Black Hole of Calcutta was the scene of a disputed incident that took place in India in 1756, during a battle between British and Indian troops. The Indians captured a British fort in Calcutta (now Kolkata) and locked their prisoners overnight in a room about 14 feet (4.3 meters) wide and 18 feet (5.5 meters) long. An uncertain number of prisoners suffocated in the room, which became known as the Black Hole of Calcutta. John Holwell, a British survivor of the incident, said 146 people were held in the room, and 123 died.
Most English historians accepted Holwell’s story, which was used to promote anti-Indian feelings. Indian historians rejected Holwell’s figures. Later research showed that no more than 43 of the British prisoners were unaccounted for. The number of deaths probably did not exceed 15.
