There's an argument to be made that, because the British Empire strategy was to make an ethnic minority into the local ruling class, subject to Britain (in order to keep them loyal, they need British support or they get mobbed), it inflamed ethnic tensions.

However, that ignores that the ethnic tensions needed to be there in the first place for the British to exploit.

There's an argument to be made that, because the British Empire strategy was to make an ethnic minority into the local ruling class, subject to Britain (in order to keep them loyal, they need British support or they can mobbed), it inflamed ethnic tensions.

However, that ignores that the ethnic tensions needed to be there in the first place for the British to exploit.