The Spanish Inquisition
From Mw
In 1483 CE (887 AH) after decades of increasing persecution and discrimination against the muslims and jews of Al Andalus the Spanish Inquisition came into force. See Pre Spanish Inquisition.
The Inquisition was headed by a converted Jew called Torquemeda. The only imposition that Ferdinand placed on the spanish inquisition was that it was to succeed in its objective
- No cause nor interest, however great and firm it may be, will make us supend the Inquisition, ' he wrote.. This, reflecting exactly the sentiments of Isabella, illustrates, the unswerving adherence of the Catholic monarchs to a dogmatic ideal on which they refused ever to compromise[1]
The initial period between 1483 CE (887 AH) and 1486 CE (890 AH) where not very effective, but that changed when an Inquisitor died at the hands of a a converso. The public mood changed and gave their full support.[2]
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[edit] Jurisdiction of the Inquisition
The Inquisition had a limit on its jurisdiction. It was only able to operate on those who had been baptised The important detail , however, is that heretics were by definition those who had betrayed their baptism, so that the tribunal exercised jurisdiction only over those who had been baptised. Time and again victims accused of heresy by the Holy Office claimed tha they were not baptised, so removing them immediately out of its power[3] According to the church any outward sign of the rejection of the religion of the Roman catholic church was considered blasphemy 'relapse into heresy' and was punishable by death. Examples of what was considered signs of heresy can be found in the records of the inquisition, they included such things as taking a bath of Friday, wearing clean clothes on Friday, not eating pork, or drinking wine, etc etc ... Because of this limitation there was a concerted effort to baptise the muslims and jews of Andalus
[edit] Baptism
In order to fall into the remit of the Inquisition someone had to be baptised. According to Pope Boniface VIII people were exempt from punishment for heresy if the acceptance of Christianity was by force. His definition of coercion , however, was that the fear of death was not such coercion as would exempt a person from the punishment prescribed by heretics. Those who were later asked to explain this definition, and to frame it within the statues, came to the conclusion that coercion was of two kinds, 'conditional' and 'absolute'. Conditional or parital coercion did not nullfiy the acceptance of baptism. Absolute coercidion was said to make the sacrament invalid, but it applied only in very extreme circumstances. If a man was tied hand and foot and was baptised in that condition while uttering protests, then and then only would the baptism be invalid. The threat of death was considered partial coercion as the Church deemed a choice had been made.[4]
Therefore under the threat of death or severe torture most of the Non christians were baptised in Spain, thus leaving them under the jurisdiction of the Inquisition
