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The western peninsular kingdoms kingdoms find themselves, at the death of Isabel I of Castile, la Católica (Madrigal de las Altas Torres, Ávila, 22nd April 1451- Medina del Campo, 26th November 1504), facing a disquieting future. The customs, jurisdictions and rights of the different territories and diverse social groups had to be respected. The end of the fifteenth century did not see an end to the long period of conflicts and wars in the lands of the Crown of Castile and the sixteenth century would continue in part with the same warring dynamic. The long war of Christian expansion over Andalusian territory ended in 1492 with the conquest of the kingdom and city of Granada. But the social-economic problems and those of living together of the different ethnic and religious groups and the structuring of the territory were not over by this date, but would stretch out like an immense shadow towards the future. It was to culminate with the expulsion of the Jewish people and the Moor population, with the different revolts and demands of the nobility. The work of the Inquisition in the Castilian lands created a psychosis of insecurity and fear that was widespread amongst the people who realised that almost nobody was safe from its long arm –from any countrywoman and craftswoman to Teresa de Jesús, and to Hernando de Talavera, etc. The trials in search of any vestige or suspicion of non Catholic practices, that is, any indication of not being Christian or old Christian were to multiply. The Castilian lands were at the risk of losing the experience and knowledge that the women and men of the three cultures and the three religions of the Book had brought during centuries of living-together.
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XI. Item, por quanto al tiempo que nos fueron conçedidas por la sancta Se Apostólica las Yslas e Tierra Firme del Mar Oçéano, descubiertas e por descubrir, nuestra prinçipal yntençión fue […], de procurar de ynduzir e traer los pueblos d’ellas e les convertir a nuestra sancta fe cathólica, e enviar a las dichas Islas e Tierra Firme prelados e religiosos e clérigos e otras personas doctas e temerosas de Dios, para ynstruir los vezinos e moradores d’ellas en la fe cathólica, e les ensennar e doctrinar buenas costumbres, e poner en ello la diligençia devida, segund más largamente en las letras de la dicha conçessión se contiene, por ende suplico al rey mi sennor muy afectuosamente, e encargo e mando a la dicha prinçesa, mi hija, e al dicho prínçipe, su marido, que así lo hagan e cunplan, e que este sea su prinçipal fin, e que en ello pongan mucho diligençia, e no consientan nin den lugar que los yndios, vezinos e moradores de las dichas Yndias e Tierra Firme, ganadas e por ganar, reçiban agravio alguno en sus personas ni bienes, más manden que sean bien e justamente tratados, e si algund agravio han reçebido lo remedien e provean por manera que no se exçeda en cosa alguna lo que por las letras apostólicas de la dicha conçessión nos es iniungido e mandado.[…]
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