Samuel Bostaph wrote:
> I wonder if it is historically factual that "the Holy Inquisition conquered
> Spain?"

As a matter of fact, no. first because, the Inquisition never was a
military force. secondly, because
the dirty work (burning jews and muslims, or converted jews and
converted muslims) was mainly
done after the military end of muslim Spain (1492: it is only at that
moment that by a marriage
that Spain was united; Spain was until then a addition of kingdom -- one
northern kingdom
being split between Spain and France, the Basque kingdom). third, when
religious stupidity prevailed in
the 16th and 17th century, the Holy Inquisition was monitoring the
religious orthodoxy in Spain:
by burning witches, early communists, and trading certificates to
guarantee the "purity of blood"
of some catholic with dubious ancestors ("No, my grandpa was not a jewish
banker at the King's court in
the early 15th century -- this is historical fact, see the Rothschilds
at the Imperial Court in Vienna -- , all my ancestors were pious knights
and monks ... no, not monks !).
eventually Inquisition and the Company of Jesuits were banned out of
Spain in the mid-18th century
(almost every Catholic kingdom did so at the same time), because of the
direct submission
to Rome.
then religion-driven economic historian would say: yes, but christian
kings in spain, in the middle ages
were bonded (in a feudal way) to the Pope. but the sensible historian
would answer: ok, you got
a point there, but you must admit than never the Pope had been playing
the main part, except
may be during civil (dynastic) wars (these civil wars helped much the
muslim kingdom's survival)
in the 14th century. the religious was not all politics: christian
leaders were also interested in looting and in spoils, more than by
territorial conquests. and religious
violence raised mostly in the 14th and 15th century (you know, the
plague, it came from the
jews/witches/muslims/squirrels/banknotes poisoning the river). you can
mix that with the voluntary
bankruptcies of kings that Avner Greif and others explained in an
economic fashion.

hope you find something useful in this.

Stephane Buzzi