King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile set up the Spanish Inquisition in 1478 with the approval of Pope Sixtus IV. In contrast to the previous inquisitions, it operated completely under royal authority, though staffed by secular clergy and orders, and independently of the Holy See. It operated in Spain and in all Spanish colonies and territories, which included the Canary Islands, the Spanish Netherlands, the Kingdom of Naples, and all Spanish possessions in North, Central, and South America. It targeted primarily converts from Judaism (Conversos and Marranos) and from Islam (Moriscos or secret Moors) - both groups still resided in Spain after the end of the Islamic control of Spain - who came under suspicion of either continuing to adhere to their old religion or of having fallen back into it. Somewhat later the Spanish Inquisition took an interest in Protestants of virtually any sect, notably in the Spanish Netherlands. In the Spanish possessions of the Kingdom of Sicily and the Kingdom of Naples in southern Italy, which formed part of the Spanish Crown's hereditary possessions, it also targeted Greek Orthodox Christians. The Spanish Inquisition, tied to the authority of the Spanish Crown, also examined political cases. In the Americas, King Philip II set up two tribunals (each formally titled Tribunal del Santo Oficio de la Inquisición), one in Peru and the other in Mexico. The Mexican office administered the Audiencias of Guatemala (Guatemala, Chiapas, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica), Nueva Galicia (northern and western Mexico), Mexico (central and southeastern Mexico), and the Philippines. The Peruvian Inquisition, based in Lima, administered all the Spanish territories in South America and Panama. From 1610 a new Inquisition seat established in Cartagena (Colombia) administered much of the Spanish Caribbean in addition to Panama and northern South America. The Inquisition continued to function in North America until the Mexican War of Independence (1810-1821). In South America Simón BolÃvar abolished the Inquisition; in Spain itself the institution survived until 1834.
Chat with our AI personalities
the Spanish inquisition.
The Spanish Inquisition was set up in 1478 and lasted till 1834. It was active throughout the Spanish Empire as well as in Spain.
yes
To get them to confess to heresy
The original Papal inquisition was set up to find heretics. The Spanish Inquisition was originally established to sniff out 'insincere converts' from Judaism, and later extended its scope to include 'insincere converts' from Islam. By about 1600 something like 20% of all those in trouble with the Spanish Inquisition were being 'investigated' for allegedly 'insulting the Inquisition', failing to respect the Inquisition and so on.