Powerful Women: Queen Isabella I’s Ambition Behind the Collapse of the Muslim Empire in Spain Page all

KOMPAS.com – Ratu Isabella I is an influential woman who unites various regions Spanish and make it a leading power in Europe and America.

Queen Isabella I was known as a devout Catholic, among her contemporaries.

He was an effective monarch in bringing greater law and order to the country and had a reputation for promoting justice rather than mercy.

With her husband King Ferdinand, he founded the Spanish Inquisition, to investigate religious practices they deemed heretical Biography Online.

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Youth

Isabella I was born in 1451 in Madrigal in Kingdom of Castile (part of Spain).

Henry IV’s half-brother was King of Castile, and he hoped that Isabella would marry the King of Portugal in a comfortable marriage.

Previously, Henry IV had planned to make Isabella his successor. However, Isabella didn’t like her half sister.

Finally at the age of 18 in 1469, she married Prince Ferdinand, heir to the Kingdom of Aragon, a neighboring kingdom in Spain.
As a result, Henry IV deprived his half sister for the sake of his own daughter Juana.

In 1474, Henry IV died, and this led to conflict between Isabella’s and Juana’s supporters for the throne of Castile.

Initially, Isabella I had few supporters among the rulers of Castile, but by December 1474 she had the confidence to be crowned queen.

At that time, it was not uncommon for women to take such an active approach to state affairs. She is a pioneer for a powerful and influential queen.

In 1474, her husband Ferdinand became King of Aragon. They agree to rule together, become effective partners who will discuss decisions and actions.

Their common rule led to increased centralization and effective unification of the Spanish empire.

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Reconquest

After taking the throne together, one of Isabella I and Ferdinand’s goals was to complete reconquista or reconquest.

They wanted to re-conquer Spain, which was then under power Muslim kingdom.

The target was the conquest of the Kingdom of Grenada, which at that time was still under the rule of the Muslim Moors in Spain.

According to historical records, Isabella I and Ferdinand spent 9 years conquering the Kingdom of Grenada.

The Kingdom of Grenada which continued to be attacked, finally in 1492, was successfully defeated by the army of the Kingdom of Castile. It also marked the end of the triumph of Islam in Spain.

Despite signing a peace treaty that gave Muslims the right to practice their religion, the extreme ambitions of Isabella I and Ferdinand caused the promise to be later violated.

Muslims are forced to choose to convert or leave the country.

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The Spanish Inquisition

Early in their reign, in 1478, they established the Inquisition, an ecclesiastical court with extraordinary powers to interrogate and torture witnesses suspected of committing their religious heresy.

The inquiry was led by a fanatical confessor, Thomas de Torquemada, appointed by Queen Isabella I.

The Inquisition was approved by the Vatican, but Isabella I and Ferdinand developed stronger control over their direction.

In practice, this was an effective way to control popular loyalty to the Catholic Monarchy and the Spanish state.

The Inquisition gradually widened in scope during their reign, thousands of people were arrested and subjected to torture and punishment.

Its targets include former Muslims and Jews who are suspected of practicing their old religion.

They arrested anyone deemed to have “unorthodox” views on Catholicism.

The inquisition was very successful in silencing any opposition, including the previous king, on both religious and political grounds.

As a result, the Spanish feudal lords lost most of their influence.

In addition, it also hinders the development of intellectual discovery because people fear that expressing different points of view, even in science or the arts, could be subject to investigation and be subject to punishment.

Some scholars argue that the inquisition had a long-term impact in Spain, slowing innovation and discovery over the next several centuries.

The Inquisition was also one of the reasons why Protestantism never entered Spain.

In 1492, the inquisition began to target the Jewish community. All of the 80,000 Jews in Spain were forced to convert or leave the country.

Many Jews died in the process of their expulsion and the losses had an impact on the economy.

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American conquest

One of the most important moments in Queen Isabella I’s reign was when she agreed to sponsor Genevian Christopher Columbus’s expedition to America in 1492.

Despite only asking for a small amount of capital, many people have refused to sponsor Columbus.

Isabella’s decision to grant permission to Columbus had the intention of allowing Spain to begin claiming land in America first.

Technically, Columbus wasn’t the first European to reach American soil, but Columbus’s mission was very important according to Queen Isabella I.

Because it led to the first European settlement and encouraged by Columbus’ success, soon more adventurers wanted to sail across the Atlantic in hopes of gaining fame.

Dead

Queen Isabella I of Castile died on November 24, 1504, after a long illness. He had a fever and a rash.

Over the past 50 days, he has prayed frequently and written wills telling his successors, to continue his legacy of honoring and defending the Church, continuing the inquisition and the fight against “heretic heretics.”

He also called for the conquest of Africa. The day before his death, he demanded that Indians in America be treated fairly.

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