The Spanish Inquisition
The Spanish Inquisition is what takes the responsibility for the excess cruelty
of heretics.
It is from this time period that medieval torture expanded.
In 1497 Pope Sixtus IV issued a bull allowing the monarchs of Spain ( King
Ferdinand and Queen Isabella)
to select an inquisitional board. This board’s
undertaking focused on rooting out the fake Christians within Spain, such as
the
Protestants, Jews, and Muslims. The main difference between the Papal
Inquisition and the Spanish Inquisition
was independence. While the church held
the majority of power in prior inquisitions, during the Spanish Inquisition, the
king and queen were very independent. Not only did they get to pick the members
of their own board, but the Spanish
government covered all expenses and received
all profits involved in carrying out the inquisitional board’s task.
Spain’s
involvement with this inquisition for religious reasons seems almost like a
masquerade for gaining both
a political and economic advantage. The Spanish
inquisition was not disabled until 1834.