In Politics and Sociology , (derived from Latin ''divide et impera'') (also known as '''divide and conquer''') is a combination Political , Military and Economic Strategy of gaining and maintaining power by breaking up larger concentrations of power into chunks that individually have less power than the one implementing the strategy. In reality, it often refers to a strategy where small power groups are prevented from linking up and becoming more powerful, since it is difficult to break up existing power structures.
Maxims "Divide et impera" or "Divide ut regnes" are traditionally identified with the principle of government of Roman Senate. This attribution is not entirely reliable, insofar as the Roman policy mainly aimed to unite the conquered nations both politically and culturally, under Roman rule. It is, however, borne out by the example of was gradually dissolved under the Roman possession of the whole of Greece , owing to them not dealing with the several states in the same way, but wishing to preserve some and to destroy others.
In modern times, Traiano Boccalini cites "Divide et impera" in ''La bilancia politica'', 1,136 and 2,225 as a common principle in politics. The use of this technique is meant to empower the sovereign to control subjects, populations, or factions of different interests, who collectively might be able to oppose his rule. Machiavelli identifies a similar application to military strategy, advising in Book VI of ''The Art of War'' (''Dell'arte della guerra'' [http://www.intratext.com/IXT/ITA1109/_P7.HTM ), that a Captain should endeavor with every art to divide the forces of the enemy, either by making him suspicious of his men in whom he trusted, or by giving him cause that he has to separate his forces, and, because of this, become weaker.
The strategy of division and rule has been attributed to sovereigns ranging from '' {Link without Title} : "Divide et impera, the reprobated axiom of tyranny, is under certain qualifications, the only policy, by which a republic can be administered on just principles."
Typical elements of this technique are said to involve
- creating or encouraging divisions among the subjects in order to forestall alliances that could challenge the sovereign.
- aiding and promoting those who are willing to cooperate with the sovereign.
- fostering distrust and enmity between local rulers.
- encouraging frivolous expenditures that leave little money for political and military ends.
The use of this strategy was imputed to administrators of vast empires, including the Roman and British , who were charged with playing one tribe against another to maintain control of their territories with a minimal number of imperial forces. The concept of "Divide and Rule" gained prominence when India was a part of the British Empire, but was also used to account for the strategy used by the Romans to take Britain, and for the Anglo-Normans to take Ireland. It is said that the British used the strategy to gain control of the large territory of India by keeping its people divided along lines of religion, language, or caste, taking control of petty princely states in India piecemeal.
Also mentioned as a strategy for market action in Economics , it can be applied to get the most out of the players in a competitive market.
- Cyprus was placed under British control on 4 June 1878 as a result of the Cyprus Convention , which granted control of the island to Britain in return for British support of the Ottoman Empire in the Russian-Turkish War .
- Famagusta harbour was completed in June 1906; by this time the island was a strategic naval outpost for the British Empire , shoring up influence over the Eastern Mediterranean and Suez Canal , the crucial main route to India .
- A British colonial strategy was to keep the Greek Cypriot majority and Turkish Cypriot minority of the island separate and discourage intermingling. The British hoped and succeded to strengthen their hold on this strategically important colony. {Link without Title}
- Cyprus Independence was attained in 1960 after exhaustive negotiations between the are found in Cyprus and the ''divide et impera'' effects endure as the Cyprus Dispute .
- Some allege that the US military and media fosters an opposition between Shia and Sunni Muslims.
- During the last quarter of the 19th century, British Governors encouraged Inter-caste rivalry among the Sinhala speaking inhabitants of Sri Lanka to prevent the formation of anti-colonial movements. The British administrators helped loyal families of mixed origin who professed the Anglican faith of the British administrators, to merge with the numerically large Govigama middle-caste of cultivators and landlordss to pose as native leaders. Among them were the De Saram family that had married Burghers, and later through other marriage alliances, created a network embracing the Obeysekere, Jayasekara, Dias-Bandaranaike, Ilangakoon, de Alwis, de Livera, Pieris and Siriwardena families. This “Govigama” Anglican Christian network expanded further with the preponderance of native headmen as Mudaliyars, Korales and Vidanes from the Buddhist Govigama section of the community.
- Eventually the British created a very powerful class of Sri Lankan Mudaliyars . Towards the end of the 19th century, appointments to high native positions were restricted for several years only to Anglicans from the Govigama caste. In the Caste System In Sri Lanka , the Govigama caste had been the 4th caste. ''Nitinighanduwa'', a spurious publication on so called native laws which was in reality designed to claim the highest status for the Govigama caste was published by the British government and it sparked the famous caste-conflict of that period. This caste antipathy remained for decades and it effectively prevented the formation of a nationalistic independence struggle in Sri Lanka. It also laid the foundation for the post-independence Govigama hegemony which has led to several youth uprisings followed by brutal mass massacres by Govigama controlled governments to suppress them. The country has been ravaged by a civil war for over two decades driven by demands for democracy and autonomy and there is brewing discontent among youth against the exploitation of the nation by a few political families.
- Through their methods of administration, divide and rule policies, census taking methods and mandatory declaration of one’s ‘Race’ on official documents, The British Governors forced the Sri Lankan population of diverse ethnic origins to become either Sinhalese or Tamils based on the language they spoke in the 19th century.
- Ethnically diverse but Sinhala speaking castes and racial groups who had their own origin myths were virtually compelled to adopt a common origin myth, the myth that all Sinhala speaking people descend from Vijaya the grandson of a lion, even though all of the Sinhalese lower-castes were originally Tamil . This myth was encouraged and popularised by the British colonials ably aided by staunche nationalists. Prince Vijaya died without even a royal heir and subsequent dynasties until the 12th century Kalinga s never claimed Vijayan connections. Nevertheless in the modern Sinhala psyche the ‘descent from the lion’ story has a special place and is widely accepted unquestioningly.
- Similarly in northern Sri Lanka, ethnically diverse communities of various origins but speaking Tamil , the language of trade and commerce of the region, were grouped as Malabars and subsequently relabelled as Tamils even though many of them were Malayali and Telegus.
- These strategies, created two mega races, the Sinhalese and the Tamils in Sri Lanka and a raging civil war based on this division by the conniving British has been raging for over two decades.
Western countries have used the divide and conquer strategy in Africa during the Colonial and post-colonial period.
- Germany and Belgium both ruled Rwanda and Burundi in a colonial capacity. Germany used the strategy of divide and conquer by placing members of the Tutsi minority in positions of power. When Belgium took over in 1916 , the Tutsi and Hutu groups were rearranged according to race rather than by occupation. Belgium defined "Tutsi" as anyone with more than ten cows or a long nose, while "Hutu" meant someone with less than ten cows and a broad nose. The socioeconomic divide between Tutsis and Hutus continued after independence and was a major factor in the Rwandan Genocide .
- During British rule of Nigeria from 1900 to 1960 different regions were frequently reclassified for administrative purposes. The British used conflict between Ibos and Hausa as a means of consolidating their power in the region. Regional, ethnic, and religious splits remain a barrier to uniting Nigeria . {Link without Title}
Some believe that the British employed "Divide and Rule" in British India as a means of preventing an uprising against the Raj.
In his historical survey Constantine's Sword , James Carroll writes,
:"Typically, imperial powers depend on the inability of oppressed local populations to muster a unified resistance, and the most successful occupiers are skilled at exploiting the differences among the occupied. Certainly that was the story of the British Empire 's success, and its legacy of nurtured local hatreds can be seen wherever the Union Flag flew, from Muslim - Hindu hatred in Pakistan and India , to Catholic - Protestant hatred in Ireland , to, yes, Jew - Arab , hatred in modern Israel . {Link without Title} Rome was as good at encouraging internecine resentments among the occupied as Britain ever was." James Carroll , Constantine's Sword , Mariner Books, 2002, p81-82
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