Divide and rule
Topic: Europeans in India and the Rise of Company Rule · NCERT: Class 8, Ch 4 "The Colonial Era in India"
Meaning
Divide and rule was a British method of gaining power by keeping Indians split against each other. Company agents posed as traders or friendly allies. They offered military help to rulers against their rivals. They took sides in succession disputes (quarrels over who would be the next ruler) and in court factions. They also used, or even encouraged, tensions between religious communities. This made Indian powers weaker and more dependent on the British.
Example
The Battle of Plassey (1757) is the classic case. Robert Clive secretly promised the throne of Bengal to Mir Jafar, the army commander of Nawab Siraj-ud-daulah. During the battle at Palashi, Mir Jafar's troops, who were most of the Nawab's army, stood aside. This handed victory to the smaller British force.
Don't confuse with
- Subsidiary alliance: this was a formal treaty system. A ruler had to accept a British Resident and pay for British troops. Divide and rule was a general method of setting Indians against each other, not a treaty.
Related concepts
- Dastak
- Black Hole of Calcutta
- Siraj-ud-daulah
- Robert Clive
- Battle of Plassey
- Mir Jafar
- Mir Qasim
- Battle of Buxar 1764
- Treaty of Allahabad 1765
- Diwani of Bengal