I'm not excusing Britain in any way for allowing the East India Company to behave as it did. I believe many of the British ruling class were shareholders and benefitted directly from its depredations.

Also, in the British tradition of 'divide and rule' they would generally get local people to do a lot of the dirty work.

No absolutely, sorry if I sounded that way.

I certainly was not saying you were excusing, just adding an addendum to your comment.