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The British East India Company's tactics, particularly in its army recruitment, stoked tensions between Hindus and Muslims. By favoring upper-caste Hindus, the Company ensured the marginalization of Muslim nobility. This practice culminated in widespread rebellions, notably the 1857 uprising, which led to the dissolution of the British East India Company and direct British governance.
In trying to maintain control over the region, British administrators instituted census practices that categorized the Indian population by religion and caste. Ironically, this initiative helped galvanize a collective Indian identity and eventually birthed the Indian National Congress, a movement initially dominated by urban elites but which quickly grew into a mass representation calling for independence.