▁However , ▁the ▁historical ▁record ▁and ▁many ▁accounts ▁by ▁other ▁obser vers ▁indicate ▁otherwise , ▁cit ing ▁the ▁human ▁rights ▁ab uses ▁and ▁supp ression ▁of ▁civil ▁society ▁that ▁occurred ▁during ▁P ino ch et ' s ▁rule . ▁ ▁The ▁existence ▁of ▁real ▁libert ies ▁in ▁many ▁of ▁these ▁aut oc ra cies ▁is ▁very ▁question able . ▁For ▁instance , ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁aut oc ra cies ▁often ▁abol ished ▁fe ud al ▁institutions ▁like ▁ser f dom , ▁gu ild s , ▁privileges ▁for ▁the ▁nob ility ▁and ▁inequality ▁before ▁the ▁law , ▁but ▁freedom ▁of ▁speech ▁and ▁freedom ▁of ▁association ▁were ▁at ▁best ▁limited . ▁As ▁such , ▁liberal ▁aut ocracy ▁often ▁preced ed ▁various ▁forms ▁of ▁elect oral ▁dem ocracy ▁in ▁the ▁evolution ▁of ▁these ▁nations , ▁being ▁much ▁more ▁open ▁than ▁fe ud al ▁monarch ies , ▁but ▁less ▁free ▁than ▁modern ▁liberal ▁dem oc ra cies . ▁Hong ▁Kong ▁is ▁arg u ably ▁a ▁special ▁case , ▁where ▁during ▁the ▁latter ▁stages ▁of ▁British ▁colonial ▁rule ▁there ▁was ▁considerable ▁freedom ▁of ▁speech ▁and ▁freedom ▁of ▁association , ▁but ▁also ▁the ▁common ▁knowledge ▁that ▁China ▁would ▁not ▁allow ▁an ▁independent ▁state ▁with ▁free ▁elections . ▁It ▁was ▁also ▁suggested ▁that ▁since ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁Egypt ▁has ▁been ▁lean ing ▁towards ▁liberal ▁aut ocracy ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁See ▁also ▁▁ ▁Aut ocracy ▁ ▁En light ened ▁absol ut ism ▁ ▁Liberal ▁dem ocracy ▁ ▁Political ▁liberal ism ▁ ▁Category : L iber al ism