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