Causes+of+the+Spanish+Inquisition

After the Reconquista, which was the re-conquest of Muslim-controlled areas of Spain by the Spanish monarchy, religious relations in Spain remained friendly. However, around the end of the 14th century, a violent wave of anti-Semitism occured and many Jews were forcibly converted to Catholicism. When King II of Aragon discoved that many of the New Christians, or //conversos,// were secretly practicing Judaism, he pressed Pope Sixtus IV for action. By threatening the withdrawal of military support, he was able to obtain a papal bull condoning the formation of an Inquisition. Anti-Semitic paranoia caused the people of Spain to report on the activities of their neighbors, and the Inquisition gained trememdous power. However, while a desire for religious unity was one cause of the inquisition, it was also provoked by the greed of the Spanish rulers, who gained capital through the Inquisition.