Question

What was the policy of ‘Divide and Rule’ implemented by the British?

Answer 1

Instructions:
Explain the following points:

• Unity among religious communities during 1857 revolt threatened the British
• Division of Indian population on religious lines using “Divide and Rule” policy
• British favoured Muslims and turned hostile towards Hindus

Answer:

• In the revolt of 1857, the unity between Hindus, Muslims, and other religions terrified the British Raj. They realized that their quest to stronghold the dominance over the Indian Subcontinent was challenging if this unity among the diversities persisted.
• Thus they imposed the Divide and Rule policy where they divided the Indian population into groups based on their religion and turned them against each other.
• With this, the British decided to bring Muslim Zamindars and newly educated Muslims on their side. British turned hostile towards Hindus and kept Muslims away from Indian National Congress.