| Date | May 2018 | Marks available | 4 | Reference code | 18M.1.BP.TZ0.6 |
| Level | Both SL and HL | Paper | Paper 1 - first exams 2017 | Time zone | TZ0 |
| Command term | Analyse | Question number | 6 | Adapted from | N/A |
Question
Source G
Lu Ann Homza, a professor of history, writing in the academic book The Spanish Inquisition 1478–1614 (2006).
The Spanish Inquisition was created in 1478 because of a heresy which Church authorities called “judaizing”: judaizers were Christians who allegedly continued to practice Jewish ceremonies and espouse [promote] Jewish beliefs. Spain had the largest population of Jews in Western Europe until 1391, when preaching by Dominican friars provoked the forced baptism of Jews and the destruction of their neighbourhoods. Almost instantaneously, these “new” Christians, called conversos, generated debate within Spanish society; questions arose as to whether they were sincere in their new beliefs, and whether they should be allowed to hold the public and ecclesiastical offices that were now open to them because of their baptism … Antagonism toward the conversos was inflamed by their social success since many converso families deftly [skilfully] climbed a social hierarchy that had been off-limits before their baptism. Conversos came to occupy 85 percent of the posts on the city council of Cuenca, held prominent positions at the royal court, and could achieve remarkable success in the Church. Historians think the conversos’ social prominence [importance] compounded [intensified] local, urban rivalries and resulted in controversy throughout the fifteenth century.
[Source: Reprinted with permission of Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. All rights reserved.]
With reference to its origin, purpose and content, analyse the value and limitations of Source G for an historian studying the situation of Jews and conversos during the Inquisition.
Markscheme
Value:
• The author is a professor of History, therefore the book is likely to have been well researched and/or, given its date of publication, may offer an overview that benefits from recent research.
• As an academic book on the Inquisition in Spain, it offers detailed knowledge of the period.
• The source provides an insight into the relationship between conversos, Jews and Christians.
Limitations:
• As a general history of the Inquisition between 1478–1614, the focus on the impact on conversos and Jews could be limited.
• The sources available on the Inquisition are, for the most part, documents from the Catholic Church and may contain a biased view of the Jewish question in Spain during the period.
• The data provided refers to the city council of Cuenca only, and the significant presence of conversos in city council positions may not be representative of the overall situation.
The focus of the question is on the value and limitations of the source. If only value or limitations are discussed, award a maximum of [2]. Origins, purpose and content should be used as supporting evidence to make relevant comments on the values and limitations. For [4] there must be at least one reference to each of them in either the values or the limitations.
