Abdur Rahman Khan's government was a military despotism resting upon a well-appointed army; it was administered through officials absolutely subservient to an inflexible will and controlled by a widespread system of espionage; while the exercise of his personal authority was too often stained by acts of unnecessary cruelty.
Abdur Rahman Khan's government was a military dictatorship with an iron fist, where the army held significant power and officials were under strict control. The ruler's authority was often exercised through acts of cruelty.