Final answer:
The diversity and lack of unity among Indian societies was indeed a key element that facilitated British control and expansion in India during the 18th and 19th centuries.
Step-by-step explanation:
It is true that the British control of India was strengthened by the diversity and lack of unity of the Indian people. As the Mughal empire began to collapse in the mid-18th century, the lack of strong central power made it easier for the British, through the British East India Company, to establish and increase its influence in the region. The British East India Company exploited the diversity of India's cultures and languages, encouraging competition among rival princes, leading to disunity that was advantageous for British dominion. Moreover, the British utilized indirect rule and established alliances with local rulers, offering support to those who cooperated and undermining those who resisted. This strategy, combined with superior military technology and tactics, allowed the British to eventually control vast areas and implement the British Raj, transitioning from company rule to direct British rule after the Revolt of 1857.