Not One Inquisition, but Many

There was no single "Inquisition." The term covers several distinct institutions spanning 600 years across different countries. The Medieval Inquisition (1184) targeted Cathars in France. The Spanish Inquisition (1478) targeted converted Jews and Muslims. The Roman Inquisition (1542) fought Protestantism. Each had its own rules, courts, and targets, yet popular memory blends them into one terrifying whole.