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Why were King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella I of Spain so powerful?

When King Ferdinand II (1452–1516) and Queen Isabella I (1451–1504) were married in 1469, the previously separate Spanish kingdoms of Aragon and Castile were brought under their joint control. Together the monarchs went on to rule Spain and expand their realm of influence until Isabella's death in 1504; thereafter Ferdinand ruled alone. During their reign they became champions of Roman Catholicism (a Christian faith based in Rome, Italy, and headed by a pope). In 1496 Pope Alexander VI conferred upon them the titles "Ferdinand the Catholic" and "Isabella the Catholic." Their best-known acts seem to have been motivated by their religious beliefs.

In 1478 Ferdinand and Isabella established the infamous Spanish Inquisition, a court that imprisoned or killed Catholics who were suspected of not following the teachings of the...

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