4. Isabella I of Spain (Isabella the Catholic)
Born: April 22, 1451 – Madìrgal de las Altas Torres, Castìle
Died: November 26, 1504 – Medìna del Campo, Spain
What one must do, to be remembered as an evil ruler? Is persecution of thousands ‘good’ enough? Isabella I a.k.a. Isabella of Castile and Aragon that ranks 4th in our list of most evil female rulers in history was a self-proclaimed purifier of Roman Catholic faith who is together with her husband Ferdinand II of Aragon, responsible for the expulsion of more than 40 000 Jews who refused to convert to Christianity. Of course, they had the Pope’s blessing, since they were given the title ‘’The Catholic monarchs’’. Moors suffered the same destiny, considering the 1492 fall of the Muslim Kingdom of Granada to the ‘Catholic Monarchs’ hands, thus ending the Reconquista. For infidelities who stayed in Spain, they initiated Spanish Inquisition, the Tribunal of Holy Office that operated in Spain and all Spanish colonies and which was responsible for torture and death of more than 2000 Jews. Therefore, her other deeds, like sponsoring Columbus’s first voyage remains a little bit in the shadow of her controversial fight for the supremacy of her religion.
