The
Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition , commonly known as the
Spanish Inquisition (
Inquisición española), was established in 1478 by
Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand II of Aragon and
Isabella I of Castile. It was intended to maintain
Catholic orthodoxy in their kingdoms and to replace the
Medieval Inquisition, which was under Papal control. It became the most substantive of the three different manifestations of the wider
Christian Inquisition along with the
Roman Inquisition and
Portuguese Inquisition. The "Spanish Inquisition" may be defined broadly, operating "in Spain and in all Spanish colonies and territories, which included the Canary Islands, the Spanish Netherlands, the Kingdom of Naples, and all Spanish possessions in North, Central, and South America." For the period during which Portugal and Spain were under common rule consult
Portuguese Inquisition and
Goa Inquisition.