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INQUISITION

711-1252
In 711, Muslims from North Africa invaded much
of the Spanish Peninsula. Shortly after, and for
the next several hundred years, the Christian
kingdoms in the north of Spain began to conquer
Muslim land (this initiative is known as the
Reconquest).
As the Reconquista brought the territories of
Moorish Spain under the control of Christian
kings, many Jews in these areas declared their
conversion.
Pope Lucius III declared the first inquisition in
1184, nearly 300 years before the creation of the
Spanish Inquisition.
The use of torture was authorized for inquisitors
in 1252.
1480-1530
"In regard to the first period, from 1480 to
1530, characterized by intense activity in
the persecution of Jewish converts, sources
vary regarding the number of trials and
executions that took place during those
years. Henry Kamen estimates an
approximate figure, based on the
documentation of the autos de fe, of 2,000
executed individuals. The expulsion of the
Jews and the persecution of Jewish converts
See also: Converso (Spain)"

1560-1614
During the Inquisition in Spain,
women and children accused of
witchcraft were not sentenced to the
stake. Instead, such incidents were
more common in countries like
Germany and Switzerland, where a
large number of women were
executed. The Spanish Inquisition
primarily focused on the persecution
of Jewish converts from 1531 to 1560.
However, this pursuit significantly
decreased after that period.
SECOND PART OF 17 TH CENTURY
During the 17th century, the Inquisition
continued to persecute those who were
considered heretics, including people who
practiced non-Catholic religions. The
Inquisition sought to suppress these beliefs
and convert heretics to Catholicism.
In addition, he often conducted trials and used
torture to extract confessions of heresy.
People accused of heresy were subjected to
secret court proceedings and could face
physical torture to obtain information
The Inquisition also oversaw books and
publications that were deemed heretical or
contrary to Catholic doctrine. This led to the
public burning of books deemed dangerous to
the Catholic faith.
There were also measures to expel Jews (1492)
and Moriscos (those of Muslim origin who had
converted to Christianity) (in the early 17th
century) as part of the fight against heresy.
The Inquisition was also established in the
Spanish colonies in the Americas, where it
dealt with religious orthodoxy and persecuted
any form of heresy, including indigenous and
African practices that were considered
contrary to Catholicism..
The fifth period of the Inquisition in
XVIII the 18th century was characterized by
a decline in the influence and power
of the Inquisition compared to
previous periods. During this period,
the Enlightenment and the growing
influence of Reason began to
undermine the authority of the
Church and its institutions, including
the Inquisition. In many European
countries, there was a decrease in the
persecution of alleged heresies and
witchcraft, and reforms were
implemented that limited the power
of the Inquisition. For instance, in
Spain, the Inquisition lost much of its
political and social influence.
However, the Inquisition still carried
out persecutions and trials in some
places. For example, in Portugal, the
Inquisition maintained its authority
for much of the 18th century, and
there were cases of people being
convicted of heresy.

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