The Spanish Inquisition was the longest and most ruthless investigation into faith of all time. Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Christians and all non-Catholic religions were besieged by persecution by the Spanish government. Although unintentional, thousands of innocent Spaniards were tortured and killed once the King and Queen of Spain established the Inquisition. An Inquisition is a very complex process and, at first, seemed harmless. The Inquisitions were referred to as a series of tribunals (tribunals) aimed at pushing non-Catholics to repent and turn to Catholicism. Catholic leaders viewed their faith as a superior religion and wanted everyone to become Catholic and establish a homogeneous belief (Bachrach 10). The Holy Office, also known as the Papacy, was the highest authority over Catholic countries. For an Inquisition to be issued, the Holy Office, or the Pope, must grant authorization (Bachrach 12). The Papacy instituted the Inquisition in some countries to counter any threats to Catholicism. An Inquisition was initially intended to prevent civil unrest, social corruption, and bloodshed (Bachrach 12). However, this was not the case. The Church began giving government officials, called Inquisitors, the power to track down “unbelievers” and discreetly question them about their faith (Bachrach 12). Almost all of the citizens questioned refused to cooperate, which infuriated the inquisitors and the Holy Office, and the harsh punishments gradually increased. These despicable inquisitions began around 1200 AD and different Inquisitions continued until almost 1850 AD (Bachrach 13). The Spanish Inquisition, the cruelest of all, seemed to be an innocent way of con...... middle of paper ... down to the pulley, until their limbs became disjointed. Unfortunately, many died during this procedure. As for imprisonment, if a single word was spoken against the Catholic Church, a man could be imprisoned for between 4 and 20 years (Coffin 84). The number of people killed is staggering. More than 10,200 innocent people were burned alive, while 6,800 others died in prison. Countless others died under torture (Coffin 95). Nearly 100,000 civilians had their property confiscated and their civil rights revoked as greedy Catholic inquisitors pillaged their homes (Coffin 95). Virtually everyone who was massacred was Jewish (Coffin 95). As the Inquisition spiraled out of control, thousands of Jews fled to neighboring countries to avoid the massacre. The Spanish Inquisition was certainly more violent and cruel than any other Inquisition..