The black hole: money, myth and Empire

by Jan Dalley

Book by Dalley, Jan

Hardcover

Published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Liam Ostermann · Rating 5 out of 5]

"This book is about a story that entered the national myth-bank, and lodged there with unusual tenacity. As so often with the historical episodes the British take to their hearts, it is a story of heroism in failure, turning a miserable defeat into a matter of national pride. The story was used for good and for ill. All tales of exceptional human bravery and resilience have an important place in our minds, and this one came with other attractive characteristics: the aura of money and battles, of exotic places and people, of youth and daring and living against the odds. There is probably no great harm if a little exaggeration creeps in to such narratives. However, the way in which this particular episode also resonated as a fear of strangeness, and came to epitomize (sic) through its very name the savagery of other peoples, is much less savoury." (From the jacket of the hard back edition of the book)

Brilliant book, how many people actually remember the story of the 'Black Hole of Calcutta' in schools nowadays might be questionable, but it was still being taught during mine in the 1970's. But before anything else let me clarify that, despite 'The Black Hole of Calcutta' sounding like a story from some racist antique gay pornography collection it is not, but was actually one of the founding legends of the British empire. What can it be compared to? Virgin Birth? Original Sin? Devils? Animals going two-by-two into an ark? Transubstantiation? However you look at it, whatever you compare it to the Black Hole was complete and utter rubbish. That the heroism and sufferings never happened that were commemorated celebrated as the moral foundation for the British empire were fictitious says everything you need to know about an empire that had no moral basis.

If you want to know what the myth of the Black Hole of Calcutta was then read some ridiculous fiction like Churchill's 'History of the English Speaking Peoples'. If you want to understand the Black Hole then read this book. It happened but it was minor, and unpleasant, but not significantly dreadful, event. But it provided a justification for Clive's seizure of Bengal and by extension for everything that Britain did afterwards. What was that? Well millions died - but that never gets the play of a few white men dying.

An important book and very readable and interesting book.

[Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

A strange little book that attempts to explore the myths surrounding the story of the Black Hole of Calcutta. Who was Mary Carey, or did she really exist? The author gives several theories for different actions - this could have happened, or maybe this, or in the end it doesn't matter because we'll never know what actually happened. Then why write the book? The author raises many questions without giving answers. Interesting for the early history of the British in India and the founding of Calcutta.

[Aileen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book greatly enhanced my understanding of Calcutta and how it began and thrived. Specifically, this book dispells the myths of the Black Hole of Calcutta as British Imperial propaganda based on one survivor's account. The flow of the book was disjointed and Dalley could have done a better job guiding the reader, but overall I enjoyed learning about how the City of Joy became the center of the British Empire.

[Mike Wigal · Rating 3 out of 5]

You don't hear much of "The Black Hole of Calcutta" anymore. With time it has almost completely faded from the lexicon, at least the American lexicon. But, its an important incident, one upon which the foundation of British Empire was built. No one will ever know precisely the particulars of what happened there. Suffice it to say it was a moment of "errors and blunder and crimes, but it also abounds in the records of virtue and heroism and valour." Lord Curzon, Viceroy of India

[Sanjay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Suspect I'm going to give up halfway through. Not because it's not well-written and even-handed. But because it's little more than a potted history of how the British came to establish their raj in India. No re-examination/reevaluation of the Black Hole incident, as I'd thought.