Final answer:
The golden age of the Inquisition began around 1492 and was marked by the consolidation of Catholic power in Spain, as the monarchy sought to enforce religious conformity. It reacted to religious diversity and was characterized by severe persecution of heretics, Jews, Muslims, and later on, Protestants. It also coincided with Spain's cultural flowering but was driven by dogmatic suppression of religious deviations.
Step-by-step explanation:
The golden age of the Inquisition is considered to have begun in the late 15th century, around 1492, coinciding with the end of the Reconquista, the expulsion of Jews and Muslims from Spain, and the first voyages of Christopher Columbus. This period is characterized by the Catholic Monarchs' efforts to unify Spain under a single religion, Catholicism. The Inquisition was a reaction to perceived threats to this religious homogeneity, targeting not only Jews and Muslims but also converted Christians who were suspected of secretly practicing their former faiths, heresy, and other deviations from orthodox Catholic doctrine.
Spanish monarchs, starting with Ferdinand and Isabella, supported the Inquisition as a means to consolidate royal power and reinforce Catholic orthodoxy. During this time, Spain experienced significant growth in commerce, industry, and the arts, with important contributions from intellectuals and artists. However, this era of cultural flourishing was also marked by a dogmatic and often brutal approach to religious conformity, with the Inquisition leading campaigns against individuals, including those within the nobility and the clergy, who were accused of heresy or other religious infractions.
The Inquisition continued for centuries, but its intensity varied over time. The power politics of the period, including rivalries with Protestant countries and internal pressures, contributed to the fervor with which the Inquisition pursued its goals. Religious persecution during this time served as a reflection of the broader struggle between faith and emergent secular forces, eventually leading to the doctrine of papal infallibility being defined much later in the 19th century, during the First Vatican Council.