There was no other way for londee except war ....... and Quran put a restriction on it, by advising just and fair treatment.
The rest of the londeez in Heera Mandi etc are selfish men and their lust ....... nothing to do with any religion.
The limit is not four ..... if we go by the way wordings and meanings .... to be precise it says three three four four ...... and it was never a luxury nor it was some sort of divine birth right granted to men, it was a responsibility assigned according to the needs of those times. Only when the number of helpless women and orphan children is there you are asked to undertake that duty as a Muslim, to grant them status, guardianship and custody ........ no one's permission would be required in that case.
I don't know I sometimes wonder ........ why don't we study Nabi Pak's marriage with Ama Khadeeja .... the whole time till the Bibi Khadeeja (May ALLAH be pleased with her) was alive there was no other woman in Nikah of Nabi Pak.