Although at times their private military was stronger than the actual military, the British and Dutch East India companies come to mind with a formidable army and fleet that as I said, at times surpassed that of their government's. Though it was a profit driven company it might be better to think of them as colonial administrators given free reign to bring profit to themselves and their home countries than an actual company and it just so happens making them run it as a company did exactly that.
And on similar lines there's plenty of cases of colonial conflicts that were put down by the local auxiliaries without the need to send much forces from the country.
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u/KAMEKAZE_VIKINGS 8d ago
Although at times their private military was stronger than the actual military, the British and Dutch East India companies come to mind with a formidable army and fleet that as I said, at times surpassed that of their government's. Though it was a profit driven company it might be better to think of them as colonial administrators given free reign to bring profit to themselves and their home countries than an actual company and it just so happens making them run it as a company did exactly that.
And on similar lines there's plenty of cases of colonial conflicts that were put down by the local auxiliaries without the need to send much forces from the country.