Final answer:
The Inquisition aimed to enforce religious homogeneity in Western Europe and often resulted in torture and executions, which contradicts the idea that it was an attempt to stop unjust executions. Historical records typically depict the Inquisition as an oppressive force rather than a protective one.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Inquisition, created in the 1230s by Pope Gregory IX, was a mechanism used by the church to ensure religious homogeneity in Western Europe. The idea that the Inquisition was an attempt to stop unjust executions is not traditionally supported in historical accounts. Instead, the Inquisition itself frequently led to torture and executions of those accused of heresy, especially after Pope Innocent IV authorized the use of torture in 1252. Those found guilty could be burned at the stake, and the property of the condemned was often seized, providing a material incentive for the accusations. It was during a time of narrowing religious tolerance, with Muslims and Jews being expelled from Spain or forced to convert, and with oversight extended even to personal morals and beliefs.
This oppressive institution existed alongside other historical events and entities such as the Magna Carta, which affirmed basic rights and the church's superiority over the state, and the kurultai, which was a democratic decision-making body amongst Mongols. Additionally, the very concept of papal infallibility was not formalized until much later in 1868, at the First Vatican Council, demonstrating the evolving nature of the Church's authority. The critiques against indulgences and other church practices by figures such as Martin Luther also attest to the changing religious and ideological landscape during and after the Inquisition.