Intensification of the Spanish Inquisition

Timeline

1. 1490–1492Seville · AndalusiaThe Spanish Inquisition, established in 1478, was further institutionalized in the 1490s. Torquemada consolidated the authority of the grand inquisitor, and the papacy confirmed its special status through several bulls, making the Inquisition a key instrument of the Catholic Monarchs' drive for religious unity.
2. 1492Granada · AndalusiaThe 1492 Alhambra Decree required Jews to choose between conversion and departure; the Inquisition closely monitored converts (conversos), accusing them of practicing Judaism in secret. After the reconquest of Granada the same year, religious homogenization policies and Inquisition trials reinforced each other, triggering mass emigration.
3. 1493–1499Spain · SpainIn the second half of the 1490s, trials of converso communities increased steadily, and public executions (auto de fé) became a tool of political intimidation. Suspicion of the Moriscos also began brewing in the late 1490s, laying the groundwork for harsher persecution in the 16th century. The system continued after Torquemada's death in 1498.