shrewd policies of the Britishers were the reason why we lost freedom, or was it the weakness of the Indian rulers. express your views

It was a combination of shrewd policies of the British as well as the weakness of Indian rulers that contributed to the rise of power of the British in India. Indian rulers were divided and weak. Hence, they could not provide effective resistance to the British. But the British were also shrewd enough to take advantage of the weaknesses and divisions of Indian rulers. They formed strategic alliances with different rulers and played of one ruler against the other. This way, they consolidated their positions and eventually became the rulers of India.