Knowra Tomás de Torquemada Tomás de Torquemada Tomás de Torquemada was a Spanish Dominican friar and the first Grand Inquisitor of Spain. He directed the Spanish Inquisition from 1483 until his death in 1498.
Ferdinand II of Aragon : The king of Aragon who, with Isabella I of Castile, established the Spanish Inquisition under royal authority. He appointed Torquemada to lead an institution serving the Catholic monarchs.
Spanish Inquisition : A tribunal system established by the Spanish monarchy in 1478 to investigate and prosecute heresy, especially among converts. Torquemada’s leadership made this institution the central instrument of his authority.
Converso : A person in medieval or early modern Spain who converted from Judaism to Christianity, or whose ancestors had done so. Suspicion of insincere conversion became the Spanish Inquisition’s principal stated concern.
Expulsion of the Jews from Spain : The 1492 removal of Jews from the Crown of Castile and Crown of Aragon unless they converted to Christianity. Torquemada advocated expulsion, one of the most consequential policies of his period.
Roman Inquisition : A Catholic tribunal established by Pope Paul III in 1542 to combat heresy, especially in Italy. Its papal administration contrasts with the Spanish Inquisition’s close subordination to royal authority.
Isabella I of Castile : Queen of Castile from 1474 to 1504, whose reign joined dynastic consolidation with religious uniformity. Her religious policy helped create the political setting for Torquemada’s office.
Edict of Faith : A public inquisitorial proclamation urging people to report suspected heresy and outlining offenses to disclose. Such proclamations helped tribunals gather denunciations and identify suspects.
Alhambra Decree : A 1492 royal edict ordering Jews to convert to Christianity or leave the kingdoms of Castile and Aragon. Torquemada pressed for the expulsion of Jews, extending the monarchy’s drive for religious uniformity.
Morisco : A Muslim in Spain who converted to Christianity, or a descendant of such converts, especially after the early sixteenth century. The later scrutiny of Muslim converts extended the religious policing associated with Torquemada’s era.
Portuguese Inquisition : A tribunal established in Portugal in 1536 to investigate heresy, with particular attention to New Christians. Its later foundation offers a neighboring Iberian comparison to Torquemada’s Spanish institution.
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