Which Indian territory was infamously known as Black Water during the British period because of the cellular jail located there?

Introduction / Context:
During the colonial period, certain places in India acquired harsh reputations because of the way they were used for punishment and exile. One such name was Black Water, which symbolised isolation and suffering. This question asks which present Indian territory carried that label due to the notorious cellular jail and the penal transportation system used by the British administration.

Given Data / Assumptions:
• The term Black Water refers to a place used by the British to send prisoners far away from the mainland. • The options are various island territories and coastal locations. • We must connect this historical nickname with the correct present day Indian territory. • Standard modern history and political geography sources are assumed.

Concept / Approach:
The phrase Kalapani or Black Water is strongly associated with the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Freedom fighters and political prisoners were transported there and lodged in the cellular jail constructed at Port Blair. The approach is to recall this widely taught association in Indian freedom struggle history.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that transportation to Kalapani was one of the harshest punishments used by the British for Indian revolutionaries. Step 2: Kalapani or Black Water referred to the distant Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal. Step 3: Among options, Andaman and Nicobar Islands are therefore the prime candidate for this nickname. Step 4: Lakshadweep and Minicoy are archipelagos in the Arabian Sea, but they are not linked in history textbooks with the Black Water penal colony. Step 5: Diu and the small islands of Aliabet and Khadiabet are coastal areas near Gujarat, not the famous penal settlement islands, so they can be eliminated.

Verification / Alternative check:
Modern history texts for competitive exams frequently refer to the Andaman cellular jail as Kalapani. Museum displays and tourism information for Port Blair emphasise that many freedom fighters were imprisoned in the Black Water jail there. No standard source links the term Black Water to the other listed territories.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Lakshadweep Islands: These are coral islands in the Arabian Sea, known mainly for tourism and marine life, not for a colonial era cellular jail. Diu: A coastal town that was part of Portuguese possessions, but it is not called Black Water in the context of British political prisoners. Aliabet and Khadiabet: Small islands off the Gujarat coast with no link to the famous penal settlements of the freedom struggle period. Minicoy Island: Part of the Lakshadweep group and significant for maritime navigation but not associated with Kalapani in history books.

Common Pitfalls:
Learners sometimes confuse Andaman and Nicobar Islands with Lakshadweep because both are island groups, but one is in the Bay of Bengal and the other in the Arabian Sea. Another error is to think of any remote island as Black Water without recalling the specific colonial era usage of the term. Remember that Black Water punishment and the cellular jail are always discussed together with Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Final Answer:
The Indian territory historically known as Black Water because of the cellular jail is the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.