The correct answer is A) European countries used cultural differences to increase local rivalries for their own purposes.
Imperialism caused conflicts between regional groups to increase local rivalries for their own purposes.
Powerful European nations used the old adage of "Split and conquer" to divide other countries using cultural differences to increase the local rivalries that already existed. This way, with a nation, divided from the inside, it was easier for them to conquer, dominate or oppress them. With this scenario, imperialistic goals and expansionist ideas were easy to implement in many territories.