime Minister, defeated Siraj od-Dowla in the Battle of Plassey, and later murdered him.