How important were religious and other new ideas in Spain's development?

The idea

This topic explores the profound impact of religious and intellectual currents on Spain's evolution from 1469 to 1598. You must evaluate the drive for religious uniformity through the Spanish Inquisition, the expulsion of the Jews in 1492, the forced conversion of Muslims and the suppression of the Morisco revolt in Granada from 1568 to 1571. Assess how militant Catholicism and the Counter-Reformation shaped Spain's identity and foreign policy. Furthermore, examine the influence of other new ideas, including Erasmian humanism and Renaissance cultural shifts, particularly during Charles V's reign. Determine whether suppressing heterodox thought stifled development or helped the monarchy impose greater religious and political unity.

What earns the marks

• Evaluate the role of the Spanish Inquisition in enforcing religious orthodoxy, suppressing dissent and shaping a unified national identity.
• Assess the political, cultural and economic consequences of the expulsion of the Jews in 1492, forced conversion policies and the dispersal of Granada's Moriscos after the revolt of 1568–1571.
• Analyse the initial spread and subsequent suppression of Erasmian humanism, Renaissance thought and Protestant ideas within Spain.
• Examine how militant Catholicism and Counter-Reformation ideology influenced Spain's foreign policy and imperial expansion under Charles V and Philip II.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Equating the Spanish Inquisition solely with religious persecution.

  Put it right: Acknowledge its crucial role as a political tool used by the monarchy to centralise power across different kingdoms.

• Ignoring intellectual movements outside of strict Catholicism.

  Put it right: Discuss the significant, albeit temporary, influence of Renaissance humanism and Erasmian thought before the conservative backlash.

• Confusing the post-1609 expulsion of the Moriscos with events before 1598.

  Put it right: Use the forced conversions, the revolt of 1568–1571 and the subsequent dispersal of Granada's Moriscos for this period.

Exam tips

• Contrast the relatively open intellectual climate of the early sixteenth century with the closed, Counter-Reformation environment established under Philip II.
• Use the concept of 'limpieza de sangre' (purity of blood) to link religious ideas directly to social development, hierarchy and exclusion.
• When assessing 'importance', weigh the unifying political effects of religious orthodoxy against the long-term intellectual and economic costs of intolerance.