1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 351: Inquisition
As the southernmost peninsula in Europe, Iberia has a very short winter. The westerly wind blowing from the Atlantic Ocean brings rain and prevents the temperature from dropping too low. Except for some snowfall in the Pyrenees Mountains, the entire peninsula is still a beautiful picture of gentle breeze and drizzle.

In central Iberia, a large river meanders from the Albarracín Mountains in the east of the peninsula to the southwest, flowing through narrow valleys in the upper reaches, through the fertile middle basin, and into the Atlantic Ocean in the Bay of Lisbon.

This is the Tagus River, an important river in Europe and the largest river in the Iberian Peninsula. The upper and middle reaches are located in Castile, and the lower reaches are located in Portugal. It is also called the Tagus River by the Portuguese.

In the middle reaches of the Tagus River, in the center of the peninsula, there is a city surrounded by the river bay. The terrain here is relatively flat, the fresh water resources are relatively abundant, and the transportation conditions are relatively good. In the ancient city, the historical sites of the three cultures can be seen everywhere. Whether it is Christians, Muslims or Hebrews, they have all left their marks here.

Toledo, the Heart of Iberia, has become the administrative capital and religious center of the Kingdom of Castile since Alfonso VI reconquered Toledo four hundred years ago.

Strictly speaking, most European countries during this period did not have the concept of a "capital", but only a "monarch's residence". The monarch's residence in Castile was not limited to Toledo. Seville, Segovia and Madrid were all long-term residences for many kings.

The king does not necessarily reside here permanently, but most of the administrative agencies are set up around the city. The Cardinal of Castile also sits here. In the hearts of the people and the nobles, the importance of this city still far exceeds that of others.

Objectively speaking, the kings of Castile chose Toledo as their "first choice" mainly for political and religious considerations. It was once the capital of the Visigoths and a symbol of the legitimacy and justice of the "reconquest movement" of the Christian kings. The Archbishop of Toledo who resided here also strengthened their sacred royal power.

Furthermore, when Toledo became the monarch's residence, the city was still located on the war front, far away from the "Old Castile" aristocratic area in the north. Their influence could not reach here for the time being, which made it easier to strengthen the royal power, control military power, and promote national integration.

In comparison, Toledo's people's livelihood and economic conditions are rather lackluster. It can only be regarded as a second-rate capital in the Mediterranean world, not to mention Constantinople, Carthage, Paris and Granada, even Seville in its own country is not as good as it. It is roughly at the same level as London and Zaragoza.

Toledo Alcazar is located at the commanding heights of the ancient city of Toledo. The entire city can be overlooked from the rooftop. It was originally used only for military purposes. After expansion and decoration by several generations of kings, living conditions have improved and it has become one of the "royal palaces" of Castile.

In the palace, a young girl sat silently in the dim meeting room. Her thin body seemed unable to support the loose dress. The luxurious crown pressed on her petite head, looking very heavy.

The girl tightly grasped the scepter in her hand, twisted her body slowly, straightened her back with difficulty, and adjusted her sitting posture, as if trying to make her figure look more majestic and tall.

However, her body looked so weak on the wide throne, and people's eyes were not on her. The meeting hall was still noisy. The nobles and ministers ended the boring court meeting without gaining anything, and began to chat among themselves again, walking out while chatting, not taking her seriously at all.

"The Archbishop is not here again?"

"Yeah, he's in town, but he doesn't want to attend the meeting..."

"As I recall, the Archbishop only made a brief appearance at the coronation ceremony?"

"Yeah, hehe..."

The ministers walked farther and farther away until they disappeared. The girl in gorgeous clothes pursed her lips tightly, and there was no trace of blood on her lips.

Looking around, there was only an old knight standing in the empty hall.

"Captain Don Juan, you are still here."

A hint of warmth welled up in the girl's eyes.

"We are tired from discussing matters. The ministers have all left. Why don't you go and rest as well?"

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. It is my duty to guard the royal family. Recently, the harmful acts against you have become more and more serious. I cannot leave at will."

Don Juan looked at the girl's thin figure and sighed.

"I also captured two assassins yesterday, both from Aragon."

"You'd better not leave the palace casually these days."

"Thank you, kind Don Juan."

The girl sighed softly.

"I wish all the ministers were as loyal as you."

"Your Majesty, I am neither a general nor a noble. All I can do is protect your life."

Don Juan bowed his head.

“You have to find allies to break the deadlock.”

"Why wouldn't I want to? But what can I do?"

The girl's tone became excited.

"Those people are unwilling to pledge allegiance to me, refuse to acknowledge my identity, slander my bloodline, and tarnish the innocence of my parents!"

"Only you, kind knight, you are my father's old subordinate, you will believe me, right?"

"Of course, my lord, I know very well that you are not the child of the late queen and the Knight Bertrand."

Don Juan nodded firmly.

"Judging from the time, when your mother was conceived, that guy Bertrand was out on a mission, and I happened to be by his side."

Speaking of this, Don Juan's expression was somewhat complicated.

"But you also know that your mother and father have some... uh, rumors say that even if you are not the child of Knight Bellandt, you are..."

"Okay, I know all that."

The girl closed her eyes in pain.

Her name was Juana, the daughter of King Enrique IV of Castile and the heir to the throne designated by Enrique IV. Due to her unclear bloodline, she was questioned by countless people. More than half of the nobles did not recognize her as the daughter of the late king. The Trastamara branch of the Kingdom of Aragon directly called her Juana Betraniga.

In fact, this cannot be entirely blamed on outsiders. The Castilian court was known for its chaos and obscenity, and the morals were very bad. Adultery between men and women and between men was common. Maids, teachers, poets, knights, nobles, queens, and kings were all veteran players of this evil game.

When the former Queen Joana first came here from the Portuguese royal family, she also fantasized about a dream love, but it was soon shattered by the cold reality. Her husband had a physical disability and had affairs with many men. In disappointment, she quickly fell into depravity and committed adultery with many noble boys and gave birth to children.

In addition to Juana, Joanna had several other illegitimate children, but they were real illegitimate children, while Juana was regarded as Enrique's own child.

Growing up in such an environment is undoubtedly a terrible thing. Several generations of kings have been distracted by it. Enrique IV's debauchery and incompetence were developed in his youth.

While the Portuguese royal family next door saw the emergence of a "glorious generation", Castile saw the emergence of a "promiscuous generation", which in such a monarchy meant constant turmoil and decline.

But Juana was obviously a special case. Like Isabella and Alfonso who were imprisoned since childhood, she was not raised in the palace. Her identity as an "illegitimate daughter" kept her away from the chaos of the palace, allowing her to have more contact with the lower-class people, allowing her to objectively look at the filth and dirt in the palace from a bystander's perspective, and she was determined to change all this.

After Juana was crowned, in addition to seeking recognition and approval from all parties, she also did her best to tidy up the messy court. She drove away all the irrelevant people such as poets, teachers, nannies, etc. left by her father and mother, leaving only a few maids to take care of her daily life.

She drove away her so-called "biological father" Bertrand and his followers, and refused to let her mother Joanna return to Toledo. She took up her father's sword and stick and began to defend her honor and dignity.

However, faced with internal and external troubles, there was actually very little she could do.

"Don Juan, tell me, is my kingdom about to fall?"

Juana put her hand to her forehead and smiled self-deprecatingly.

Putting down the scepter, she walked to the table and patted the scattered envelopes on the table into an arc.

The envelopes were printed with a dazzling array of emblems, all from abroad.

Iris, red and yellow stripes, golden oak, blue and white cross shield, blood and fire double-headed eagle.

"Cape-Valois, King of France, Louis the Spider."

Juana stroked the envelope and read softly.

"Prince of Aragon, Fernando the Usurper, of Ivrea-Trastamara."

"Pope of Rome, His Holiness Della Rovere, His Holiness Sixtus."

"Cape-Abesh, King of Portugal, Afonso the Conqueror of Africa."

"Co-Emperor of the Eastern Empire, Avish Palaiologos, Justinian the Cossack."

Juana slammed her fist on the wooden table, her lip trembling.

"Traitors, a bunch of traitors!"

"They have betrayed Christian virtues and do not care about my orthodox claims. They have been taken away by the devil!"

"The Count of Cordoba openly supports Carlos, the nobles in the northwest all turn to Fernando, Galicia is occupied by the Portuguese, and the Basques also refuse to send troops and pay taxes!"

"And the Archbishop and the Knights, what on earth do they want!"

"me……"

As Juana cursed, her eyes turned red and tears welled up in her eyes.

The old knight looked at the 14-year-old queen with sympathy, opened his mouth, but in the end said nothing.

After venting her anger, Juana held back her tears and looked at Don Juan.

"Don't let any of those words spread out."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I understand."

Don Juan nodded.

"Your uncle Alfonso, it seems, will not be your protector?"

"He is willing to accept me as a refugee, but he is not too keen on supporting me becoming queen."

Juana had a complicated expression.

"If my father had been more resolute and had not deceived Uncle Alfonso so many times, and had made an engagement earlier, perhaps he would have really protected my dignity."

"But now, he has been blinded by the Greeks' tricks and has become greedy. Crown Prince João is even more opposed to intervention and only wants to take Galicia into his pocket and then carry out his great colonial plan."

"I now understand that family affection means nothing in the face of interests."

Juana shook her head.

"Fernando is my cousin, Alfonso is my uncle, Justinian is my first cousin, we are closely related by blood, but they all have their own agenda."

"Uncle Alfonso wrote in the letter that he hopes I can seek domestic support to see if there is a turnaround."

Thinking about the country, Juana's brows frowned again.

"You've seen that the archbishop hasn't come to discuss matters yet, and the major knight orders have been lukewarm about it."

“I don’t know what the hell they were thinking.”

"Your Majesty, what you did before was indeed..."

Don Juan spoke slowly.

"Don't you support me, too?"

Juana looked at him and felt sad for a moment.

"The nobles and knights have their own agendas. If I want to keep the crown passed down from my father, I can only win more support!"

"Besides, I've been to the bottom and know their nature!"

Don Juan shrugged and said nothing more.

When Juana first ascended the throne, she immediately began her own struggle. After seeking help everywhere without success, she did not give up completely and tried to lend a helping hand to those marginalized groups.

She tried to start from the bottom and win the support of the common people, including not only Christians, but also Muslims and Hebrews. Eight hundred years of Muslim history has left a deep mark on Iberia. Whether it is Navarre, Aragon or Castile, there are a large number of Muslims and Hebrews among the people, who are also an important part of Iberian society.

During the Muslim rule, a great degree of religious tolerance was achieved on the Iberian Peninsula. In the ancient city of Toledo, both Christians and Hebrews had a place, namely Mozarabs and Sephardim, and they could retain their own beliefs on the condition that they paid heavier taxes.

Contrary to what later generations thought, during the reconquest of Iberia, the Christian kingdom did not initially kill all the Muslims under its rule. They were also called Mudejars, and like the Mozarabs, they retained a certain degree of autonomy, religious beliefs and cultural traditions, on the condition that they were subject to heavier taxes.

However, the Muslims' "favorable treatment" of Christians and Hebrews had theological support, namely the "dhimmi" system, while the Christian kingdoms' tolerance of Muslims lacked theological interpretation, which led to a series of problems, starting with the reconquest movement and continuing to the Morisco War in the original time and space, which brought countless disasters to the peninsula.

Generally speaking, most kings were willing to accept Muslims. Their level of civilization was much higher than that of Spanish Christians. There was a high proportion of artisans and merchants among them. They were hardworking and had active minds. They were excellent high-quality labor and a very good source of funds.

After a long period of coexistence, Christian civilians became accustomed to their presence, and the level of harmony was quite good, without any large-scale massacres or looting.

"A land without Mudejar people has no wealth, and a land with Mudejar people is rich and abundant." This is a folk saying on the Iberian Peninsula.

In addition to the king, some nobles and landowners were also willing to tolerate the Mudejars. They believed that the quality and character of the Mudejars were better than those of the lazy and dull-witted Christian peasants, and the fact was almost the same.

However, the reconquest of Iberia was a major event for the entire Catholic world. The church, the Knights Templar, and wandering knights from all over the world were also important components of the war and possessed great power. They were not willing to coexist peacefully with Muslims and conflicts often broke out between them and the king.

When Toledo was just recaptured, the former King Alfonso of Castile adopted a moderate policy towards the Muslims and Hebrews who made up the majority of the city. However, this angered the Crusader Knights who assisted in the war, and they simply chose to leave. The king was forced to explain himself to the Pope in order to obtain forgiveness.

Later, an Archbishop of Toledo, secretly colluding with the fanatical queen, attempted to convert the Great Mosque of Toledo into a cathedral. The king was so angry that he even prepared to send the Archbishop and the queen to the stake.

As the reconquest progressed, Muslim power on the peninsula became increasingly weak, but with the exception of Portugal, there were still large numbers of Mudejars in several Christian kingdoms. Even in Navarre in the north, one-tenth of the population believed in Islam. The Mudejars in Valencia were an important force in the handicraft industry.

These Mudéjars are also relatively obedient. Their level of civilization is much higher than that of Muslims such as Berbers, Bedouins, Turks, and Persians. Even in a slightly discriminatory social environment, they can live a good life through their own efforts. They are not so aggressive. Due to their docility, the mainstream Islamic world even denounces them as heretics and threatens to excommunicate them.

Over the long years, many Mudéjar people have gradually been assimilated into the mainstream Christian society in Spain and become "Moriscos". They believe in Christianity on the surface but still retain Arab culture and may still be Muslims in private.

However, with the rise of Christian industry and commerce and the increase in the Christian population, the importance of the Mudejars declined and their threat increased, and the conflict primarily originated from economics rather than religious beliefs.

The assimilation policy of several Spanish kingdoms towards Muslims was gradual, from the initial mild assimilation to the later forced conversion, and finally, even cultural exclusion was not enough, and they even introduced the "blood theory", dividing Christians into "new Christians" and "old Christians", and all those who had any connection with Muslim culture and Muslim blood were expelled from the country.

From mild to extreme, and then to the final annihilation, their fighting spirit was worn down step by step through the "boiling frog in warm water" method. Just when Muslims thought they could integrate into the society peacefully, disaster struck.

In this process, the status of Muslims gradually declined and their power gradually decreased. They changed from "Mudéjars" who were allowed to retain their beliefs to "Moriscos" who were forced to convert, and finally became untouchables, completely disappearing from the history of the peninsula.

The fate of the Sephardic Hebrews was very similar to that of the Mudejars, except that the persecution and expulsion of them began earlier, with signs already appearing in the early 15th century.

There are also many groups of Hebrews. The Hebrews in Italy and Germany have already shown signs of family oligarchies and their power is growing rapidly, but the Sephardic Hebrews in Spain are far inferior to them. Most of them are proletarians, docile but not extreme, and more than half of them have been baptized as Christians.

The great expulsion movement in the original time and space was certainly inseparable from the religious extremism of Isabella I herself and the interference of the Roman Catholic Church, but the large-scale exclusion at the social level was due to economics and interests. The emerging Christian industrialists and businessmen became greedy for the Mudejar and Hebrew cakes, which caused conflicts and finally spread this trend to the entire society, so that they no longer cared whether they converted or not.

If you convert to Christianity, you will be excluded from a cultural perspective. If the culture has also changed, they will pick on you based on your bloodline. As long as you want to find a crime, you can always find it.

It is difficult to reconcile conflicts, but it is easy to stir up conflicts.

In the original time and space, the Spanish's large-scale expulsion of non-Christians and "suspected non-Christians" caused serious disasters to the economy of the entire region. The situation was completely out of control and there was chaos everywhere. The judicial power that should have belonged to the king and the government was abused. As a result, Spain lost hundreds of thousands of skilled workers, causing indelible losses to the development of capitalism.

However, objectively speaking, this movement accelerated the nation-building of Spain. The social atmosphere of religious fanaticism not only contributed to the unity among the Christian kingdoms, but also promoted the development of the great voyages of discovery.

On the dark sea, adventurers face endless fear, and all they can rely on is their sacred faith, besides their greed.

By the beginning of 1475, religious conflicts on the peninsula had reached a new climax. The Eastern Roman Empire's holy war against Granada undoubtedly played a role in fueling the situation. As the southern passage was completely blocked, a large number of Granada Moors fled to the north and joined the local Mudejar community, causing continuous social unrest.

Against this background, Juana, who had traveled among the lower classes, saw some opportunities. In her opinion, since the mainstream nobles and clergy did not like her very much, it would be better to start with the marginalized groups, call on the common people, pay attention to the weak, protect the legitimate rights of the Mudejars and Hebrews, and gain their support.

Although the great expulsions in Spanish history were extremely cruel, most of them were carried out by the upper class. The Mudejars and Moriscos were "forced to rebel". These docile people received sympathy from their neighbors, and many Christian communities even provided them with shelter.

Juana had seen the lower class of society and believed that neither the Mudejars nor the Sephardic Hebrews posed any threat to the kingdom. The lower class people got along well with each other and the hostility was instigated by the nobles, priests and merchants. The lower class people were all exploited and there was no reason for them to fight to the death.

Therefore, she divided her "national salvation" plan into two steps. The first was to accept refugees fleeing north, promise to provide them with asylum, and require them to provide funds and troops. The second was to focus on the people and use measures such as reducing taxes and distributing land to gain their support and resist foreign interference.

Juana believed that her bloodline was undoubtedly a stain on her life, and the nobles and priests would never truly accept her. But the people were different. They would only remember kindness, not blood.

So, in these months, Juana took out a large part of the remaining royal territory and distributed it to the Moorish refugees. She promoted lower-level officials with high moral character and progressive ideas and asked them to carry out charitable activities and provide shelter and simple relief to the poor.

She also thought about reforming the government and winning the support of the people from an institutional perspective, but the mess left by her father was a mess and she had no idea where to start.

Juana's actions made the clergy and the nobility very angry, and the forces that originally supported her became wavering. Archbishop of Toledo Fonseca even claimed to be ill and was busy reporting the situation to the Vatican.

"Don Juan, a month ago, I went to the south to inspect the refugee camps and provided them with food and firewood. There, Christians, Muslims and Hebrews lived in harmony without any fighting."

Juana said softly.

"They said I was a good king and were willing to fight for me, so they spontaneously formed a militia of 300 people."

"Do you think I would be a good king?"

"I will, my Lord."

Don Juan said firmly.

"I believe you."

"No, I don't have a chance."

Juana gave a wry smile.

"On the third day after I went to visit, some landowners and nobles came to the camp and insisted that the refugees were their private property. They forced them to move to their own lands and workshops."

"Now, I have no soldiers, no money, no support, nothing."

"More and more nobles and bishops began to choose sides between Fernando and Carlos, and I, the orthodox king, became their background."

“Now, there’s really nothing I can do.”

Juana closed her eyes and waved her hand wearily.

"Go and fulfill your duty. We all have to fulfill it until the last moment."

Don Juan gazed at the girl's thin body, feeling somewhat sad, and after bowing respectfully, he turned away, ready to go on duty.

At this time, footsteps were heard, and the church guards directly drove away the royal guards, walked into the hall arrogantly, and guarded every passage tightly.

Then, Archbishop Fonseca appeared in front of Juana, with a malicious light in his eyes.

"what you up to?!"

When Don Juan saw his subordinates being pushed around, he immediately became angry and drew his sword to protect Juana.

"This is the royal territory!"

Juana held out her hand, asking Don Juan to put down his sword, straighten his back and face Fonseca.

"Respected Archbishop, I am glad to see that you have recovered. Is there anything that brings you here today?"

"Haha, Your Majesty, as your archbishop, I consider it my responsibility to correct your mistake, and I sent an application to His Holiness the Holy See and received permission."

Fonseca smiled casually and handed Juana a document with the coat of arms of the Vatican on it.

"At the suggestion of Isabella, the Queen of the Eastern Empire, His Holiness decided to set up the Inquisition in Castile, Aragon and Granada, and issued a decree to expel all Muslims and Hebrews."

Fonseca turned serious.

"We will also conduct strict scrutiny on those 'new Christians', and all those whose faith is not pure will be required to sincerely repent, including Moriscos and Hebrew converts."

"Why? We had a treaty with them!"

Juana suddenly became anxious.

"Whether it's the Mudejars or the Hebrews, they are an important part of industry and commerce. You will only cause the already fragile economy to collapse completely!"

"There's Aragon? Valencia in Aragon is also a gathering place for Mudéjar people. Their gentleness and kindness are well known to everyone. How could the King of Aragon be willing to expel them!"

Juana's chest rose and fell.

"Are you ready to bow to the Eastern Empire?!"

"No, I am the archbishop and I will only be devout to God. Who becomes king has nothing to do with me."

Fonseca shook his head.

"Your actions are really outrageous. Not only you, but your grandfather and father were not tough enough against those evil people."

"Most of the nobles and merchants have agreed. Once you sign, I will organize the trial and will not interfere in the dispute over the throne."

"No, this is the decision made by many generations of kings. I can't sign it!"

Juana's voice was tearful.

"Don't push me!"

"You have a long time to think. My guards will remain here until you change your mind."

Fonseca turned and left without saying anything, leaving Don Juan with bloodshot eyes and Juana about to cry.

"His Majesty……"

Don Juan looked at Juana, not knowing how to comfort her.

"You see, they are all like this."

Juana wiped her tears and murmured.

"The powerful ministers are so powerful that they treat the king as nothing..."

"Your aunt, Isabella, is really a good person."

Don Juan sighed.

"By doing this, she is actually pulling the church to her side. When conflicts erupt, the harmony among the lower classes will disappear. At that time, if you and Fernando still protect Muslims for the sake of money, the Christians will have to turn to Carlos."

"As for the Eastern Empire, they don't lack money at all."

"Your Majesty, don't worry. I will keep you alive no matter what."

Seeing that Juana was still crying, the old knight could only shake his head and step into the shadow of the palace.

……

In early 1475, the Eastern Roman Queen Isabella gave a speech in Malaga, arguing that the holy war should be carried out to the end. She proposed the establishment of an Inquisition to try non-Christian groups and win the support of the church for her son.

On March 3, Sixtus IV from the Rovere family approved Isabella's proposal and began to establish the Inquisition in Spain to conduct large-scale trials of heretics. At the same time, he gave his godson Carlos the title of "Crusader" and required the major knightly orders in Castile to pledge allegiance to him.

On March 3, the Knights of Santiago split, with one part choosing to support Prince Fernando of Aragon and the other part choosing to support the jihadist Carlos. A week later, they arrived at the Granada siege camp and joined the final battle against the Muslim regime.

So, from that day on, the policy of religious tolerance in the Iberian Peninsula was completely torn apart, and a year of chaos was about to come.

(End of this chapter)