User blog comment:John Breasly/Clearing this EITC stuff up/@comment-5206974-20111011020914/@comment-4753863-20111011160032

Indeed, the real Honorable East India Trading Company had mercenaries, but they were used only for ship DEFENSE against pirates and privateer raiders. Not declaring war on other nations/groups. Those such things would be restricted to the Royal Navy. But, if we just defended ships that would get to be really boring :P