On June 20th, 1756, after months of rising tension between the British East India Company and the rulers of Bengal, India,

the company's fortified headquarters at Fort William was besieged by thousands of soldiers.

When the fighting ended and the British defenders were overwhelmed, more than 100 prisoners were taken captive.

With nowhere else to hold these men, the captives were forced into a small battle. were overwhelmed, more than 100 prisoners were taken captive.

With nowhere else to hold these men, the captives were forced into a small basement cell inside

the fort.

What would go into happen inside that room would become one of the most infamous and disturbing

stories in colonial history.

It would be so horrifying that it would become known as the black hole of Calcutta.

As always, viewer discretion is strongly advised.

In the middle of the 18th century, India was a place where the old order was slowly beginning

to loosen its grip. For generations, the Mughal Empire had ruled over vast stretches of the

country, with its authority extending across cities, farmland, and major trade routes.

The Emperor and Delhi still carried immense power, but by the 1700s, the Empire's reign

had begun

to weaken.

In many provinces, control had shifted into the hands of regional rulers known as Nawabs.

These men technically governed on behalf of the emperor, but in practice they ruled with considerable

autonomy.

One of the richest and most important of these provinces was Bengal. Located in the Fertile Delta, where the Ganges and Bramapruca rivers meet the ocean, the region had long been a center of agriculture and trade.

As you might imagine, this wealth naturally attracted foreign merchants.

European traders have been arriving for more than a century, with the Portuguese first, followed

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