The correct answer is: d) All of the above.
British rule led to tensions between Assamese and Bengali communities, tribal and non-tribal groups, and Hindus and Muslims.
- Assamese and Bengali communities: The British East India Company began to establish trading posts in Assam in the early 18th century. This led to increased contact between the Assamese and Bengali peoples, which sometimes resulted in conflict. For example, in 1765, the British East India Company defeated the Ahom kingdom of Assam, which led to the displacement of many Assamese people.
- Tribal and non-tribal groups: The British also established control over many tribal areas in India. This often led to conflict between the tribal peoples and the British, as well as between the tribal peoples and the non-tribal peoples who had settled in the tribal areas. For example, in the late 19th century, the British government began to forcibly relocate tribal peoples from their traditional lands to make way for tea plantations. This led to a number of uprisings by tribal peoples.
- Hindus and Muslims: The British also divided India into two religious communities, Hindus and Muslims. This division was based on the belief that the two communities had different cultures and values. The British believed that this division would make it easier for them to rule India. However, the division between Hindus and Muslims led to a great deal of tension and conflict. For example, in 1947, the British partitioned India into two separate countries, India and Pakistan. This partition led to mass migration and violence between Hindus and Muslims.
The tensions between these groups were exacerbated by the British policy of divide and rule. This policy was designed to keep the Indian people divided and to prevent them from uniting against British rule. The British used a variety of methods to implement this policy, including promoting religious and ethnic differences, playing one group off against another, and offering preferential treatment to certain groups.
The tensions between these groups continued after the British left India in 1947. These tensions have been a major source of conflict in India ever since.