Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site rlgvax.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!rlgvax!raghu From: raghu@rlgvax.UUCP (Raghu Raghunathan) Newsgroups: net.politics Subject: Re: Re: 3rd world savages Message-ID: <245@rlgvax.UUCP> Date: Sat, 17-Nov-84 16:53:43 EST Article-I.D.: rlgvax.245 Posted: Sat Nov 17 16:53:43 1984 Date-Received: Sun, 18-Nov-84 22:39:37 EST References: <566@asgb.UUCP> <234@rlgvax.UUCP> <12@mit-athena.ARPA> <240@rlgvax.UUCP> <120@decvax.UUCP> Organization: CCI Office Systems Group, Reston, VA Lines: 24 > On the contrary, the British kept the "natives" at each others throats. > > The strategy of "divided they fall" was a major vehicle for Britain retaining > control over India. The major policy of the British Rule in India was "Divide and Rule", a dictum well known to any student of Indian (or British?) history. They tried hard to foster suspicion and distrust among Indians in different parts of the country and thus keep them separate. There are many instances where the British would befriend a small Indian kingdom and encourage it to attack its neighbouring kingdom. A bitter war would follow. And at the end of it, when both the kingdoms were exhausted and spent, the British would move in and take them both over. (A policy not unlike the one the CIA and the KGB are following now with small third world nations) The British were probably afraid (and rightly so) that if Indians were allowed to join forces against them, they wouldn't have a ghost of a chance. Whether this is envisioned as "keeping natives at each others throats" or "keeping natives away from each others throats" is a moot point. - raghu