---
title: The Black Hole of Calcutta
author: BSB München
source: https://www.worldhistory.org/image/16482/the-black-hole-of-calcutta/
format: machine-readable-alternate
license: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)
updated: 2022-10-05
---

# The Black Hole of Calcutta

_Authored by BSB München_

## Image File

[![The Black Hole of Calcutta](https://www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/16482.png)](https://www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/16482.png)

## Image Caption

An c. 1762 illustration of the [Black Hole of Calcutta](https://www.worldhistory.org/Black_Hole_of_Calcutta/), the infamous prison cell used to hold captured British soldiers in 1756. According to one survivor, 123 of 146 prisoners died of dehydration and heat exhaustion.

## Cite This Work

### APA
München, B. (2022, October 05). The Black Hole of Calcutta. *World History Encyclopedia*. <https://www.worldhistory.org/image/16482/the-black-hole-of-calcutta/>
### Chicago
München, BSB. "The Black Hole of Calcutta." *World History Encyclopedia*, October 05, 2022. <https://www.worldhistory.org/image/16482/the-black-hole-of-calcutta/>.
### MLA
München, BSB. "The Black Hole of Calcutta." *World History Encyclopedia*, 05 Oct 2022, <https://www.worldhistory.org/image/16482/the-black-hole-of-calcutta/>.

## License & Copyright

[Original image](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hartes_Schicksal_einniger_Engel%C3%A4nder_in_einem_Gef%C3%A4ngnis_1757.jpg) by [**BSB München**](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hartes_Schicksal_einniger_Engel%C3%A4nder_in_einem_Gef%C3%A4ngnis_1757.jpg). Submitted by [Mark Cartwright](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/markzcartwright/ "User Page: Mark Cartwright"), published on 05 October 2022. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0deed.en). This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon a work even for commercial reasons, as long as they credit the author and license their new creations under the identical terms. When republishing on the web a hyperlink back to the original content source URL must be included. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.