Divide and Rule Policy
The East India Company used the policy of Divide and rule. First, they expanded their support to the Indian kings by winning small battles and later took over their kingdoms. In the name of helping them, the company plotted one king against another. While the princes were busy battling with each other, the company was expanding its powers by subduing the small regional states.
So far it can only be said that it was the short-sightedness of Indian Princes, which led the British India Company to take benefit out of it. the British would have had difficulty capturing territory in India if the princely kingdoms had maintained their unity and cooperation. Because of this, the East India Company was able to simply either defeat them or force them to agree to their terms.
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Do you think Indian princes were short-sighted in their approach to events of 1757?
Indian rulers’ perspectives on the events of 1757 were limited. They seem to be short-sighted in the matter of their approach to current political events. They only considered the short-term advantages, while failing to perceive the ill intentions of the British rulers and comprehend the long-term consequences they would have to face in the future. As a result, the Britishers gradually rose to the position of virtual rulers by gaining the trust of local kings and assisting them in winning minor conflicts with rival kingdoms.
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