Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
the inquisition: the reign of fear
the spanish inquisition essay
history of inquisition
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: the inquisition: the reign of fear
The Spanish Inquisition was the longest and most ruthless inquiry of faith of
all time. Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Christians, and all non-Catholic religions were
besieged by persecution from the Spanish government. Although it was not
intended, thousands of innocent Spaniards were tortured and killed once the king
and queen of Spain established the Inquisition.
An Inquisition is a very complex process, and at first, seemed innocuous.
Inquisitions were designated to be a series of tribunals (courts) held to push non-
Catholics to repent and turn to Catholicism. Catholic leaders regarded their faith
as a superior religion, and desired for everyone to become Catholic and establish
one homogeneous belief (Bachrach 10). The holy office, which is also known as the
Papacy, was the highest authority over Catholic countries. In order for an
Inquisition to be issued the Holy Office, or the Pope, must grant permission
(Bachrach 12). The Papacy instituted Inquisition in certain countries to counter any
threat against Catholicism. An Inquisition was initially intended to prevent civil
disruption, social corruption, and bloodshed (Bachrach 12). This, however, was not
the case. The Church began to empower government officials called Inquisitors to
essentially hunt down “unbelievers” and quietly question them about their faith
(Bachrach 12). Nearly all of the questioned citizens would refuse to co-operate.
This infuriated the Inquisitors and the Holy Office, and harsh punishments
gradually increased. These despicable Inquisitions originally began circa 1200 A.D.
and different Inquisitions continued until nearly 1850 A.D. (Bachrach 13). The
Spanish Inquisition, the cruelest of all, seemed an innocent way to con...
... middle of paper ...
... to the pulley, until their limbs became disjointed. Horrifyingly,
many died during this procedure. As for imprisonment, if even one word was
uttered against the Catholic Church, a man could be imprisoned anywhere from 4 to
20 years (Coffin 84). The numbers of those slain are astounding. Over 10,200
innocent people were burned at the stake, while another 6,800 perished in prison.
Countless others died during torture (Coffin 95). Nearly 100,000 civilians had their
property confiscated and civil rights revoked as greedy Catholic Inquisitors looted
homes (Coffin 95). Practically all of those who were slaughtered were Jewish
(Coffin 95). As the Inquisition spiraled out of control, thousands of Jews fled to
nearby countries to avoid the massacre. The Spanish Inquisition was most
definitely more violent and cruel than any other Inquisition.
As demonstrated by scholars such as Kagan and Dyer, Homza, and Kamen, The Spanish Inquisition was a highly organized and secretive institution used to police religious and social order. The trials of María Gonzalez and Pedro de Villegas demonstrate the dedication with which Inquisitors sought to persecute those who were outsiders in society and manipulate them into confessing their religious offenses. However, they also show that the Inquisition was not completely unmerciful- it operated with a legal process that afforded the accused an opportunity to provide evidence that would prove they were not guilty. Using these two cases, I will demonstrate these polarities and argue that the Spanish Inquisition was not as cruel as it is made out to be. Although victims were often falsely accused, they were provided the opportunity to defend themselves and community testimony was allowed to confirm their case. Although it’s methods weren't always ideal, the Inquisition was "something less than the faceless, monolithic machine that it is commonly conceived to have been."1
Kings often struggled with the Church over power and land, both trying desperately to obtain them, both committing atrocities to hold onto them. Time and time again, the Popes of the postclassical period went to great extremes to secure the Church’s position in the world. Both the Crusades and the Inquisition are examples of this. D...
The Inquisition run by Tomas de Torquemada persecuted other religions and was a base of counter-reformation
Religious Interests and Political Interests in the Spanish Monarchy The period of 1474 - 1598 was very important in terms of religion in Europe, as Luther's Reformation of 1517 brought religion to the forefront of the political agenda. Yet, it is questionable whether it took precedence over issues such as war and the economy for the Catholic Monarchs. The sources agree that religion was an important concern in the private lives of the Catholic Monarchs, but disagree over whether they allowed personal faith to become the most prominent motive behind their decisions as rulers. Sources, 1,3 and 6, all written contemporaneously by the monarchs, or their advisors, emphasise the strong role played by religion in the monarch's lives, and consequently their behaviour as rulers. Del Purgar, writing in the 1480s, during the Granada war, explicitly states that Isabella's monarchical ambition was to root out and destroy heretics, and that she imposed these views on Ferdinand.
Few, if any, religious conquests were as gruesome and devastating as the Inquisition. Starting in the 13th century, monarchs from all around Europe, with approval from the Popes during their reigns, anointed inquisitors to track down a certain group of he...
Witchcraft. The word in itself evokes a certain kind of eeriness. In past centuries, people who were accused of being witches were thought of to be the worst kinds of people there are. There were several kinds of witches and several ways in which they operated. Whatever the reason, the Catholic Church saw witches, or those accused of being witches, as sinful. Partly to stop this kind of sin and other forms, the Inquisition of the Catholic Church was implemented. It is important to know what the factors leading up to the Inquisition included to fully understand its implementation. Once the history is reviewed it is easy to see how the Faith of the Church and the reason behind its thinking were hand-in-hand at the time, and also the way in which they seemingly conflict today.
The Spanish Inquisition The word “inquisition” means to examine. Inquisitors would “examine” suspected Heretics, people whose ideas do not match those of the Roman Catholic Church, and punish them accordingly. This included torture and burning. The great inquisition movement that took place in Spain, or Hispania as it was called before Spain united.
History provides several horrible periods of violence, fear and murder. Such horrible acts against humanity have been committed in the name of religion, colonization, and racial superiority. The Holocaust, was one of the most catastrophic and saddest events in history, where about 11 million people, including Jewish children, families, and political dissenters were mass murdered. However, there exists another mournful and cruel period that marked the lives of many Sephardic Jews with secrecy and fear. One hardly hears about the harassment, rejection and humiliation of Sephardic Jewry in Spain, Portugal, and countries like Mexico, at the hands of the Holy Office of the Inquisition, which began in 1492. Due to these events, Sephardic Jews found themselves facing one of the most complex decisions of their lives and those of future generations; conversion, expulsion or death. The reasons for conversion are complex, as many converted by force and others for social or political reasons. As a result, converts became known as Conversos and “marranos /chuetas, and the latter are derogatory terms, as the names imply “swine” (Hordes 6). Another important term is Anusim, referring to those "whose conversion was prompted by violence and fear not sincerity” (Hordes 6). Marranos, were secretive people often, “keeping their children from their Jewish identity, until they reached an age where discretion could be trusted "(Telushkin 195). All of these events, have led to the complex phenomena, of the crypto-Jews in the new world, including Mexico and the American Southwest. Thus, sparking new areas of interest and research of their practices, customs, authenticity, and identification.
A major turning point in Medieval history were the Crusades. The Crusades were a series of wars fought between the Christian Europeans and the Muslim Turks, which occurred between the years of 1096 to 1272. In this Holy War the Christians goal was to obtain the Holy Land from the Turks, in which they did not succeed. Although the Christians did not meet their goal, many positives did come out of their attempt. Due to the reason that they did not meet their goal, yet numerous positives came out of their effort, many refer to this as a successful failure.
What was the Spanish Inquisition? The Spanish Inquisition persecuted and discriminated against minorities in the Iberia Peninsula who opposed to the practice and ideologies of the Catholic Church. Between 1480 to 1834, the Spanish Inquisition was placed under the authority of the royal power in Spain; the Inquisition was created in order to resolve the particular problem presented by the presence of thousands of converted Jews in the Iberian Peninsula. At the same time, the inquisition extended its authority to other minorities and become implanted in other geographical regions. This “institution” operated and was expanded to other territories under the crown of Castile—the Canaries and the territories ruled by viceroys in New Spain and Peru (24, 25).
The First Crusade was from 1096 to 1099. They were Christian military. expeditions and religious wars proclaimed by the people. The purpose of the Crusades were to gain and keep control over Palestine from the Muslims. Palestine was also called the Holy Land because Jesus lived there.
The first problem they tried to deal with during the Inquisition was the Moors. At first, they tried preaching to the people, and not forcing them to convert to Catholicism. However, the plans quickly changed and they decided that it was more efficient for forced conversion or expulsion to be used against the Moors (Reston). This did not please the Moors. They fought back against Ferdinand and Isabella. The fighting between the Christians and the Moors went on for almost ten ...
The Salem Witch Trials was a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in Massachusetts between February 1692 and May 1693. The Devil in Massachusetts: A Modern Enquiry Into the Salem Witch Trials is a historical narrative of the trials written by Marion L. Starkey. The trials took place in Salem, Massachusetts in the late seventeenth century. The author discusses the origin, duration and the aftermath of the incident. It discusses the Puritan negligence towards the emotional needs of the female children involved in the trials and their striving for attention, as well as the harsh reality of sin and evil imposed on Puritan beliefs.
The Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century is one of the most complex movements in European history since the fall of the Roman Empire. The Reformation truly ends the Middle Ages and begins a new era in the history of Western Civilization. The Reformation ended the religious unity of Europe and ushered in 150 years of religious warfare. By the time the conflicts had ended, the political and social geography in the west had fundamentally changed. The Reformation would have been revolutionary enough of itself, but it coincided in time with the opening of the Western Hemisphere to the Europeans and the development of firearms as effective field weapons. It coincided, too, with the spread of Renaissance ideals from Italy and the first stirrings of the Scientific Revolution. Taken together, these developments transformed Europe.
Ever since the fall of 1930 when the Spanish Revolution began there has been no surcease of the struggle in Spain. For a long time there was a deadlock of forces, an equilibrium in the tug of war between the property holders and the destitute. Now the equilibrium is being definitely broken. The issue before Spain is either Communism or Fascism. The matter is being fought out not with ballots but with bullets and ruthless civil war. Slowly the political revolution is being definitively turned into a social revolution.