The Spanish Inquisition: Power, Politics, and Purity

The Spanish Inquisition

The Crown of Castile and Leon and the Catalan-Aragonese Confederation witnessed the disintegration of the feudal system of serfdom and the emergence of the modern state during the 14th and 15th centuries.

Spain suffered major social and political turbulence, including plagues and peasant revolts. The monarchy strengthened, especially in Castile, laying the foundation for an authoritarian monarchy under the Reyes Católicos (Catholic Monarchs). In the early fifteenth century, the Iberian Peninsula consisted of five kingdoms: the Kingdom of Castile and Leon, Aragon, Navarre, Portugal, and the Islamic Kingdom of Granada.

Religious Unity and the Inquisition

The Catholic Monarchs sought to impose religious unity from the outset, establishing Catholicism as the state religion. The Santa Inquisición, or Holy Office, was established in 1478 by the Bull of Sixtus IV.

This led to a police state that conducted countless trials, often without informing the accused of the reasons for their accusations or the identities of their accusers. The concept of "purity of blood" became a prerequisite to avoid punishment.

The Inquisition targeted homosexuals, bigamists, polygamists, and others. According to historian Henry Kamen, the inquisitorial process was an inquisitio, or investigation, to determine the presence of heresy. He argues that it aimed to save souls through chastity.

Messori suggests that the Inquisition responded to the requests of the people and showed intolerance towards those who pressured the Tribunal (Court of the Second Office). Historical research indicates that most processes ended with absolution or penance, aiming to save the soul.

The Duke of Lerma and Political Intrigue

In the political arena of seventeenth-century Spain, a key feature was the presence of validos, individuals exercising effective power for the king. The emergence of these validos can be seen as an attempt by the nobility to regain control of political affairs. While the nobility remained in a secondary position until the death of Philip II, things changed under Philip III, who relied on intermediaries between himself and the royal secretaries.

Felipe III and the Rise of the Validos

Felipe III (1598 - 1621) lacked skills and interest in policy. Under these conditions, the validos had a free hand. The first of these was Francisco Gomez de Sandoval y Rojas (Duke of Lerma) in 1599, who was 25 years older than the monarch. He was vain, cunning, and greedy, and seemingly lacked a real political agenda.

Lerma's Decisions and Their Consequences

The major decision he took was the signing of the Twelve Years' Truce with the Netherlands (1909), followed by the expulsion of the Moors (1616). Historians still debate the reasons behind the duke's decision, which contributed to economic decline. Corruption and abuse spread unchecked, and tax inequality was rampant.

Lerma, despite being a hard worker, often delegated to his subordinates, such as Rodrigo Calderón, a favorite of the favorite. Lerma was dismissed in 1618 and succeeded by his son, the Duke of Uceda, who ordered the arrest of Calderón, a symbol of the corrupt regime.