Overall, the British used divide and rule policies in Sri Lanka by favoring certain ethnic groups over others, such as choosing Sinhalese over Tamils in bureaucratic positions and favoring Tamils over native Sinhalese. This created tensions and divisions within the population, ultimately leading to conflict and instability. Additionally, they further exacerbated these divisions by making the Tamils refugees of the nation after a military coup and using scorched-earth tactics on ethnic minorities. These actions ultimately played a role in the later ethnic conflicts in Sri Lanka.
