Why is it so important to understand the Spanish Inquisition to really understand the culture of the Middle Ages?

The culture of a civilization contains not only the traditions that were passed down from generation to generation or the different ways of human expression such as clothing and art, but also the way of how that development lives. Culture would include the function of the government, the different beliefs of religion, and also the society of the people. The Spanish Inquisition, which was a tribunal to ensure the conversion to Christianity, was established roughly around 1480. During this time, hundreds were converted. Some of these conversions were in consequence to being tortured, while others were because of free will. But also, hundreds ended up dead in the result of refusing to convert or because of the crime of heresy. The Spanish Inquisition changed the following years of Middle Ages in more than one way; but also, it contains a greater understanding to the culture of the Middle Ages from this cause and effect chain.

The government is what keeps every civilization prosperous. “The Romans used the inquisitorial process as a form of legal procedure employed in the search for evidence. (Bragg, 2006)” This justice system was highly unjust and even unethical because of the act of torture that was involved. However, this certain type of government did sustain the culture of the Middle Age’s for almost four hundred years. Either way, successful or not, the government of the Spanish Inquisition did affect the civilization of that time period, and also the more that would follow. By the biased rule towards Christianity, the people of that time learned how unfair executing people for their religion was. Ultimately, this only influenced the culture of the Middle Ages.      

Religion is just one of the dominant components that consisted of the Middle Ages’ culture. “Once Rome's religion changed to Christianity under Constantine, it retained the inquisitorial trial method but also developed brutal means of dealing with heretics who went against the doctrines of the new religion. (Bragg, 2006)” The rise of Christianity was the main focus during the Spanish Inquisition. Because of this, innumerable amounts of cultural aspects can be revealed. This shows that the culture of the Middle Ages did care about God. In the case of the Spanish Inquisition, their beliefs were so deep that they even ended up killing people for not believing in Christ. Their faith for the Lord did cause them to make immoral decisions, since God also gave us the right to free will. These choices that were made affected not only the great believers of the Spanish Inquisition but also the many human beings that would come after them. It is undeniable that the Spanish Inquisition did affect the culture of the Middle Ages, which is why this significant event is so useful to help understand the culture of this era.      

The society of a time period is very significant for the culture that also exists. “For over half a millennium a system of mass terror reigned. Thousands were subject to secret courts, torture and punishment. (Secret Files of the Inquisition)” Clearly, this major of an event would have made some impact on the culture of the Middle Ages. Thousands of people’s lives were taken from this memorable event, mainly influencing the society of the Middle Ages. The population rate most likely would have decreased with so many accused of heresy, and then having them endure the consequences for the beliefs they did not follow. Many of others who were not considered heretics were also affected, such as the countless families and friends who had to cope with the death of a loved one. The Spanish Inquisition truly affected the society of the Middle Ages, which is one of the main reasons why it so crucial to understand the Spanish Inquisition first before looking further into the Middle Ages’ culture.

This civilization can be very insightful in terms toward the culture of the Middle Ages, which was a time of real growth in an innumerable amount of ways. The Spanish Inquisition influenced the later years of this time period, and ultimately changed history. During this time, the government relied more on religion as it became the main core of the Spanish Inquisition. The society of the Middle Ages would also be forever changed in a result of this catastrophic event. Because of this, the Spanish Inquisition is one of the key ways to understand an aspect from the Middle Ages’ culture.    

Bibliography

Bragg, M. (2006, June 22). The Spanish Inquisition. Retrieved 2 2011, May, from BBC History: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p003c1bw

Secret Files of the Inquisition. (n.d.). Retrieved 5 May, 2011, from PBS History: http://www.pbs.org/inquisition/