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01-007 The Black Hole of Calcutta - I
Vol. 01- No. 7
2009
Lead: Often the interpretation of a story is as interesting as the story itself. Intro: A Moment In Time with Dan Roberts. Content: Historians are not machines into which facts are thrust and from which history emerges unsullied by confusion or bias. They are humans who often struggle without enthusiasm against their own prejudice. Therefore, it is helpful from time to time to study an event as others have studied it. Take, for instance, the Black Hole of Calcutta. For the better part of the eighteenth century the East India Company maintained Britain's presence in the subcontinent of India. The main purpose of that company was trade--not political control--but sometimes trade brings conflict. Local merchants resented British intrusion and local rulers often felt threatened by the influx of traders. Soldiers, usually mercenaries, were used to protect the trading bases and at times to keep the natives in line. Irritated that the English had constructed fortifications against his wishes, the Indian ruler of the area around the port of Calcutta on the eastern coast, attacked the city in June of 1756. The governor abandoned Fort William and anchored his ship downstream in a safe place. Two hundred defenders were left. John Zephaniah Holwell was appointed commander--with little left to command--and in the intense afternoon heat of June 20th, he surrendered. At first the survivors were treated well, but toward evening some of the European soldiers got drunk and assaulted the natives. When the local ruler heard of it, he asked if there were a holding cell where the prisoners could be kept overnight. Part of the barracks had been converted into what was called the "Black Hole," measuring only 18 by 15 feet with two small windows, into which the remaining Europeans were thrown. It was the hottest season of the year, and the next morning fewer than 25 people came out alive. Up to this point nearly everyone agrees on the facts. It is what happened afterward that shows how history can be twisted to justify actions for generations to come. Next time we will examine the myth of the Black Hole of Calcutta. The Producer of A Moment in Time is Steve Clark. At the University of Richmond, this is Dan Roberts. Resources De, Amalendu. "A Note on the Black Hole Tragedy," Quarterly Review of Historical Studies, x, 3 and 4 (1970-1971), 141-153, 187-192. Hill, S.C. Bengal in 1756-1757. London, 1905. Holwell, J.Z. India Tracts. London, 1774. Especially Book IV. Little, J.H. "The Black Hole - The Question of Holwell's Veracity," Bengal: Past and Present, xii (1916), part I, serial 23, 32-42, 136-171. Copyright 2009 by Broadcast Partners, LLC LAC052307
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