A drawing of the dungeon (Public domain)

The Black Hole of Calcutta

A fearsome prison that claimed dozens of lives in a single evening

In the year 1756, the East India Company had established a trading fort in the Indian city of Calcutta. The fort was erected to protect the harbor from locals and the pesky French who were keen on elbowing their way in on British trade interests in the region. Unfortunately, the construction of the fort…