The Inquisitors

Originally established by Ferdinand and Isabella in 1478, the Spanish Inquisition lasted for nearly 400 years until its abolition in 1843 and spread across multiple countries and continents in both the Old and New World. The entire system was headed by the notorious Grand Inquisitors, who together condemned thousands of people to degradation, imprisonment, and death in the name of the Christianity. This intriguing study investigates four centuries of Inquisitors-General both as personalities—ranging from psychopaths to soulless bureaucrats—and as actors in the turbulent history of Spain and its colonies. Their motivations are analyzed, as are the effects their actions had on the lives of their contemporaries as well as history itself.